88 Keys on the Road - Blog

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!

by Sharon Planer, Pianist for Parties

Pianist, Sharon Planer, and comedian, James Wedgwood provided a fun atmosphere of entertainment in Minneapolis at the Calhoun Beach Club.

January is a popular month for corporate holiday parties. The Calhoun Beach Club was the scene for just such a party. I started the evening off with upbeat jazz standards as the guests enjoyed delicious buffet style appetizers. Quieter pop standards created a lovely background as the guests dined and visited. The acoustics in the Solarium were wonderful and the music carried well.

The after dinner entertainment was comedian and ventriloquist, James Wedgwood. His Minnesota style humor brought out the laughs. The guests who volunteered to participate with James on stage were an especially big hit!  

by Sharon Planer, Pianist for Parties

Corporate holiday party in the beautiful Twin Cities Turnblad Mansion.

The Turnblad Mansion was decked out with beautiful holiday decor. This was the perfect setting for a corporate holiday party last evening. Guests were treated to a step back in time to the turn-of-the-century architecture and beautiful woodworking and carvings as well as delicious cuisine from Three Sons Signature Cuisine. I had the pleasure of enhancing the guests experience with my cocktail and dinner piano music. I took a break while speeches were given. It is this company's tradition to have the first year employees provide spoken entertainment. I found their creative stories of their experiences from this past year to be entertaining and interesting. It gave me an insight into the lives of some of the guests for whom I was performing. I enjoyed the opportunity to share my music for this wonderful Minnesota company!