My piano bar story:

Several years ago I was performing at an upscale steak house in downtown Dayton. The baby grand was in the center of the room, in a pit. I sat down the first time and began to play something and couldn't believe my ears...

The sound seemed to be muffled in a way I'd never heard before...

I'm talking seriously muffled...

I stop...and lift the lid of the piano and inside it are several pieces of lightweight felt. The manager approached me and said "Don't you take those out of there!"

I thought for a second what was really important to me...

I explained that I was here to entertain her guests by playing the piano, but that under these circumstances, I would not continue. I asked how why are they in there? She explained the previous piano guy needed them so his playing wasn't too loud. I told her I can either leave now or I remove the felt and you tell me if its too loud. She said if she got one complaint...I'd never work for her again.

I played all evening...made a bucket of tips...and at the end of the night, she thanked me for playing softly. (I hadn't really played all THAT soift I thought, either...)

She then said "...when so & so played, it was really, really loud and percussive. She said my playing was prettier..."

"so & so" turned out to be a kick-ass ragtime guy who could play circles around me.

I did the gig a few more times and moved on...

Bill in Dayton