MIT students destroy piano as part of tradition dating back to 1972

(27 Apr 2012) 1. Wide of piano on ramp on roof
2. SOUNDBITE: (English) Michael Plasmeier, head of Baker House student governing body:
"So piano drop started 40 years ago when some students in Baker House had an extra piano and they wanted to get rid of it. So they just unofficially threw it off the roof one night. Today it''s an official event, as you can see, and it''s launched off a ramp instead of just throwing it off."
3. Pan of assembled crowd waiting for piano drop
4. Wide of person playing broken piano on ramp
5. Extreme wide of landing area from rooftop
6. Mid of people lifting ramp with piano and releasing it, UPSOUND: (English) shouting "5, 4, 3, 2, 1!", crashing, cheers
7. Wide shot from ground of piano falling from roof, crashing onto another piano, UPSOUND: cheering
8. Wide of crowd looking up at rooftop, pan as crowd rushes up to crash site.
9. Wide of people scavenging through debris for souvenirs
10. Mid of people looking through debris
11. SOUNDBITE: (English) Conner Humber (right) and Tom Moriarty (left), MIT students:
Humber: "It wasn''t what I expected, you know. I was expecting grandure of noise and..."
Moriarty: "Yeah you''re waiting for that twang when it hits and everything goes boing!"
Humber: "But you know it was a thud and it was still really cool."
Moriarty: "It''s a fun thud. It''s fun to see a piano hit a piano, you don''t usually see that."
12. Mid of student striking broken piano keys
STORYLINE:
Residents of a dormitory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, US, dropped an upright piano from their roof on Thursday to mark the last day that students can drop classes without them appearing on their college report.
About 200 onlookers watched as the piano crashed into a second piano, a baby grand, which was positioned on the ground six storeys below for a more spectacular smash.
People scrambled for souvenir pieces - keys, hammers, strings and splinters.
The tradition began in 1972 at the Baker House dormitory and has been observed sporadically until 2006, when it became an annual event, said Michael Plasmeier, who heads the dormitory''s student governing body that organised the ritual.
"Today, it''s an official event, and it''s launched off a ramp instead of just throwing it off," Plasmeier said.
The piano dropping tradition is so popular that astronaut Catherine Coleman, an MIT alumna, took a piano key from the event up into space with her in a nod to the tradition.
The upright piano was rolled from a makeshift ramp on the Baker House roof.
No piano has ever fallen on anyone''s head, organisers say.
Broken pianos are used in the drop, generally donated by people eager to get someone to pick up the unwanted instrument for free.
Other items may be placed below to make for a more resounding impact, such as the second piano this year.
Onlookers enjoyed the spectacle.
"It''s fun to see a piano hit a piano," said Tom Moriarty, "you don''t usually see that."
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[@andrmeda5567]

Playstation sound nowhere to be found what a scam...

[@washingtrend9538]

fake video

[@rodrigopadilha5682]

This is true, all the other ones are fake

[@BHGull]

tbh i tought that sound would be much better so this video is definetly fake

[@rodrigopadilha5682]

@@BHGull look at my comment

[@titan9259]

2OOTH Like

[@angeelmur]

I'm a pianist, I don't even have a piano, and it hurts me horribly to see this.

[@lexdose4104]

True, my keyboard is 54 keys and been playing for 1 and half year... 😢😢

[@malfunctionnnn]

yeah i wish i could have taken that piano and given it the love and attention it deserves. poor thing :(

[@maulyjain]

Exactlyyy aahhhh

[@casual_boredom7195]

Piano genocide is a serious issue in multiple countries, this is only adding to the audacity.

[@angieroxy7550]

Yes.

