A piano project will soon be making a difference in the downtowns of Dunkirk and Fredonia. Within the last month, the State University of New York at Fredonia has announced that the three colorful and refurbished pianos will soon be taking to the streets.

As part of the Central Connection effort, Dunkirk, Fredonia and the SUNY campus will each get a piano. An article in the OBSERVER last week noted the project started with surplus pianos purchased in 1972 by the SUNY Fredonia School of Music, and an idea the school’s facilities manager, Marc Levy, got from a 2018 visit to Montreal.

Levy witnessed people playing pianos in parks and it made him want to keep the surplus instruments at his school. “We thought this would be a great way to keep them on campus, and in the community,” he said.

Officials from both the city and village were in attendance at the event unveiling the pianos last week. It is a unique idea that could add traffic — and a new sound — to our downtowns. That should be music to everyone’s ears.