I feel privileged to write a reference letter for Patrick Durkin. My husband and I were married on June 27th, 2009 and we hired Patrick to play at our wedding. He played solo for the first hour during dinner, and then kicked off our party by playing as a dueling pianist for our entire reception.

For years, I was a customer of Jake Ivory's Piano Bar in Boston, a place where Patrick played for many years. My boyfriend (at the time) and I always said if we were to get married, our entertainment would consist of pianos only. No DJ or Band. And we were fortunate enough to find the amazing talent in Patrick Durkin who made our special day one that we will never forget. Our guests are still talking about it today!

On this day, I had specific songs I wanted to hear and they also took requests as well. Between my play list and songs my family and friends asked for, I'm pretty sure in the four hours they played, both pianists were unable to be stumped. Now that's what I call great entertainment! A dueling piano show is something most guests don't get to experience at a typical wedding. I know this because I am a professional wedding Videographer. I have personally filmed over 1000 weddings and I can actually say that I have never seen it done! Patrick made our day different than the average wedding and I have since recommended him to all of my future clients who are looking for an amazing pianist for their special day. His years in the industry provide him the experience and diverse musical background required to perform at all types of venues and events.

Sincerely,

Amie Keefe

If we were as successful at picking lottery numbers as we were at selecting Patrick Durkin from a pile of over 200 applicants, we would both be wealthy women! Nevertheless, something of Patrick's personal charm and charisma stood out from the rest of the crowd in that pile of applicants, and we have not been disappointed.

As an employee, Patrick arrives on time, prepared, and professionally attired. He is personable and polite, making an effort at all times to read and please his audience. Unlike other performers we have hired, Patrick knows his music by heart, and can also accompany himself vocally. There is no need for a "page-turner." He has a wide repertoire, but, more impressive, when faced with an event he felt musically unprepared for, Patrick took the initiative to learn additional songs to augment his performance. This is truly going above and beyond - a rare occurrence today.

A final point in Patrick's favor would be his interpersonal skills with his audience. He takes the trouble to get to know the people who attend our dinners, transforming them from customers to clients. He tries to learn their names and something about them, as well as the type of music they enjoy. Adding Patrick to our dinners enhanced the social aspect of our evenings - so much so that some guests ask - “When is Patrick playing?” – to determine which dinners to attend. We have grown to think of him as part of the family.

Tammy Thierwechter

Gloria Miner