Wayne State added two pianos last week in the Undergraduate Library and the Purdy-Kresge Library, leaving some music students to wonder if practice rooms will expand on campus this year.
WSU Libraries and the Department of Music added the digital pianos inside a collaboration room in both libraries that are available to all WSU students.
College of Fine Performing and Communications Arts Librarian Serena Vaquilar said the library rehearsal rooms are to provide study spaces for music students and students interested in music.
“We want to be able to provide space not just to music students but to everybody in the university community who wants access to these pianos but then might not have space in their schedule to take on an extra class,” Vaquilar said.
The library pianos will accommodate the students who can’t join the Music Department but would still like to practice their music, Paul Bishop, Department of Music academic services officer, said.
“That’s kind of where this idea came in, to try and accommodate some of the students who aren’t going to participate in the department activities and still try to provide a place where they could go,” Bishop said.
Music business major Claire Hall said the new spaces might make it easier for students who live farther from Old Main to rehearse.
“I think that’s a really cool idea,” Hall said. “It will be easier for students that don’t live right next to Old Main, an accessible alternative to be able to practice.”
Twenty-three practice rooms and one recording studio are available inside Old Main to students enrolled in at least one music class, according to the practice room policies. Each room has one piano, chair and music stand. Bishop said all students can enroll in a music class and students must then apply online for OneCard access to the practice rooms in Old Main.
All WSU students can access the library pianos by reserving them online during library operating hours, which are open for longer hours than the Old Main practice rooms.
Vaquilar said students are encouraged to bring headphones when using the digital pianos.
“Even though UGL doesn’t have noise rules, we don’t necessarily want an entire ensemble coming in to play because that would disrupt the rest of everybody’s study time, but I think that we are willing to adapt within reason,” Vaquilar said. “We just want to see some people using them first.”
Bishop said music students are a priority for Old Main practice rooms because it takes funding to maintain the pianos and rooms.
“The thing people don’t realize is—with a piano, once you buy it, you have to maintain it,” Bishop said. “I have to make decisions every week on which pianos can be tuned and which cannot. That’s why everything can be very tight for the department and we want to try to preserve those resources for students that are actively participating.”
Hall said she noticed the Old Main practice rooms could use some renovations.
“Sometimes the pianos are out of tune or broken, but I’ve noticed they’ve been fixing it,” she said. “One thing that doesn’t have to do with the practice rooms, but I wish would get fixed is that there has been a leak outside of the practice rooms since I’ve been here. I walk by it every day to get into a room.”
The practice rooms in Old Main are in need of new flooring, carpet, new acoustic paneling and replacement pianos, Bishop said.
Department of Music Student Assistant William Carey said the practice rooms are enough for music students to practice despite the need for renovations —he said the library could give more students the opportunity to rehearse on campus.
“I believe the facilities (in Old Main) are maintained well enough to where people are able to practice in those rooms consistently,” Carey said. “And the library allows an alternative place for music students to practice and a place for non-music students to play and practice.”
Bishop said there is the possibility of expanding practice rooms and music technology into the library in the future, but student and administration support would be necessary for any future endeavors.
“When you can get the funding, can actually put together a proposal, have a vision, and then get the administrative support, you can really accomplish a lot,” he said. “But all those moving pieces have to be in play. It couldn’t just be me and Serena with an idea. . . It would be good to have support from the students and DOSO. . .”
All WSU students can access the library pianos by reserving them online during library operating hours.
Shawntay Lewis is the Arts & Entertainment editor for The South End. She can be reached at artsandentertainmenttse@gmail.com.
Cover photo provided by Shawntay Lewis.
