NARRATOR：

Listen to a conversation between a student and a facilities manager at the university.

FEMALE STUDENT：

Hi, I’m Melanie. The one who’s been calling…

FACILITIES MANAGER：

From the singing group, right?

FEMALE STUDENT：

From the choir.

FACILITIES MANAGER：

Right… the choir. It’s nice to finally meet you in person. So, you’re having problems with…

FEMALE STUDENT：

Noise. Like I explained on the phone, we’ve always had our rehearsals in the Lincoln Auditorium—every day at three o’clock—and it’s always worked just great.

But the past few weeks with the noise it’s been a total nightmare. Since construction started next door on the science hall…

FACILITIES MANAGER：

Oh that’s right, they’re building that addition for new laboratories.

FEMALE STUDENT：

Exactly. Anyway, ever since they started working on it, it’s been so noisy we can barely hear ourselves sing.

FACILITIES MANAGER：

Let alone sing.

FEMALE STUDENT：

Forget about singing! I mean we keep the windows down and everything, but once those bulldozers get going, I mean those machines are loud!

We’ve already had to cut short two rehearsals, and we’ve got a concert in six weeks.

FACILITIES MANAGER：

Well, that’s not good. I’m assuming you’ve tried to reschedule your rehearsals? They don’t do construction work at night.

FEMALE STUDENT：

I ran that by the group, but there were just too many... I mean evenings are really hard.

It seems like everyone in the choir already has plans and some even have classes at night.

FACILITIES MANAGER：

And what about the music building?

FEMALE STUDENT：

Y’know, originally, we were booked in one of the rehearsal rooms in the music building but then we switched with the jazz ensemble.

They’re a much smaller group—and they said the acoustics, the sound in that room was better for them—so having us move to a bigger space like the Lincoln Auditorium seemed like a reasonable idea.

FACILITIES MANAGER：

But now…

FEMALE STUDENT：

All that noise…[suspicious tone] I don’t know. I just wonder if the jazz ensemble knew what was going to happen…

FACILITIES MANAGER：

[not convinced student is right]Well that wouldn’t be very nice.

FEMALE STUDENT：

No. But it really was quite a coincidence… Anyway, now the music building’s fully booked. Mornings, afternoons, everything.

We just need a quiet space—and it has to have a piano.

FACILITIES MANAGER：

[worried, didn’t realize that a piano was required]A piano… of course, some of the other auditoriums have pianos, but that’s not going to be easy.

FEMALE STUDENT：

You think they’re pretty booked up?

FACILITIES MANAGER：

Probably, but it can’t hurt to check. Or what about Bradford Hall? I remember a piano in the old student center there.

FEMALE STUDENT：

At this point, we’d be grateful for any quiet place.

FACILITIES MANAGER：

Can you… how flexible can you be on times?

You said no evenings but what if I can’t find something open at three o’clock. Can you move earlier or later?

FEMALE STUDENT：

I wish I could say another time would be OK but… you know how it is… everybody’s already got commitments… for the whole semester.

2:30 or 3:30 would probably be OK but I don’t think we could go much outside that…

FACILITIES MANAGER：

Well, check with me tomorrow morning. I should have found something by then.[cautioning] It might not be ideal…

FEMALE STUDENT：

As long as it’s got a piano and nobody’s putting up a building next door, we’ll be happy.