The "Keys for the City" Story

It was an ordinary day. Heading down Market Alley in downtown Lancaster to drop off a few photos at Strawberry & Company when I hear the music. Where's it coming from? As I round the corner at the historic market building, I see a young fellow with long flowing matted brown hair in black baggy pants, t-shirt, baseball cap and flip-flops sitting in front of a very colorful piano, making the most wonderful music I have heard in quite some time. Classical, I believe. No music in front of him, just his hands on the keys and his flip-flops pumping the pedals by his feet. This has been a common site on the downtown streets of Lancaster for the last two years. Called "Keys for the City" and haddrawn the city closer together. It is a joint effort of Music for Everyone, a local group that promotes music and supplies instruments for school music programs, and the regional Society of Design, an organization of design and art professionals. Corporate sponsors and individual donors are supporting the project with their donations of money and pianos. The leader of Music for Everyone, John Gerdy has received many good reports about the program. During a recent rainstorm, people placed protective tarps over each of the nine pianos that have now been given permanent homes under shelter. On one piano near the Fulton Opera House, instructional books have been left to encourage people to learn to play. Inside the book is a date of 1958. Someone's first level books from year's ago. Pretty neat! The pianos are decorated with scenes of the city as well as with whimsical colors and designs. An art teacher from JP McCaskey High School in Lancaster City enlisted the aide of a few students to paint a few of the pianos. Very little vandalism has occurred until recently when a piano in Lancaster's Musser Park had the keys removed, but within a few hours of the news being made public, five people had called John with offers to replace it. Wow! "It's really a great commentary on the people of the City of Lancaster. It makes you feel proud to live here," said John. Now, if only I could play the piano, I would share the bench with the musician I have listened to for the last half-hour. I only regret I didn't bring my camera. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - photos are of pianos placed around the city of Lancaster. Check out the YouTube video of Lancaster's "Keys for the City.