by Sharon Planer, Pianist for Parties

This bright shiny red CTS was decked out and ready to make someone happy this Christmas!

Key Cadillac wowed their guests with the showcase of their 2014 CTS Sedan.  

What better idea than to hire a holiday pianist!

My piano had the perfect spot nestled beside the poinsettia. I took a break from playing holiday music to check out the CTS and 'feel' the luxury!

by Sharon Planer, Pianist for Parties

When I received a phone call from a gentleman who needed a pianist to provide piano accompaniment for an opera singer from Albuquerque, I was immediately intrigued! 

The event was a memorial service for the gentleman's mother.  He lived in Albuquerque and his mother had spent the last several years of her life there as well. She had lived most of her adult life in a lovely home deep in the woods on the shores of one of Minnesota's beautiful lakes and the family wished to host her service in this beautiful setting!

A particular opera singer, Denise Wernly, had become a favorite performer of the mother and family while in Albuquerque. Denise was invited to come to Minnesota to perform for the memorial service....and to the family's delight, she agreed!  She sent me her music ahead of time and arrived a day before the event giving us a chance to practice together. 

The family put a lot of thought into the music choices. The service began with Bach/Gounod's 'Ave Maria' followed by 'Pie Jesu' from Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Requiem Mass'.

Denise's voice soared and the guests were touched with the emotion and beauty of the music.

The beautiful setting of the home reflected a place where many of the guests had spent time and had wonderful memories. Some of the guests shared their personal memories during the service.

'Silent Night' is not a typical song to be performed for a funeral or memorial service, but this song had particular importance and was the concluding piece.  

The guests were then treated to some lighter musical fare with the beautiful melody of 'La Vie en Rose'. The atmosphere really came alive with some opera favorites . . . 'Voi che Sapete' from Mozart's 'The Marriage of Figaro' followed by 'Habanera' and 'Seguidilla' from Bizet's 'Carmen'.  

It was a pleasure to provide piano accompaniment for Denise. I enjoyed her music and talent immensely!  Her music and the thoughtful comments of the guests memories made this service a unique and beautiful celebration of a life of a special woman who will live on in the hearts of many. 

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!