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As part of the Center Stage Arts in Health program at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Hospital, I play the grand piano in the lobby once a month. Since the piano is stationed near a Starbucks, I get to observe a lot of people waiting for their drink orders.

One afternoon, while playing the ‘Blue Danube Waltz,’ I noticed a man in a wheelchair, holding a Starbucks drink in each hand, being pushed by a woman with his IV bags trailing behind. When they paused at the far end of the piano, I didn’t pay much attention to them at first, my view of them mostly blocked by the piano’s music stand.

As I continued playing, I noticed the man’s IV stand and its attached bags of liquid slowly start to rotate. At first, I thought they were just adjusting his position, but then I realized that both he and the woman were moving in circles. I couldn’t help but wonder: Were they having trouble with the wheelchair?

With each passing moment, it became clearer that their movements were synchronized with the rhythm of the music. I kept my focus on the music, adding as much joy and bounce as the waltz deserved, but I couldn’t help but sneak glances at the couple. They moved gracefully, turning in sync with the melody. The IV stand moved with them as if it were part of their performance.

Soon, the woman let go of the wheelchair and stepped back, lifting her phone to capture the moment. As she filmed, the IV stand continued to spin… slowly. The smile on her face, as she held the camera, reflected a moment of pure joy, unburdened by the circumstances that had brought them to this hospital lobby.

After she was done filming, she returned to the wheelchair, and together they slowly approached the piano bench. As they drew nearer, the man’s eyes met mine, sparkling with a kind of gratitude that words can’t quite express.

“Thanks for the dance,” he said softly, holding onto his drinks as they continued on their way.

I did my best to maintain my composure, fighting back tears so I wouldn’t turn the “Blue Danube” into an ocean of emotion. This moment was a powerful reminder of why I play the piano here: to bring a little bit of beauty and joy, to let people forget their worries, even if just for a moment, and maybe even inspire a dance or two.

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