Step into the rotunda of the Albert Lea Medical Center. Can you hear the tickling of the ivory? The soft and calming tunes of the baby grand piano?

Tonia Lauer is behind that piano.

When the Albert Lea Medical Center was under construction a few years ago and the rotunda was being built, Lauer, the administrative quality officer at Albert Lea Medical Center, thought it would be fun if ALMC could raise money to buy a piano to have in the lobby.

“Music is very therapeutic, I think. It’s one of the things I do to relax and unwind,” she said.

After coming up with the idea for a piano during a party, she already had donations later that week.

Lauer went to the Naeve Health Care Foundation and asked if a fund could be set up for the piano. About a month later Lauer got a phone call saying someone was willing to donate the piano.

Lauer was able to help pick out the piano and selected a moderately priced and moderately sized K. Kawai baby grand player piano that is also able to be played.

The piano was unveiled in June 2008.

Lauer has been playing the piano since the second grade. She usually plays the piano at ALMC toward the end of the day, although there is no set schedule. She said that they would like to set up a more steady schedule and is looking for volunteers from the community and the medical center to come play the piano or other instruments.

The last few weeks of December, Lauer said they had someone playing almost every day and she would love for this to continue and for local people to come share their musical talents.

Lauer said she loves seeing people sitting and listening.

“It’s a wonderful thing to distract you from what might not be such a fun reason to be at the medical center,” she said.

When Lauer is behind the piano, she likes to play low key classical music, some church hymns, just softer listening music.

“I like to be able to kind of get lost in my music when I’m playing,” she said, “But it’s really fun when I look up because I hear somebody clapping or they say ‘thanks for doing that.’ So just making someone else’s day feel better.”

She also likes having little combos and playing with people that bring other instruments.

When the piano isn’t being played by someone, it’s on player piano mode. Lauer said there is a real different between someone playing the piano and the player piano mode. People in the medical center will run down the hall and tell everyone that a real person is playing the piano.

Sometimes people related to patients will play the piano while they are at the medical center or a patient in the Fountain Centers will sit down and play.

“I think, wow, how healing that is for them or at least it’s a way for them to get lost in the moment and maybe help them work through some things,” Lauer said.

In addition to playing piano in her down time at the medical center, Lauer also plays the piano at St. Theodore Catholic Church and in her home for her husband.

To volunteer to the play the piano or another instrument, call 377-6452.