88 Keys on the Road - Blog

by Sharon Planer, Pianist for Parties

When a Mother and a Daughter have birthdays that are only a few days apart, what do they do to make it special...especially when the mother is celebrating her 80th birthday?

They have a combined birthday party with live piano music!

As the guests entered and shook off the chill from outdoors, I loved seeing their smiles as I greeted them with songs that were familiar to them.​

There was a nice blend of guests in their 50's - 80's that came to congratulate and celebrate with the two birthday 'girls'.  The friend planning the party wanted it to be extra special and decided live piano music would be perfect. I was asked to play music that guests in their 80's would like as well as music that the 55 year old daughter and her friends would appreciate.  It was great fun playing swing tunes of the 40's and pop from the 70's and 80's. 

Being careful not to overpower the party with the resonance of the grand piano, the piano was positioned in the lobby just on the edge of the party room. This allowed music to be enjoyed by the guests in the lobby as well as in the party room.​

​It was an honor to share my music for this joyous occasion. I wish the birthday 'girls' many wonderful years of health and happiness!​

by Sharon Planer, Pianist for Parties

Pianist for Parties puts aside her piano music and glides out into the great outdoors!

Planer says, "With fresh snow on the ground and the temps above zero degrees, I strap on my cross country skis and take off. The brisk winter air and rhythm of motion clears my mind. My senses are awakened to the occasional sound of woodland creatures stirring, the sight of glistening snow crystals, the feeling of cool air entering my lungs. When my toes start turning cold, I know it is time to head back. I return home with renewed energy and fresh ideas to put to use in my life and in my music."

What do you think? Is cross country skiing better on groomed trails? Or is it better to blaze your own trail?

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!