A Singing Pianist for the Peninsula and East Bay: Holiday Parties, Weddings and Company Events

Some of my favorite rooms in the Bay Area aren't in the city at all. They're the restaurant private rooms in Burlingame and Redwood City, the backyards in Menlo Park and Danville, the office lobbies in Palo Alto and the winery patios out in Livermore. If you're planning a holiday party, a wedding or a company night anywhere on the Peninsula or in the East Bay, here's how a singing pianist fits those spaces and how I'd plan it with you.

Why one singing pianist fits these rooms

Peninsula and East Bay events tend to be a little more intimate than a downtown ballroom: a team dinner for 40, an anniversary party at home, a cocktail hour on a winery lawn. A full band can be too big and a DJ can feel like background noise. One player at the piano gives you real live music that sets the mood without taking over the room.

• Dinner and conversation. Standards, Motown, Billy Joel, Elton John and modern pop in my own style, at a volume where people can still talk.
• Requests. With 2,000+ songs to draw from, your guests help pick the setlist, and their requests tell me where to take the night.
• The late set. When the room is ready, the same piano turns into a sing-along, so the party builds instead of fading after dessert.

Holiday parties and company events

A lot of my corporate work has been for Bay Area tech teams, including Meta, Google and PayPal, and the Peninsula and East Bay are full of those kinds of offices, from Menlo Park and Palo Alto to Pleasanton's business parks. For a company dinner or client night, solo piano keeps things warm and easy while people eat and talk. Later I can lift the energy with requests and sing-alongs, or switch to my signature piano karaoke so your coworkers get the mic with live piano behind them. My corporate and holiday party piano and private party services spell out what's included.

Reading the room is the whole job. As a former San Jose Sharks organist, I played 500+ NHL games and the NHL All-Star Game, and that's where I learned when to keep it mellow and when to get a crowd on its feet.

Weddings from San Mateo to the Tri-Valley

For a garden ceremony in Hillsborough, a country club in Los Altos or a vineyard wedding in Livermore, I can cover the whole day: soft instrumentals while guests arrive, your processional arranged for piano and voice, a live first-dance song, then cocktail hour and dinner music. I also DJ and MC, so one person can handle the grand entrance, toasts and last dance. My wedding piano services lay out the options, and couples looking further out toward wine country can see my Napa and Sonoma wedding piano page.

Planning notes for Peninsula and East Bay venues

No piano needed. I bring my own professional stage piano and sound system, so a restaurant, home or winery just needs power near the spot you pick. Tell me about stairs, gates or a long walk from parking ahead of time.

Outdoor events. Tri-Valley afternoons can be hot and the Peninsula can turn breezy and cool after sunset. Shade over the piano during the day and a covered spot for evening receptions keeps everything sounding right.

Sound and neighbors. Many homes and smaller venues have neighbors close by or a firm end time. Live piano is easy to scale, so I set the volume for the room and respect the curfew.

Traffic. 101, 280, 580 and 680 on a December Friday can eat an hour. I build extra time into the drive so I'm set up and sound-checked before your first guest arrives.

Hear me live on the Peninsula

My closest public nights are in San Carlos: I'm at Faith & Spirits on December 4 and 5, and back again January 22 and 23. It's an easy stop whether you're coming from San Mateo, Redwood City or across the San Mateo Bridge. My upcoming shows page always has the latest dates, and my reviews page has what hosts and couples have said.

Want a bigger show? For a holiday party that turns into a full two-piano sing-along, I can bring a second player with Modern Dueling Pianos. Planning in a nearby area? Here's my take on San Francisco and Marin events, on weddings and parties in San Jose and the South Bay, and my general guide on how to hire a singing pianist in Northern California.

Book a singing pianist on the Peninsula or in the East Bay

Send your date, venue and the kind of night you're planning through my booking form, or call or text (408) 203-5563.

Frequently asked questions