The University of California, Los Angeles, resonates with the melodies of music on The Hill
The UCLA Piano Project, an initiative that has been making waves on the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) campus, has been providing a unique platform for students to connect and engage through music.
Four pianos, generously placed outside Covel, Bruin Plate dining hall, Luskin Conference Center, and on Bruin Walk, have been the centre of impromptu performances since their installation, as per Peter Angelis, the assistant vice chancellor of UCLA Housing and Hospitality. Watching the social interactions of passersby with the pianists has been heartwarming, he noted.
The project's inception can be traced back to Jeremy Barrett, an electrical engineering major at UCLA, who started the UCLA Piano Project with three pianos in the fall, and the fourth arrived in January with fanfare. Barrett, who has been playing piano since he was 6 years old, stated that his goal was to help students connect.
One such student is Alethea Sung-Miller, an electrical engineering major who initially wanted to go into nanorobotics. However, her path took an unexpected turn when she met a group of fellow pianists at the piano on campus through a serendipitous meeting. Sung-Miller considers the piano as "a home away from home."
Sung-Miller discovered the piano when she heard someone else playing, and it was weeks after she found the piano that she learned about the Piano Project. She plays her own classically inspired compositions on a piano near her UCLA dorm room and is involved in building a drone with a team of students from UCLA's Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers club.
Moreover, Sung-Miller manages her chronic migraines through music and also receives piano lessons from UCLA faculty. She has an internship with a composer from the show "How I Met Your Mother," and her passion for music is evident in her dedication.
The UCLA Piano Project received funding from the UCLA Semel Healthy Campus Initiative Center, UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, Chancellor Gene Block, UCLA Housing, and others. The project aims to foster connections among UCLA students by providing opportunities for shared learning and artistic collaboration, while engaging the broader community by making music education and performances accessible. It helps build a supportive network around piano music and promotes cultural exchange and appreciation through interactive programs.
Peter Angelis noted that the installation of the pianos on campus has made The Hill alive with beautiful music. Alethea Sung-Miller makes a habit of checking to see if the piano is open, as it always makes her day better. Jeremy Barrett envisions the UCLA Piano Project as a space for students to congregate, break down barriers, and use music to communicate.
In essence, the UCLA Piano Project is more than just a collection of pianos on campus. It is a testament to the power of music to bring people together and foster a sense of community. As students continue to gather around the pianos, sharing their love for music and connecting with one another, the project continues to change the way students interact on campus, making UCLA a more vibrant and engaging place.
Education and self-development intertwine with entertainment as Alethea Sung-Miller uses music, primarily through her pianists' meetings and her own compositions, as a means of managing her chronic migraines and cultivating her passion. Moreover, the UCLA Piano Project, an initiative aimed at fostering connections and promoting cultural exchange, is also a platform for students to engage in music performances, offering an alternative form of entertainment on campus.