[@alisathemushroom9923]

The way they all swarm upon the corpses like wild scavengers

[@atsukwru]

HAH THE CORPSES

[@Sianne-sj2mx]

Felt like I was watching zombies 😂

[@antonella3754]

They thought it was a piñata

[@WAVE0025]

"Remember that piano we dropped 40 years ago?" "Yeah, what about it?" "Looks like we started something we shouldn't have"

[@catsdinner3476]

😂😂

[@limeflake4192]

*a piano falls on another piano* Humans: _WHOOOOOOOOOOOO_

[@Akzies]

WWE

[@kiobr1349]

WHOOOI FALL PIANO WEE PS2 🪑chAirfall weee J

[@Boktai87]

@@Akzies TONIGHT, ON WCW MONDAY NITRO! PIANO VS. PIANO ULTIMATE HIGH FLYING DEATH MATCH! *Monday Nitro Theme Intensifies*

[@JaneAlison008]

They just proved that there are some very stupid traditions

[@megugu2155]

literally harmless just-for-fun tradition that students like to do annually. it may be stupid but its fun stupid.

[@lucasliew4924]

Done by very smart people! Because why not.

[@einflinkeswiesel2695]

They only use broken pianos donated by people who want to get rid of it

[@kaba1996]

Lol be mad about piano

[@tgnm9615]

But at least its fun and nobody got hurt

[@wheredoigo1420]

This is one of the biggest crimes I’ve ever witnessed😩

[@einflinkeswiesel2695]

They only use broken pianos donated by people who want to get rid of it

[@nyantend0]

"Broken pianos are used in the drop, generally donated by people eager to get someone to pick up the unwanted instrument for free."

[@shaunyjimenez9637]

But...they can fix it

[@shaunyjimenez9637]

@bratty rat no need to be a bitch abt it

[@t_Heisenberg]

@@shaunyjimenez9637 cheap produced and broken pianos aren't really worth it to be repaired

[@TrunksG]

@@shaunyjimenez9637 not really. It could be more expensive to repair it than to buy a new one. So, pretty much, it just garbage

[@circleinforthecube5170]

@@t_Heisenberg depends on when its produced, cheap crappy furniture becomes antiques and vintage, every 1800s antique and 60s mid century modern vintage was probably cheapo and crappy for its time because its usually produced in enough numbers to survive for long long long periods of time and become culturally accepted although the definition of cheap and crappy changed, it didint mean fragile really until 2000 when furniture got really frail. same with architecture, victorians are unique and cool but most 1800s-early 1900s architecture were pretty generic 2 story foursquares although i rather like the 90s windsor chairs, they look nice

[@getoveryourself2212]

“They had an extra piano and wanted to get rid of it...” So they didn’t bother donating it??

[@ccelliott8698]

For fun

[@darklordojeda]

Rich people don’t donate things.

[@sgtcreasegrease]

Ah I suppose people don't deserve nice things, they deserve broken ragged tattered beat to shit musical instruments. But it was a donation, so kind of them! How bout you donate an instrument to someone, do gooder.

[@Dreiven171]

The tradition strated when one MIT student was looking on the MIT rules, they found that they cant thrown something out of a window but they can on roofs, wo they got this really old and bad piano and decided to throw it on the school roof.

[@sgtcreasegrease]

Just realized the irony of your username. Get over yourself.

[@bobsfog6339]

The science show!

[@JunshuLiu]

BOBSFOG lol asdfmovie reference

[@evilriceplate2590]

PIANO!

[@katalinasashkov1893]

Whose idea was this?!

[@trevorstechcorner8361]

HAH ITS FUNNY... BECAUSE- BECAUSE ASDF LOL

[@patriciarivera368]

asdf. I like it

[@KuninKat]

Person: what is something that feels illegal but isnt? Me: *shows them this video*

[@vijayluxmi8078]

I'm a singer and musician, and can't even afford it. I wish i had that 😔

[@lucasliew4924]

I guessed you chose the wrong profession eh?

[@kncp]

@@lucasliew4924 excuse me?

[@mosesracal6758]

They use broken pianos donated by people so yeah

[@conagher]

@@kncp you are now officially excused

[@vijayluxmi8078]

@@lucasliew4924 better than yours ,bro

[@thatannegirl1]

but why, this is so sad, piano lovers all over the world are in pain rn

[@torachan23]

Your knees and organs are in pain

[@jirehmon6149]

Unbearable and unexplainable pain

[@tipocarolaine]

@@jirehmon6149 This is very sad, i always wanted a piano like that :(

[@jarredusedtodostuff9524]

@@tipocarolaine you want a broken one? Cuz they only buy broken ones to throw

[@southernbustransportation]

You can always find them on sale.

