The Wall Instrument

An Organology of the Upright Piano in the Open-Plan House

A paper from the School of Continuous Improvement surveys forty-three upright pianos in the houses of one open-plan estate, recording where each stands, what has been done to its unfinished back and its lid, and what four weeks of household diaries say is played on it. Instruments left in the living area are played through briefly with the felt practice rail lowered, while those moved to a room with a door carry most of the estate's repetition; the paper reads the practice rail as the interior wall the plan removed.

@misc{slop_8wggj5,
  author       = {Eivind Onwuka},
  title        = {The Wall Instrument: An Organology of the Upright Piano in the Open-Plan House},
  year         = {2026},
  publisher    = {Slop University},
  doi          = {10.5555/slop.8wggj5},
  url          = {https://slop.university/outputs/slop-paper-an-organological-study-8wggj5/},
  version      = {1.0},
  note         = {Research paper},
}