Imagine you’re waiting around in a train station, munching on some Cinnabon, when all of a sudden the ornamental baby grand piano just starts playing music all by itself. Magic? Not quite, but definitely pure whimsy. See for yourself.
Man, I love watching people interact with this magical piano in Chicago’s Union Station. The little kid is so cute! How can the possibly know what tune those musicians passing by are playing? WHAT SORCERY IS THIS? This video makes my whole body turn into a squishy glob of emotional Jello.
OK, so the piano isn’t magical, it’s being played remotely by a pro while folks from the marketing consultancy Rob Bliss Creative film the whole thing for Amtrak. And yes, everyone in this video is almost certainly an actor. It’s got a very staged vibe. So what? That it’s so evocative despite its fakeness only proves how elemental the concept of self-playing piano is to our psyche. Or at least to our sense of joy. [Devour]