[@ilikecheese_9876]

*Plot twist:* The piano’s soul returned to throw all of the humans off the roof, just to see their bodies get crushed from the impact and see them meet the same fate as the piano.

[@y0urh0miena0mi]

It hurt my soul to watch the piano being pushed off, my sadistic self kinda wishes this plot twist was real

[@ilikecheese_9876]

@@y0urh0miena0mi Same I think the piano is a beautiful sounding instrument

[@cessposter]

@@ilikecheese_9876 the question is since they throw broken pianos, how will they get broken people?

[@ilikecheese_9876]

@@cessposter Break their legs I guess lol

[@tato1780]

@@ilikecheese_9876 cry about a block of wood plastic string and metal

[@sarthak1314]

This proves that "intelligent" people can act stupidly too.

[@JanTheBam]

Who says they are intelligent?

[@organboi]

This is even worse than the Vassar College Senior Streak where the graduating class runs naked through a fully lit library.

[@fc2078_]

And that’s how the PS2 sound was created...

[@fc2078_]

@@enelmench3098 ???

[@fc2078_]

@@enelmench3098 boi I know I’m not a real transit authority

[@trainsgod1042]

What is happening lol

[@toksyak9196]

@@trainsgod1042 I'm confused too lol

[@luispinon5902]

@@enelmench3098 what the hell is happening? Are you all right?

[@givdb5513]

In a distant planet. Extraterrestrials: there's a land that there's so much of it, that they even throw them out of the windows.

[@shadowforce623]

Imagine if they actually dropped the Mad Piano from Super Mario 64!

[@AR15.666]

school and students are weird.

[@Luka2000_]

So you were weird too

[@isb5.96bt4]

that's no ordinary school

[@AR15.666]

@@isb5.96bt4 how is it no ordinary?

[@hellothere1206]

@@AR15.666 thats MIT

[@AR15.666]

@@hellothere1206 what makes the difference ?

[@OneBiker98]

I expected the PS2 startup sound

[@retr_0864]

I think we all did

[@goldenguest778the_real]

everyone expected that too

[@zoperxplex]

"And I paid 400,000 dollars for this!" What the father of an MIT alumni said after watching this video.

[@malakmalik5891]

I just hate to see this. I'm dying wanting to have a piano for myself.

[@shuakeyuri_]

It's mostly broken Piano that doesn't work anymore.

[@malakmalik5891]

@@shuakeyuri_ I know the mere fact that it was a broken one. But, as for me if I was the owner, I would never throw something sentimental to me. And yes, we are different from each other. God Bless you ❤

[@jarredusedtodostuff9524]

@@malakmalik5891 they were sold anyway and if its un repairable it would most likely cost more to repair then buying a new one

[@nigel1910]

Im not gonna let my piano sees this

[@charmelink]

I expected more from MIT... like they could’ve easily found the exact way to drop it in order to make most strings produce sound on impact, what a disappointment!

[@dddCL]

Why would they do that? It looks like the piano was still emitting sounds, it wasn't broken before they dropped it. I'm sure a lot of people would love to have this piano even if it's old.

[@grandstrategos1144]

These pianos they throw off are broken beyond repair. You can hear when he plays it around 0:30. Just because it emits sound doesn’t mean it can be fixed.

[@diogodavid3557]

It's very clearly an old piano with no way to fix it so you might as well have some stupid fun with it and give everyone a little piece of a piano instead of just giving it away to someone who will have to deal with a broken and bad sounding piano

[@zunumae]

THIS SACRILEGIOUS, THIS PHYSICALLY HURT TO WATCH, *YOU CLEARLY NO PRACTICE 40 HOUR A DAY*

[@alessiamansouri3909]

Linglings soul broke

[@mixtapemania6769]

You complete and utter noob. I practice 92 hours a day

[@janurasamarasekara1010]

Just before this video I got a piano ad I swear

[@08missEE]

That loud unison of disappointment at the end though when the piano only went splat instead of a loud explosion of musical sadness.

