The Melody Fills UCLA's Hill with the Enchantment of Music
==============================================================
The UCLA Piano Project, an initiative started by Jeremy Barrett, has brought a new wave of music and social interaction to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) campus. Four pianos have been strategically placed outside popular locations such as Covel, Bruin Plate dining hall, Luskin Conference Center, and Bruin Walk, inviting anyone on campus to participate in impromptu performances and heartwarming social interactions.
One of the many students who have benefited from this project is Alethea Sung-Miller, an electrical engineering major at UCLA. Sung-Miller regularly meets new people through playing the piano, and her passion for music often leads to conversations about her other interests, including novel writing, hardware hackathons, film scoring, coding theory, ballet, and nanorobotics.
Barrett's motivation for The Piano Project was to help students connect, and the installation of the pianos has certainly achieved that. Sung-Miller, for instance, has formed a group of fellow pianists who are engineers and music-lovers. The pianos serve as a "home away from home" for Sung-Miller, providing a respite from her chronic migraines.
Barrett, who has been playing piano since he was 6, finds it challenging for non-music majors to find an instrument on campus. The UCLA Piano Project aims to address this issue, making music more accessible to all students.
The project received funding from the UCLA Semel Healthy Campus Initiative Center, donations from the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, and support from Chancellor Gene Block and UCLA Housing. One of the pianos arrived with fanfare in January, marking the beginning of a new era of musical expression on campus.
Peter Angelis, the assistant vice chancellor of UCLA Housing and Hospitality, expressed surprise that students living on The Hill had gone without instruments. UCLA now boasts four outdoor pianos available for anyone on campus to use.
Sung-Miller plays her own classically inspired compositions on the outdoor piano near her UCLA dorm room. She also enjoys meeting people through her music and considers her favorite day of fall quarter the day she met a group of fellow pianists.
Barrett's vision for The Piano Project is a space for diverse students to congregate, break down barriers, and use music to communicate. The project has certainly succeeded in doing so, fostering a sense of community and appreciation for music among UCLA students.
[1]: For detailed and current information specifically about the UCLA Piano Project and testimonials or stories about Alethea Sung-Miller, I recommend consulting UCLA’s official music department website or reaching out directly to UCLA’s student arts organizations for firsthand accounts or official project descriptions. [4]: UCLA Today - UCLA Piano Project [5]: Daily Bruin - UCLA Piano Project
- Alethea Sung-Miller, a passionate electrical engineering major at UCLA, uses the outdoor pianos as an opportunity for self-development and entertainment, often discussing her interests in various academic fields such as novel writing, hardware hackathons, film scoring, coding theory, and nanorobotics, as well as ballet, with fellow students who gather around the pianos.
- While the UCLA Piano Project, initiated by Jeremy Barrett, has primarily focused on fostering connections and breaking down barriers among students, it has also indirectly supported their education and self-development by encouraging students to engage in music activities, which can also stimulate learning and personal growth in other areas of interest.
