How one piano brings this small community outside of San Francisco together

San Rafael may be a small city in California, but it's doing big things to bring everybody together -- like placing a piano in the middle of the street.

For the diverse community nestled in the foothills of Marin County just outside of San Francisco, a piano can be a major key for community development and outreach. Just ask the force behind Play Me, San Rafael, the local program that places these colorful, beautifully graffitied pianos around the city to be played by anyone who feels like it.

On Saturday, October 28th, Play Me, San Rafael will launch its first piano in San Rafael City Plaza -- it will mark the beginning of the street piano program to be eventually carried out throughout the city. It's just the first of many eclectic pianos --painted by local artists -- that will be installed.

Photo: Play Me, San Rafael Facebook

Furthermore, it will benefit a local scholarship and free music program called Enriching Lives Through Music (ELM). The program sources teachers, mentors and donors from around their community to teach its 120 students, a majority of whom come from immigrant families.

"Brilliant intelligence is everywhere, equally distributed. But opportunity is not. ELM is one way we can change that paradigm," said the Executive Director and Founder of ELM Jane Kramer.

You can find more information about Play Me, San Rafael or ELM here.