Composers Crossing is a community beautification movement designed to convert the four-way intersection at East Main & Gibbs St. in downtown Rochester, NY, into a work of art. Composers Crossing has had the power to attract & engage Rochester residents and visitors with a new energetic experience when traveling downtown, and it was featured in The Washington Post. Composers Crossing 2.0 will reimagine the community painted crosswalk with “playable” piano keys, located at the Main and Gibbs Street crosswalk. Hinge Neighbors is proud to be a part of this reimagining event.

International artist, Shawn Dunwoody, will be teaming up with W. Michelle Harris, Associate Professor of RIT’s School of Interactive Games and Media, and will be using interactive technology to allow the keys to “play” a musical note. An overhead video truss sensor will trigger the note to play via a sound system located in the area. The painted keys will be “playable” at select times and days during the Rochester International Jazz Fest.

Shawn and a team of volunteers will begin work at 10:00 AM on Saturday, June 18, 2022 and will work to 3:00 PM for the grand finale and testing of the interaction. It will be music to our ears as we open the streets to the Rochester International Jazz Festival. Thank you to State Senator Jeremy Cooney for his major, “Conducting Sponsorship.”