LONG BEACH, Calif. -- If it's a weekday morning, you’ll most likely find 77-year-old Gene Rogers at St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach.

He’s a volunteer. He’s been a volunteer for almost 40 years. He started when his eyesight began to really fail him.

He’s always had low vision, but now he's legally blind after forming cataracts and undergoing surgery.

He plays piano, but can’t rely on sheet music. In fact, he’s never been able to read music. He learned to play by ear as a child.

“It just comes to me. I just enjoy it,“ said Rogers.

His hours of music making haven’t gone unnoticed. Rogers was just given the Humankindness Certificate of Appreciation from hospital leaders.

His talent is rare. Just hearing a song a few times is enough for him to be able to play it on the piano.

He plays between 7:45 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. Then after a break, he starts up again from 10:30 a.m. until 11:00 a.m.

“Nobody wants to come to the hospital, but if you have to, you can come down here and listen anyway and try to get your mind off your troubles a little bit,“ said Rogers.

When he was working Rogers used to assemble airplane parts. Now he’s working on a masterpiece everyone can enjoy.