Let him live.

Every time I tell people I like to study in the Lerner piano lounge, I get a response that sounds something like “but how could you possibly study while people are playing the piano?” Obviously, if you want a totally silent study space, the piano lounge is not for you. But I don’t understand why the music-loving souls who just want to practice the piano get so much hate.

When I’m three hours into a marathon study session, it warms my heart to see people who aren’t miserable doing something they enjoy. It reminds me that there’s a world beyond whatever test I’m cramming for. Even if the pianist isn’t particularly talented, plays the same six bars of music for an hour straight, or is just practicing scales, I still appreciate that they’re spending time on one of their interests instead of steeping themselves even more fully in stress culture.

Plus, I find it adds some nice, generic background music to my studying. There aren’t distracting words, and it’s easy enough to tune out if I really need to do that. But when I’m trying to memorize the seven main primate feeding profiles, some classical music is pleasant to have in the background. As much as I love the How To Train Your Dragon soundtrack, sometimes it’s nice to listen to music that I didn’t have to pick.

I get it—not everyone is a fan of the piano. But I hardly thinks that gives one the right to hate on people who are finding some escape, however brief, from whatever’s weighing on their mind. There aren’t that many pianos on campus, so let them play the piano in peace.

And if it bothers you that much but you absolutely have to be in the piano lounge, put in some earbuds for crying out loud. Even a pretty low volume is enough to block them out.

i bet he’s playing chopsticks via Bwog Archives