We’re told all the time that simply taking the stairs out of a train station could be very beneficial to our health.
But, how can commuters be convinced to skip the escalator or elevator and take the stairs instead? Volkswagen has come up with a solution. Make it fun.
At a train station in Stockholm, a group working for Volkswagen’s initiative ‘The Fun Theory‘ created a Piano Staircase. Each step triggered a note. In doing this, they inspired 66% more people at this station to take the stairs.
A few people in the video seemed to not notice the piano. They could have been trying to be cool. Maybe thinking that they had gone mad and those notes below were in fact in their heads due to a lack of medication. Or perhaps they simply took the stairs normally and such a motivation was not needed.
It’s the little steps (no pun intended) that can make the difference in our health. Cut out soda. Cut down on red meat. Don’t smoke. Take the stairs. And, while we don’t have musical steps in the NYC subway system yet (hopefully we will soon), the experiment in Sweden has inspired me to keep walking.
See Also:
The Fun Theory
I know the inventor of musical stairs and the original walking piano. His name is Remo Saraceni and is an absolute genius.
He designed these magical items more than twenty years ago and Tom Hanks was the first to dance on walking piano in the movie Big.
If you want to see with your eyes all the possible applications of the walking piano played with the feet take a look at Remo Saraceni’s channel on youtube or google him.
Thank you Andrea. I’m looking at his youtube channel (youtube.com/remosaraceni) now.
Does anyone know where you can purchase a program such as this? I am looking out on the websites and coming up empty. :( Thanks!
I don’t think this is a program you can buy. From what I understand, this was part of an installation project sponsored by Volkswagen. You can maybe try to contact The Fun Theory. There is a link to their Facebook page on their website (thefuntheory.com)