Toes tap. Melodies are hummed. Faces brighten as memories of happier days are recalled. It happens whenever the Boston piano is played at Attic Angel Place, a skilled nursing facility in Madison, Wis.While Attic Angel Place – a not-for-profit retirement community – was built in 2000, the used grand piano in its health center’s dining room was showing and sounding its age. To make matters worse, the piano took up too much space and couldn’t be moved.However, that all changed with the gift from a former resident’s family that made the purchase of a new piano possible. But the purchase wouldn’t be taken lightly. There were specific needs that had to be met. First, it must be easy to move on the padded floor of the multi-purpose dining room. Next, it must be high-quality and deliver big sound. And last, but not least, its appearance had to complement the dining room’s décor.A tall order to be sure, but Tricia Rogers, CTRS – director of activities and volunteer coordinator at the 44-resident facility – knew where to turn. She enlisted the aid of Steinway Piano Gallery in Madison, the exclusive dealer for the family of Steinway-designed pianos.Not long after being approached… and following an assessment of the facility’s special needs… they selected a Steinway-designed Boston UP-118S upright piano.Steinway Piano Gallery “puts customer service first and that, definitely, made me very happy,” says Miss Rogers, who has been with Attic Angel Place for nearly three years.But making Miss Rogers and everyone else even happier is the Boston piano’s sound. Now it is played by residents, family members, staff and volunteers… one of whom plays once a week during lunch. At other times, it accompanies hymn sings and sing-alongs, and its size allows the piano to be easily moved into any position or location.Moreover the 46-inch upright piano’s big sound belies its compact size thanks to Steinway’s unique soundboard design that delivers not only superior tone quality and improved acoustical properties, but also more volume.“Music makes meals more enjoyable,” Miss Rogers says, “and when the piano is played, it brings out a side of the residents we don’t often see, especially for those who are non-verbal.”Attic Angel Association, whose name derives from the two sisters who began this volunteer effort in their attic 119 years ago, now boasts 500 volunteers whose sole purpose is to improve the quality of life for people in Dane County, Wis. Attic Angel Place provides four levels of elder care: a 24-hour skilled-care health center; assisted-living households; apartments; and the Haven, a new memory-care unit.“The Boston piano brings something of beauty to our residents,” Miss Rogers observes. “You can see in their faces how much music enhances their quality of life.”Click here to see the original article