On Wednesday, April 15, the piano outside the Student Union vanished without a trace. The following day, it was replaced with a new piano, drawing campus’ pianists to enjoy the fresh tuning and construction.
For years now, piano players on campus have had gripes with the instrument sitting on the other side of the glass from the SU ping-pong tables. Computer science master’s student Ronny Hoang, who completed their undergraduate degree at UTD as well, has come to know the piano — and its faults — intimately over the years.
“[I played the piano] pretty much all four years I was here,” Hoang said. “[It] was just difficult to play on.”
Hoang said the piano’s keys would often stick together and complicate playing, an issue only made worse by the weathered sound of an instrument left to the elements for years.
The replacement saga began around 2:15 p.m. Wednesday, when an eyewitness boothing for Recite and Reflect UTD in the Plinth said she saw the old piano get taken away. SU staff working at the help desk did not know of any plans for piano replacement until after Retrograde staff informed them of the piano’s disappearance.
Within the hour, SU coordinator Steve Dietemann arrived and told staff that the piano “should be replaced,” but he did not have an estimate on the timeline of the replacement.
In an email to The Retrograde, SU Senior Director Dan Goodwin said “a much better alternative” to the old piano was on the way. Student Union and Student Union Programs Director Ashley Shoemake said that the replacement would be in “at the end of the week.”
Within 24 hours of the initial disappearance, a shiny new Kawai piano had been brought to the SU. The new piano quickly became a hot spot for campus pianists, with nearly nonstop use in its first few days.
“This piano is so much better than the old one,” Hoang said. “It’s definitely more enjoyable to play on, and it’s also more enjoyable to listen to as someone sitting nearby.”
