Anyone who walked into Carleton University’s Minto engineering building has likely heard students’ soft melodies coming from the grand piano near its entrance.
Its detailed golden brown exterior and stained piano keys were parts of the Minto piano that held meaning for many students — no matter how old and somewhat out of tune it was. The wooden instrument had a particular charm and was home to lasting campus memories.
Over the fall 2025 reading week, the university replaced the grand piano with an electric keyboard to offer more accessibility for students wanting to play, as well as those in need of a quieter workspace, according to the university.
“The acoustic piano required frequent tuning and patience,” the university added in an emailed statement to the Charlatan. “The new electric piano enables students to play regularly while maintaining appropriate noise levels for others studying or working in the Minto Centre.
“We look forward to seeing the piano continue to be enjoyed by members of our community.”
“There were some complaints about the piano in general just because it was loud and out of tune,” said Emily Knobel, president of the Carleton Student Engineering Society. “(Carleton) best figured it was good to switch it out with the electric one instead, just because they know everyone loves to play the piano.
While some students say the replacement was well worth it, others expressed disappointment that Minto is no longer home to the historic ivories.
The Minto piano made its way to campus through the annual Trade Up Tradition during the faculty of engineering’s first year orientation in the mid-2010s. Students receive a small item like buttons or a bag of beans that they are tasked with trading, working their way up towards an item of bigger value.
A cornerstone of campus engineering lore, the piano in Minto was brought to campus as a symbol of hard work, dedication and light-heartedness.
“Students take a lot of pride in what they trade up to,” Knobel said. “To have (the piano) around, it just means a lot to students who quite get to this point.”
The university-issued electric piano was a fair compromise amid noise complaints and ensures students can still play, Knobel added.
Fourth-year Aiden De Carlo, who studies aerospace engineering, would tickle the original Minto piano’s keys every other day. Now, he is saying goodbye to a meaningful element of his campus experience.
“I find it sad,” he said of the replacement. “I had some sort of sentimental connection to it, fixing key caps, fixing mechanical issues.”
“I’m glad they replaced it with at least something.”
For De Carlo, the acoustic instrument epitomized hard work and growth.
“In spirit, it kind of symbolizes you can really work yourself up. You’re a freshman, you learn all of these new things.
“You start off as a paperclip, and you end as a piano.”
To fix the piano, De Carlo would measure the keys’ dimensions and 3D print new ones to replace the ones that had broken, which he said brought character to the instrument. Oftentimes he would also tune it to play it properly.
“I think it would’ve been much better off just moving the piano to somewhere quieter rather than just fully getting rid of it.”
The new keyboard includes features like volume control and string sounds.
Hugh Hang, a fourth-year computer science student, said he is devastated that the grand piano has been replaced. The new keyboard lacks the authentic feeling of a grand piano.
“It was nice just seeing a grand piano with lights shining down on it,” he said. “It was a nice vibe, and losing that authentic grand piano sucks.”
Hang said he saw the piano as a way to bring people together, adding that learning about the noise complaints was an unfortunate discovery.
“I never saw it as a negative thing. Other people saying that kind of makes me really sad.”
Third-year computer science student Felipe Martinez recalled meeting new people through the instrument; other students would often sing or play the piano with him when he was in his first year.
“It does foster community way more than you would expect,” he said.
Martinez added he enjoys the new keyboard and the new features it brings.
But for second-year cognitive science student Natalie Demille, the Minto piano’s replacement is disappointing as can be. The new option is not the same therapeutic, emotional outlet the instrument once was to her.
“The music isn’t radiating though the entire room, it’s just kind of turned down and muffled,” she said. “It feels like you’re also being muffled and it doesn’t feel like you’re able to express yourself in the same way.”
Demille said the replacement means that the keyboard is no longer something unique to Carleton.
“I imagine that it just brought a lot more people together easily because it was just such a staple piece,” she said.
“Now it’s just something you could pick up on Amazon.”
Featured image by Simon McKeown/the Charlatan
