Today we’d like to introduce you to Patrick Duffy.
Hi Patrick, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I started playing the piano at the age of 13 and got my first job the same year playing the organ at my local church. I had rockstar aspirations and learned all of my favorite rock n roll songs from Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis to Billy Joel and Elton John.
My mom was adamant that I go to college and when it came time to choose a major music was the only option. I was told at my first piano audition to consider another major because I didn’t have the classical training, they considered necessary. Crushed, I skipped my second audition and was accepted at my third one by a teacher who was quitting anyway. I like to think I was her final big middle finger to the school haha.
I finished my four-year degree with a Bachelor of Arts in Music which is one of the most expensive and useless pieces of paper someone can have but, it afforded me a vast knowledge of music history, theory, and production which are skills and information I use every day.
Not knowing whether I wanted to pursue production or performance I took a job in the tech department of my school where I designed and installed sound systems, edited video, and audio recordings, and performed general maintenance on in-house electronics.
After almost 3 years I decided I wanted to perform full-time and applied for cruise ship musician jobs, mainly in the Piano Bar. Again, I didn’t have the experience so I was offered a position in a showband playing jazz standards and cocktail hours. My first experience on a ship was such a culture shock and claustrophobic experience that I quit after the first week and went home to play church gigs. I joined a local hip-hop band playing keyboards and split my weekends between playing late-night bar gigs with the band, sleeping in my car in the church parking, and playing early morning mass. My decision to go give cruise life another try came one night when I was taping down PA cables to the floor in front of a kitchen door at a bar when a waiter burst through the door with a plate of wings and blue cheese. The door smacked me in the head and ricocheted back into the plate of wings, which spilled all over my back and down my pants. I didn’t have a change of clothes and no time to get home for a shower so I slept in my car and played the church service smelling of wings and blue cheese dressing… I went home and reapplied to every cruise line and agent I could think of. I was offered a position in the rock band for Carnival Cruise Line and told to go watch the Piano Bar Entertainer and learn more about the gig. During almost every set break I would go watch and learn what made that gig so different. I put together my first reel, applied, and was accepted to my new position.
I’ve been a Piano Bar Entertainer/ Comedian for almost a decade now and don’t regret any part of it. Most recently I’ve been traveling the country bringing my unique brand of piano entertainment anywhere that will have me.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No road is ever smooth getting to where you want to be. I’ve heard “no” more than any other word in my career. “No” from potential employers, “no” from current employers, “no” you can’t do your job this way or that.
When I first applied for cruise contracts as a piano bar entertainer every agent (who would even respond) who turned me down told me I needed voice lessons and to expand my song list. Funny enough, those same agents have reached out to me in recent years to offer me contracts. It’s kind of nice to tell THEM “No.”
Self-doubt is another huge struggle to overcome. As an artist it is one of the most dangerous things that can affect your career. Every time I heard “no” early in my career I would doubt everything and go into a deep depression and want to give up trying. At that point I would put in applications at local gas stations.
I guess what I’m saying is self-doubt and “no” were and still are two of my biggest struggles.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I started as a piano bar entertainer playing the same song requests every night just because that was the stigma of the job. I’ve since developed my show into a more interactive experience with a huge emphasis on engagement with the audience and dialogue back and forth almost in the style of Don Rickles.
I’d say I’m most known for having a quick wit which I’m proud of because it makes it easier to come up with new material on the-fly
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Anyone can be a mentor. Everyone has something important to teach whether good or bad. Pay attention to the advice people offer you and the example they make and decide what works for you!!!
Contact Info:
- Website: Patrickduffymusic.com
- Instagram: @patrickduffymusicofficial
- Facebook: @patrickduffypianoman
- Youtube: @patrickduffypianoman
Image Credits
Faded Neon Photography
Organik Photography
MAC Designs Las Vegas
