The Piano Knows Something I Don't Know

What does the piano know?

What does the piano know?

One November night, I miraculously didn't have any homework to do, reading to read, or papers to write. I didn't know how this had happened, especially given my long history of bad luck, but I did know that I had to take advantage of this wondrous event. I thought about all of the different ways in which I could spend all of this time that I never knew that I had, but in the end, the decision was easy.

I decided to spend a few more hours at the Aubergine Dream.

Despite my desire to go to the Aubergine early, I did want some company. I sent a quick email to the other members of the Guyliner Club asking them if they wanted to go to the Aubergine with me, and within a few minutes, I received the following replies.

gway18@kale.edu: I'm glad to see that you're in love with the Aubergine, Ryan, but I am very busy right now. I'll meet you there later.

fiero19@kale.edu: I'm also busy.

pwentz20@kale.edu: I have a lot of homework, so I probably won't be able to make it to the Aubergine tonight :(

ljgrace18@kale.edu: Ryan, please stop emailing me in the middle of Feminist Theory!

I reconsidered my options, but there truly wasn't anything better to do with my time. It would be best to go to the Aubergine without my friends. If I was lucky, Brendon would be there early too. Then again, I was never that lucky. Fate often seemed to be working against me, though I knew that was preposterous. I didn't think that I had done anything to make fate despise me like that.

I walked to the Aubergine and swung the door open. The bar was surprisingly empty, but it still seemed as if I had lucked out. Brendon was leaning against a wall, wearing a simple black T-shirt and skinny jeans. He was sipping on his drink when he noticed me entering the bar. "Hey Ryan," he said, smiling. "It's nice to see you, but what are you doing here so early?"

I shrugged and said, "I didn't have any homework tonight, and I'm honestly not sure how that happened."

"Really?" Brendon said. "As a college student, that's impressive."

"Well, Professor Leopold did tell me to practice that Schumann piece, but I don't want to do that," I said. "It's a piece of art, and I should be able to decide what sort of art I want to play and what I don't want to play."

"I can understand that," Brendon said. "There are some nice classical pieces though. I like Beethoven's Ninth Symphony."

"Are you just trying to impress me with your nonexistent knowledge of classical music?" I asked.

"Yes, but at least I'm willing to admit it," Brendon said.

I laughed and then asked, "What do you actually listen to?" I do think that someone's music taste says quite a lot about them, and I was curious as to what Brendon listened to.

"I listen to a lot of different types of music," Brendon responded. "I'll listen to anything from indie rock to hip-hop to punk. What about you?"

"I'm the same way," I said. "I listen to a lot of the Beatles though."

"That's awesome!" Brendon said. "The Beatles are great."

"I just love listening to them," I said. "There are other artists that I like, but I'll always love the Beatles."

"Me too," Brendon said. He coughed and then added, "So Ryan, how has your day been so far? As you can see, I've got a bit of a cold."

"I had Advanced Piano Studies and Great People of Mathematics today," I told him. "After those two classes, I went back to Flack Hall for a little while, and then I came here."