If you are looking for a piano player for your event, please call 440-520-3655, or contact me. 

I read that Glenn Gould stopped performing in the middle of his career.  He still played, but discovered that he got more artistic satisfaction from playing in the studio and finding ways of improving the recording process. 

I know (kind of) where he's coming from.  Sometimes I just like sitting down at the piano to take a break from whatever I'm doing and it fuels my energies for other things.  But I do like the social aspects of performing for people.

I am currently performing at the East 6th Street branch of National City Bank main lobby.  I play every Thursday around lunchtime, even if it's only for a song or two if I'm busy on a particular day.

Up until last summer, performed at the Westlake Holiday Inn during Sunday Brunch, from 10:30 to 1:30.

I have also played at:
    Le Centre, Westlake - Kiser-Lerner wedding, cocktail
           hour for 350 guests.
    Brighton Gardens, Westlake
    Olmsted Manor, North Olmsted
    Westlake Community Center

Along with sheet music, here are some of the standard pieces I play:

• Dean Martin
     The Way You Look Tonight
      Smile
      Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime
• Laura's Theme
• Chopin
      Nocturne
      Prelude Op.28, No.20
      Waltzes
• Beethoven
      Fur Elise
      Pathetique
      Moonlight Sonata
• Schumann
      Traumerei
• Mozart
      Sonata #1 in C
• Dubussy
      Clair de Lune
• Kuhlau
      Sonatina
• Joplin
       The Entertainer

3/1/2008 - Began playing in the lobby of National City Bank on Thursdays around noon.

Holiday Inn Westlake

10/22/2007 - Lakewood Hospital 100th Anniversary.  Played in the Atrium as employees ended their day amongst balloons and finger foods.

6/1/2007 - Brunch is on hiatus for the summer, so no piano playing until Labor Day.

4/29/2007 - A funny thing happened Sunday.  There I am, playing Clair de Lune very carefully, and a little boy, about 9 or 10 years old, struts by me on the way to the couches in the lobby, and says, "You suck."  I didn't quite know what to say, I just kept playing.  Shortly afterwards, I see him with his father whose wearing an Ohio State sweatshirt.  Then it all made sense.  This is how  Buckeye fans develop.

1/22/2007 - After a long hiatus, I'm back at the Holiday Inn for the Sunday Brunch, from 11 to 2 pm.  Now included on the menu is spicy Indian-style food.  There was a long steady stream of customers yesterday, but Patrick and the staff were able to take care of everyone.

8/15/2006 - Played at Le Centre in Westlake for the Lerner-Kiser wedding reception cocktail hour .  The week before, Mrs. Kiser was staying at the Holiday Inn, heard be playing, and asked if I could play at her daughter's reception.  The pianist she had lined up had to cancel, and she needed someone for the following weekend.  It was kind of hard to hear the piano with over 350 guests, but they said everything went well.

6/16/2006 - Will be playing Sunday, Father's Day.  I'll be trying out a new piece, Smile, music my Charlie Chaplin.  Took the last couple weeks off, played some tennis last two Sunday mornings.

5/3/2006 - Fairly steady stream of customers today.  One two-year old was bobbing her head to the music. 

Later a couple pre-teens came up to the piano and I made the mistake of joking that it was a player-piano.  It took forever to convince them that I was just kidding, even as they watched my hands play to the music.  One of them was taking lessons, which he didn't like.  I suggested he try to put his own flair into the practice, not just think of it as being pressured to play the 'right' notes, the 'right' way.  It's important to play something correctly, to respect the way the composer put it down, but to make it your own you have to add your own feelings and ideas, you have to play with it, not feel as if you're taking an exam.  Play a part slow if that's how you think about it, accent the right or left hand if that sounds good to you today.  I told him to make it sound beautiful, what you think is beautiful.  Fine young American that he is, he asked if I got paid for playing.  And fine old American that I am, I said yes, but that generous tipping is encouraged.  That got rid of them in a hurry....

Another wedding took place yesterday, some of the entourage was having brunch, as the bride and groom, taking things to their car,  stopped in to talk with them, she carrying her wedding dress.  I played a few bars of Wagner's Bridal March.  The groom chuckled, as did some people at another table.

4/30/2006 - No piano today.  I'll be out of town today for my nephew's wedding.

4/23/2006 -
Really busy today.  There were two large parties waiting to dive into the buffet at 10:30.  Usually the crowds come later, but there were two weddings nearby on Saturday, so all the relatives from out of town were staying at the motel.

CK Chesterton:  "Music at dinner is an insult to the chef and to the violinist."  There may be some truth in this for the "great ones", but I like playing background music.  People come there to eat and talk, so there's not as much pressure on the performance.

As I was picking up my cash at the front desk, the hostess told me a lady paid me a  compliment today.  I said, "That's nice, it only took three months, but..."  She said the lady liked the front desk service, the rooms, and "I really, really like that piano player."  So that made it a good day, for all of us, I guess.  Actually, I get compliments here and there from the diners, but this was my first via the front desk.