Alumnae Hall

So when I came to Brown, I knew that if I didn't have immediate access to a piano at pretty much every point in my day - and especially times when I was working - I would die. So I brought my keyboard. 88 keys, little speakers, two of the D notes stick. But it's 97.5% functional... but still not quite good enough all the time. Especially if I want/need to be alone.

So anyway, corequisite, I was in the process of joining orchestra so I could play mallet percussion. Of course, if I'm in the orchestra, I have to practice. And so it turns out that when you get into the orchestra as a percussionist, you're allowed to have a key to Alumnae Hall, which is right near my dorm and houses a very large marimba/percussion cabinet and a NINE FOOT STEINWAY GRAND PIANO.

So I went to the music building one day before Breakdance Club and asked for a key. Turns out it costs $50 (but you get it back if you don't kill the keys). So yeah, I got the keys to the hall and to the cabinet and to the hall in general.

So one day I had some free time and I thought, hey, let's go play piano. So I walk up to the side hall, where Nat (the orchestra president) had used his keys to open the door. Stick it all the way in the keyhole.... turn one way. Nothing. Turn another way. Nothing. Go to the handicapped door... all the way in, one way nothing other way nothing. All the way to the side door... nothing either way. So I walk to the front door hoping maybe that will help. By luck, it was open, and I could just walk in and play piano. So I did. I forget exactly what I played, but I didn't stay long.

So later I went back to the music builing (Orwig) to trade in my keys since these didn't seem to work. Another night, around 9PM, I decided to take a break from talking to people/working to go play piano. I sat there at the side door for twenty minutes, without exaggeration, trying to open that stupid door. It turns out... that

A) The lock is really defective
B) The door is really defective

So what I would have to do was kick the door in all the way and hold it back, then ram the key in to the hold as hard as I can, twist it and simultaneously spin the knob and open the door. And that's the way to get in to Alumnae Hall.

So every time I go to play piano now, just know and laugh at the fact that I have to go through that stupid ritual every time.

Peace out!