[@fadlanal-amsi9839]

*WHOS IDEA WAS THIS??*

[@MENACE-km6bd]

It would be so much more entertaining if it fell on someone...or a crash test dummy...for science. I'm not a sadist 😳

[@kiobr1349]

why people want to watch a piano falling🪑🪑📚🔴

[@Sophie-ni8qm]

Dumbest tradition ever. Hurts me to see a piano just destroyed like that

[@Sophie-ni8qm]

@Alex oh that's slightly better then, but still, the good parts of them could be used to repair other pianos

[@mosesracal6758]

@@Sophie-ni8qm can be but those are still private pianos being donated so instead of going to the garbage dump, its instead thrown here also there is an ample supply of surplus piano parts around the world, throwing off one piano wont affect much

[@Sophie-ni8qm]

@@mosesracal6758 yh true, although apparently they do it every year

[@nigel1910]

Why are they smiling

[@3nvyghost610]

when the PS2 actually doesn't work

[@marlenafleeman]

I was sorta disappointed when there was no PS2 start up sound

[@yafetkasalie8070]

What a stupid tradition

[@thequarrymen58]

Agree

[@gabrielpaludo6913]

Agree

[@davidcooper2589]

Agree

[@raoulspov]

Agree

[@021mr5]

0:48 After the zebra has died of severe dehydration, the vultures quietly watching from a far begin to swoop in for a feast.

[@aseles6202]

To the people saying it's a waste, READ THE DESCRIPTION. JUST THE LOWER BIT. It literally explains that people donate broken pianos they want to get rid of. Who the hell would destroy a perfectly good piano?

[@aryenboi8554]

Oh dear god that is painful

[@nickdryad]

You know the sound boards are usually Sitka spice and can be use to make dulcimers, folk harps, ukulele, guitars sound boards. The ebony keys can be used for music instruments repairs especially violin nuts or guitar nuts.

[@konikadas3602]

What the heck kind of tradition is that!!! Just donate it to a music program if you don't need it.

[@martinavila3473]

Why it didn't do the ps2 sound?

[@yeocinnamon1343]

i got a simply piano ad before this video-

[@nishans673]

It’s so rude 😤 how could they

[@juliettemiso1521]

I'm having a bad time watching this

[@princeedmirovillar215]

If i were there then i would grab the entire keyboard section immediately without leaving a single piano key behind

[@angelicaivygagarin806]

I was thinking,,,, why do people don't give there piano to the people that wants to or need a piano instead of pushing it through the edge and watch it to destroy into pieces when it hits the ground🤔. , donate the piano

[@RetroPlus]

This just seems like a waste to me but at least they had fun I guess?

[@shuakeyuri_]

They use broken unusable pianos I think..

[@RetroPlus]

@@shuakeyuri_ Those pianos could have still gone to starving African children

[@shuakeyuri_]

@@RetroPlus So African children can eat pianos? Lol

[@RetroPlus]

@@shuakeyuri_ Waste of good food i say

[@amandaernar]

*anxiously looks over at $3,500 piano*

[@DevPatel-ol5wr]

Couldn't catch up in the electric world and was in depression since 1972 Rest in tune

[@Szym3k_r]

Starting piano color is blue after drop is bronze. MAGIC

[@naufalrizki3855]

0:44 "My Disappointment Is Immeasurable And My Day Is Ruined."

[@jxceuu]

why do i hear danganronpa execution music

[@DeadKoby]

I've seen very good (not fantastic) pianos at estate auctions, and you can buy them for just a few dollars. I saved two. (I don't play, but family and friends do). A 1990 Wurlitzer came to live at my home, and a 1983 Story & Clark came to live at my Mom's. They functioned well, and just needed the tuning touched up. If it works OK, consider donating it. It looks like the one they trashed was very tired.

[@vanessajabbour4659]

Y do they even have an extra piano? What a waste. Donate it instead of throwing it off. There goes ur college tuition. But y is it a piano ontop of a piano? And y were ppl taking its broken pieces?

