Public Pianos In NYC Bring Music To City Streets (VIDEOS)

How does piano music sound over the ubiquitous sirens of the Big Apple?

We'll soon find out. The non-profit arts group Sing For Hope recently distributed 60 pianos all around the greater New York City area. Their mission is to "bring the arts to the people," said Camille Zamora, one of the founding directors of the organization.

Zamora cited the universal right to art-creation as being the driving force behind the pianos; "We believe that arts belong to everyone, it's a human rights, and we want everyone to have a chance to participate in this form of creative expression," she said.

The success of Sing For Hope's initiative depends on the whole community. Volunteers, referred to as "Piano Buddies", unlock the pianos every morning at 9 am and stay there all day to make sure things continue to run smoothly. It's only a two week commitment, though; the pianos will then be donated to schools and hospitals affiliated with the Sing For Hope organization, at which point the city soundtrack should become a whole lot less melodic.

Watch someone actually playing one of the pianos:

More words on the initiative from Camille Zamora: