This summer, Lancaster will be presented a wonderful gift, the opportunity to experience the power of music to bring people together and make magic.

Music For Everyone has partnered with the Society of Design, Mayor's Office of Special Events and the City of Lancaster to orchestrate an interactive exhibit featuring up to 20 custom-designed pianos, which will be available for use by passersby 24/7 at city hot spots and sidewalk locations.

It begins Music Friday, May 21, with a rollout celebration in Lancaster Square with music, live art, beer, wine and food from 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. The pianos will remain on the streets until Sept. 17.

So warm up your fingers, clear your throats, put on your dancing shoes and get ready to take part in a unique experience that will add a wonderful musical and design spice to downtown Lancaster.

Whether it's chopsticks or Chopin, Jerry Lee Lewis or Jerry Garcia, Billy Joel or Billie Holliday, it really doesn't matter. What does matter is that you play something … anything. And have fun doing it.

But the Keys for the City initiative is more than an interactive art and music exhibit. It's also a bit of a social experiment that will tell us a lot about Lancaster as a community.

How so?

Typically, when we explain Keys for the City, the first reaction is, "What? Are you guys crazy? That's a really cool concept, but you know they [pianos] will be vandalized, and if they are not vandalized, the weather will destroy them. And besides, they will fall out of tune within days."

Maybe we are crazy. Maybe they will be vandalized and, over time, the elements may make them barely playable. And without a doubt, they will fall out of tune. But are these reasons not to make the effort to bring magic to the streets of Lancaster?

We believe vandalism will be minimal because we have faith in the people of Lancaster to respect these beautifully designed instruments. We believe Lancastrians are good, honest and respectful people and that volunteer caretakers of these pianos will emerge. In short, we believe Lancaster's better angels will prevail.

While many of these pianos, all uprights that have been generously donated from attics, basements and parlor rooms throughout the county, will be placed under cover, some will be exposed to the elements. But here again, we have faith that the people of Lancaster will adopt these pianos as their own and take care of them by covering them up if it looks like rain with plastic covers that will be affixed to each piano.

And finally, will they be in tune and in perfect pitch? Although they will be tuned prior to hitting the streets, they will fall out of tune. Will some of the keys go dead? Absolutely!

But even if out of tune, missing keys or barely playable, these pianos will stand up as pieces of art as they will be designed and painted by some of the most creative designers in central Pennsylvania.

In short, Keys for the City is not about a recital on stage at Carnegie Hall. It's about neighbors gathering on a street corner in Lancaster to share some music.

It's not about having every note. It's about making the best of the notes you have.

It's not about perfect tuning. It's about the tune in your heart.

And it's not about perfect pitch. It's about sharing a perfect musical moment.

So we hope you enjoy this gift. In fact, we hope you are so inspired that you spearhead an effort in your church group, youth group, summer camp or neighborhood association to find your own upright, design it (a great project for kids) and place it in a common, public spot and add to the magic.

Short of that, we hope you take the time, whenever you see one, to take a moment to create or experience a little magic and, in the process, witness the power of music to bring our city and its wonderful people together, one piano and one song at a time.

Play on, Lancaster, play on.