The Wedding Pianist

I like to think that I offer a 'musical menu' - lots of musical options any of which might be just what you are looking for.

Here are some frequently asked questions:

What's on the 'Musical Menu'?

Lots of brides don't feel they've got married unless they hear either the traditional Wedding March or the Bridal March. One subtle variation which works very well is to play these in piano mode - it becomes very under-stated, really - but I can offer to play these pieces in Church Organ sound which is available on my Clavinova. The organ sound is amazingly realistic.

Classical music can sound very appropriate for a Wedding Ceremony; I have plenty of J.S.Bach to offer as well as romantic pieces by Debussy, Chopin or Handel. I also offer a selection of original pieces which I have written myself.

How can you make a Wedding Ceremony personal?

I can think of three recent weddings that illustrate this well. This is what I did for each one, all at no extra charge:

One couple wanted the Darth Vada Waltz played as they left their ceremony! They e-mailed the music to me and I arranged it from that music-file; played to strings and organ on the Clavinova it sounded very convincing and was exactly what they wanted.

Another couple wanted a family member to sing a solo. We rehearsed this and the groom was so impressed he secretly arranged with me to rehearse 'My Girl' which he sang in the middle of the Wedding Breakfast especially for his new wife as a complete surprise. It worked out brilliantly, they felt, although it was a calculated risk!

A third example was a Wedding where the couple wanted some Bollywood songs played. These are not normally available in music notation, so I took two of their preferred tracks, arranged them and performed them on the day complete with an improvised middle section. Personally, I enjoyed the challenge, it made the occasion very special and the guests were quietly impressed, I think. It was exactly what the couple were looking for - something personal and different.

What, if anything, distinguishes you from other pianists?

I'm a diploma standard pianist with a very wide repertoire and bring a lot of experience with me. There are a fair number of pianists who can say the same! What does distinguish me, I hope, is the following:

• I'm not fixed on any one area of music, so I can offer some jazz, some classical, some swing, some cocktail music, some contemporary pop, musicals - a very wide range. Lots of musicians tend to focus on one area for all sorts of reasons; a wider range can be very useful for Weddings.
• I have written quite a bit of music for Wedding Ceremonies. For some people it is like a breath of fresh air to have completely original music offered to them, especially if they are looking for something different.
• I don't try and force things down people’s necks! The aim is to try and find out what you would like and then try to provide it, not to impose my tastes or preferences on anyone.
• I offer to play for couples before they book me!