When planning a dinner, what role do you want the music to have?

If your intent is to allow the guests to easily converse at their tables, live solo piano music could be the perfect solution! 

Beautiful background music will provide an elegant musical atmosphere. Make sure you hire a pianist that knows how to keep the volume at the appropriate level to allow conversation. The acoustics of a room can change throughout an event depending upon the guest activity. Your pianist should be mindful of this when controlling the music volume.

Also important is the musical quality of the piano.  Some venues have a grand piano on site. Make sure the venue has their piano on a regular tuning schedule. For best results the piano should be tuned just prior to your event. The expense of the tuning will likely be passed on to you. 

If your pianist brings their own portable piano, you will want them to provide a good quality instrument. Equally important are the speakers they use. A beautiful piano can sound awful when amplified through cheap quality speakers.

For best results, hire an experienced pianist with a good reputation! 

This weekend I performed after dinner music for an annual corporate event. The client that hired me explained that the last several years he has hired a band or DJ to provide after dinner music. The guests complained that the music was too loud and invasive. Since the guests only see each other once a year, they wanted the opportunity to visit with each other. I was delighted to be hired as their pianist. Many of the guests stopped by my piano and told me my music was the perfect touch!

I do not intend any offense to my band and DJ friends in the entertainment business. When you want to get your guests moving and on their feet there is nothing like a great band or DJ!  

If you are planning an event and would like to learn how my solo piano music can enhance the experience of you and your guests with a beautiful musical ambiance, I would love to hear from you!

by Sharon Planer, Pianist for Parties

February in the Twin Cities started off with a blast of a party with live piano music, food, games!

Frigid Minnesota temps created a cold blast outdoors, but the celebration indoors at the Marriott was hot!

The goal of this annual corporate kick off was to keep the guests on the move with a variety of entertainment. My job was to create an upbeat atmosphere with energetic piano music throughout the evening. Knowing that the client favored 80's music, it was easy to accomplish a fun atmosphere with plenty of Elton John, Billy Joel, Prince songs.  I was informed that the boss was especially fond of 'Cherry Bomb', so I made sure to play that song! The guests were delighted with an array of buffet stations and game stations. Shouts of elation could be heard throughout the evening as guests competed at pool or worked on trying to create the Giant Jenga Tower without destroying it. The Wii sports games, the Connect game, and the Electronic Basketball kept the guests coming back for more fun. 

For you event planners out there that want to know where to rent these fun games, just go to Fun Jumps Entertainment. This company did a fantastic job getting everything set up and ready to go in a short amount of time. I give them high accolades! As you can well imagine, it took a lot of organization on the part of the hotel to ensure this event was a success. The Marriott Minneapolis West provided exceptional service!

I could tell by the engagement of the guests that the person in charge of planning this event definitely aced it!  She combined the elements of live music, fun games and great food for a rollicking good time for the guests!