[@nor_ja4333]

Plot twist : this was for a a movie scene and that piano is just daredevil

[@sebimitre1]

why they do that? .-. no logic lmao

[@mosesracal6758]

Not everything has to be logic lmao

[@asafarida1068]

Yeah, human, celebrate anything , make tradition of anything

[@daniellevy8935]

A bit sad and.. well weird ro see people gathering, shouting and later even picking up pieces of a broken piano for no reason at all. This is humanity. We are stupid and we love it

[@ptimlee]

this met my exact expectations of what MIT students are like

[@totally_not_a_animator]

This is an actual event back in the day we’re they would use a piano with candy in it then throw it off the roof amazing *why can’t we do this at my school*

[@Waltzingmephisto]

So politically incorrect… Yeah, I kind of half-expected a huge dramatic Beatles' End of Day in the Life 'Ka-Blammo" Finish to really give it punctuation and GRAVITY. But life isn't Hollywood is it.

[@vanivashisht7305]

This is pure sacrilege. What did the piano ever do to deserve this?🙄 I'm not even a musician but still, it pains me.

[@circleinforthecube5170]

Gordon freeman was wilding

[@bkes8196]

And that's how gravity works.

[@axisnexon73]

I clicked this video and an ad show up. And the ad was about simply piano. LMAO

[@finnanimator1699]

F for the piano :(

[@nor_ja4333]

Kids 40+ years ago: "oh fuck, a non working instrument that takes up alot of space, lets just throw it for fun" Since then it became some sort of a belief. Idk how was that possible but GG man

[@mikeb7998]

Sad...schools without music programs due to lack if funds and or equipment....but we can do this.

[@pinkninja1410]

No one: Cartoons:

[@madenlaur5073]

This is the reason why aliens won't visit Earth

[@sayven]

that's not a tradition, that's a genocide

[@Braydenhb]

I got a piano ad when i just clicked this video

[@jennyvazquez693]

As a musician it really hurts me to see this kind of tradition cause I really value the piano and I can't believe that people would just throw it from the roof I mean they could just dispose it properly 😭😭😭

[@exodiaplays6536]

So I'm the only one here because of the other piano drop? haha kinda expecting it to 🎶

[@goldenguest778the_real]

i was expecting it to make the PS2 startup sound

[@DiscoverGuy]

Imagine if this was a New Year’s Eve event

[@kolo5086]

wtf were they expecting

[@Glitz.the.alien.]

When you get a piano add before this: 😶

[@azumodeuss]

So this and this kzbin.info/www/bejne/rpmlnGiIfpyDfJY video is the same video but different cameras lmao

[@chrizjoji8556]

i don't really think this is such a huge deal that piano is just firewood at that point

[@akmalhafizi4095]

Wonder if the boy throw the second piano

[@kejo6188]

Rumour has it when the piano isn't dead yet, they will smash its head.. yup, there is only light in there

[@briannachowdhury409]

People throw off a piano which makes a sound Sony - and I took that PERSONALLY

[@jaromnascimento8763]

*TwosetViolin should react this* lol

[@Karan-nq6ew]

They shoulda played the opening tune of bohemian rhapsody

[@phobicscatter3330]

The end sound when the person plays around with the parts is nice

[@Hazardou5]

That's honestly the dumbest tradition i have ever heard of.

[@NebulonRanger]

It's MIT, there's lots of those.

[@JoNotReally]

Tim Hecker brought me here.

[@ajparadise6649]

The poor piano.

[@barnabastoth3173]

Everyone in the comments: oh on poor piano Me, a mover: YEEEAH! Now, light in on fire!

[@krameri5]

I read 'Traditional Dating' and expected some crazy mating ritual.

[@newsungsails3651]

Tim Hecker sent me.

[@funtoon2787]

I didnt hear a Playstation2 starting up

[@mixermrtaco1132]

they need to make a rule that Minecraft songs shall be played before death

[@liveridge2696]

Thats a piece of luxury they dropped..

[@wandamims-woods2975]

I’m sorry but a piano ad came on before they dropped it. Maybe that was his brother or sister? XD

[@Fire_Lightning]

Ah, 2015...when times were much simpler.

[@WiseCrescent]

Very funny I got a piano ad while watching this video

[@evie7314]

Why is this like a special day?!?

[@Wiley_Coyote]

Crap drop. They seem a bit confused over why it makes noise in the right circumstances.

[@ayushmishra3758]

My boyfriend in piano is really an Intellectual guy The guy :