I played classical piano for 10 years but I got back into it this year as a way of creative expression and stress relief. Although I enjoyed playing on the piano in Terry, I was curious about what the other pianos of West Campus were like. So I decided to test out all six dorms, in one day, with the song “Engagement Party” from La La Land and these were the rankings.
1st Place: Maple
Maple's had great quality and volume of sound, but it just felt more natural to play on, almost comparable to the baby grand piano I have at home.
4th Place: Elm
I hated the bench and although the sound wasn’t too bad, the keys didn’t have enough resistance so it was almost like typing on a computer keyboard.
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2nd Place: Terry
It sounds a bit muted compared to the others, but the sound was really consistent and it definitely has the most effective damper pedal of all.
5th Place: Alder
It’s so loud that it’s like playing on a harpsichord – which is only good for happy and upbeat pieces – and some of the keys don’t go all the way down.
3rd Place: Poplar
This had the most vibrant tone out of all of them (not so much that it was like the one in Alder), but that also makes it harder to play in softer tones.
6th Place: Lander
The damper pedal doesn’t work and over half of the keys are in need of some serious tuning... This is probably one of the worst pianos I have ever played on.
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