Night Music

Jay Loomis, a 5th-year Ph.D. student in Musicology & Ethnomusicology, says he visits the piano when he takes nighttime walks around campus, so it seemed fitting to check out the piano for the blog's first nighttime post. In the dark, I was more aware of the interaction between piano sound and environmental sound – cars passing on the street seemed to be in dialogue with Jay’s cluster chords, and a siren in the distance entered just as he played a final chord of his improvisation. Jay didn't seem to need much visibility in order to play; he pounded away at the keys and strummed blindly at the strings inside.

Even though he's not a pianist, Jay says he enjoys playing this piano because he feels more free with what he can do. And with this instrument, being a traditionally trained pianist isn't necessarily an advantage, because the keys don't always respond in predictable ways. On Jay's nightly visits to the piano, he notices keys that work one night but stick the next. Every visit is a new surprise.

Days in place: 264

Weather: clear, moon in the third quarter, 49°F