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Owner Harvey Kertzman says a retired musician will soon start performing, but he’s still looking for others to join in.

On a busy stretch of Quincy Avenue, the customers at Quincy Gas are usually in and out in seconds.

But if owner Harvey Kertzman has his way, one day soon they might also leave with a little chamber music in their ears.

Kertzman, 76, has posted signs outside the longtime gas station seeking a violist to “serenade our Quincy Gas customers,” an idea he admits is a little unconventional — even for a place that already does things its own way.

“I know a gas station is an unusual place for violist,” he said. “And I can’t wait to try it.”

The concept has been simmering for more than a year. Kertzman first put up the signs roughly 14 months ago and waited to see who might respond.

“We did get many responses for guitarists,” he said. “The guitarist just wasn’t what I was looking for. I’m just holding out for a violist.”

Recently, he finally found one — a retired violist who is eager to give the gig a try once spring weather warms up.

“As soon as the weather breaks, like today, she’ll come down and we’ll try it,” he said, declining to share her name for now to avoid putting her in the spotlight.

For now, the station is keeping the signs up anyway — “just to have a backup,” he said.

The instrument choice, Kertzman says, isn’t random. The sweet tone of the viola has long held a special place for him, both for its sound and the feeling it evokes.

“A viola, to me, is unique, and it has a sound that just warms your heart and gives your heart a hug, give your whole body a hug,” he said. “There’s nothing like the sound of a viola. I don’t think there’s another instrument that even comes close to it. They can bring on an affectionate emotion.”

His vision for the station draws partly from old movies he and his wife love watching together.

“We’re Turner Classic freaks. More than anything else, other than watching the news, we watched Turner Classics,” he said.

In those films, Kertzman says, European restaurants often featured strolling musicians who would gently play for diners.

“They would very gently waltz around the tables and sing their songs with an instrument,” he said.

At Quincy Gas, the performance would be a little different — fewer dinner tables, more gas pumps — but the idea is the same: a musician strolling around, playing a few soft measures for customers as they come and go.

The gig will only happen in warm weather, Kertzman said, both for the musician and the instrument.

“A proper viola can’t be out in the freezing cold,” he said. “It’s got to be like 70 degrees or better, 65 degrees or better, for somebody to just waltz around and play a bars.”

The whimsical plan fits naturally with the personality of the station itself, which Kertzman has run for decades.

Inside the store, Kertzman sells penny candy at the counter. By the gas pumps outside, he offers all customers complimentary bottled water.

“I buy it by the pallet because I give so much away. I get 78 cases at a time. And the customers appreciate that,” he said.

Outside, inspirational quotes on whiteboards crown each gas pump — sayings from philosophers and scholars meant to give customers a little boost of energy.

“Just fun sayings to get you in a smiley mood for the day,” Kertzman said.

And at the bottom of the pumps is a personal motto Kertzman has been sharing for decades: “Have a grateful day.”

“It catches people off guard. It hits true. It’s not just saying, oh, ‘Have a great day.’ I’m saying something that really means something. I’m saying it because I’m giving them a hug. Have a grateful day.”

Soon, if all goes as planned, that message might come with a little music.

Until then, the sign looking for violists remains posted — and hopeful musicians are still welcome to call the station at 617-480-3661.

Annie Jonas

Annie Jonas is a Community writer at Boston.com. She was previously a local editor at Patch and a freelancer at the Financial Times.

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