As a crossroads on campus for students, faculty and visitors alike, the lounge in Caldwell Hall has become a cultural hub as much as a popular study destination. One of the major draws of the lounge is the opportunity to listen to people playing piano.

But the piano in Caldwell’s lounge benefits more than just students who appreciate live piano music while they study. Those who play the piano have their own stories to tell.

Luis Gonzalez, a first-year Ph.D. student studying psychology, said he’s played piano casually since he was 15, but he began playing in Caldwell because, like more than 4,000 other students, he was displaced from Poe Hall after the building was temporarily closed.

Playing piano became a way to kill time during the slower portion of his week and to ease Gonzalez’s stress, he said. 

“Around [midweek], things kind of started getting a little bit slower pace,” Gonzalez said. “And so I enjoy kind of going in; it helps me kind of reset my energy, relax a bit.”

Gonzalez said despite all the stressors in his life, such as moving from Puerto Rico to the United States, living alone and going to grad school, playing piano provides a brief respite from the world around him.

“I was talking to a classmate of mine, and she said something I thought really stuck with me,” Gonzalez said. “She said, ‘Music is therapy,’ and I think that, thinking back on my life, more often than not that’s been the case.”

Troy Wickersham, a third-year studying political science, said he began playing in Caldwell after facing difficulties reserving a piano practice room at Price Music Center. Wickersham stumbled upon the Caldwell piano while going to his classes in the fall.

Wickersham said the piano gave him an outlet for expression that he’s enjoyed since he was little.

“I just like expressing myself in music,” Wickersham said. “It sounds kind of corny but to me, music says a lot more than words can. So you can convey, like, an emotion through play. … Playing the piano, I think, is especially good for that.”

Gonzalez said he’s found a further purpose since discovering his artistic side in Caldwell: a connection to his home, friends and family.

“Now the further that I am away, the more that I’ve kind of been going back to the things that I grew up with, that my granddad shared,” Gonzalez said. “It grounds me.”

Wickersham said he appreciates the opportunity to practice and workshop his own music in a comfortable environment. He shared a story of praise he received online that affirmed the feelings he gets while playing.

“One time after playing, I was on Yik Yak and someone said something like, ‘Whoever’s playing like an angel in Caldwell, you sound amazing,’ or something like that,” Wickersham said. “Just having that consistent feedback on, like, every other time I was playing for a couple of weeks, that was just very satisfying.”

Gonzalez had his own stories of recognition, reflecting on a conversation he had with an onlooking student who perked up the first time he played in Caldwell.

“He was clearly a piano student, but we just started having a conversation about songs in general and interesting key changes and things like that, and I thought that was really fun,” Gonzalez said. “I think music is a really good way to connect with people.”

Evie Andrews, a first-year studying film who’s had multiple classes in Caldwell Hall over the last two semesters, said the option to study in a place with live music is a convenient offering on campus.

“A lot of people do like to listen to music when they study, and I think it’s really nice to have a space where that is on campus,” Andrews said.

Andrews said while the piano in Caldwell Lounge is a nice addition, having more places on campus that combine musical talent — not just limited to piano — with open studying could benefit students looking for creativity and collaboration on campus. 

“I think more collaborative spaces would be really cool,” Andrews said. “Especially if they could [have] other instruments … publicly for people to pick up and play in a study environment. I think it’d be really interesting if they kind of combined all that in one space, music and studying.”

Andrews believes both musicians and students looking to study in a relaxed environment could benefit from more designated places on campus for students to play and listen to music.

“Even if people want to go just play an instrument for a little while, who aren’t like music majors, or don’t have access to, like, music rooms, or just want to hear live music — even if they’re not studying — I think it’d be a really cool opportunity,” Andrews said.