Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dan Louisell. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Dan, appreciate you joining us today. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?
I had no plan for what I wanted to do with my life beyond playing in dive bars with my band. Then I got married and my wife’s job moved us away. Since she had a “real” job, she said I could take time and figure out what I wanted to do, which was a blessing and a curse. I made stuff, recorded music, wrote a children’s book, etc, but I really felt like I was coasting and becoming a deadbeat. One night we went to a dueling piano bar with some friends, and I had the thought that this might be a fun gig. I didn’t really know how to play piano, but it was more about being funny and having a personality on stage. I spent a couple weeks teaching myself piano and went back in to audition. Within two months I was getting booked every night. The entertainment director eventually made me his partner and we started playing private parties, corporate events and traveling around the world to play for troops. Two years into my dueling piano career, my wife was able to quit her “real” job to focus on raising our kids, as I was doing that during the day and then playing music all night. Now I support a family of five playing gigs on an instrument I was never taught because one night my friends happened to suggest that we go to a dueling piano bar.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I got into the industry by weaseling my way in. Eventually I got better at piano, but that’s what happens playing it every night for 17 years. I keep getting gigs because I keep up on learning new songs that the audience wants to hear. Also, I am always writing new comedy bits; jokes, parodies, and original songs to play for someone who is celebrating something like a birthday or bachelorette music. Because my background wan not in piano initially, I had years of experience playing guitar, bass, drums and bluegrass instruments thanks to my old bands. Which means I’m always bringing other instruments to add to the piano show. I love that I am able to earn a living by playing music. Since my first ever lucid thoughts, I wanted to be a singer. And I am one. Every night I go on stage, I try to remember that my childhood dreams have come true. I think it’s very obvious that I’m having fun, which then spreads to the audience who are now having fun with me as opposed to being merely observers of a performance.
This job has also lead to some interesting projects. During the pandemic, I would livestream performances and viewers could comment requests and Venmo me tips. I was able to sustain some sort of income while venues were shut down. But it gave me an excuse to get better at video editing, green screening, and preparing elaborate bits with puppets and characters that I could interact with in real time. What started as a piano request show evolved into a hybrid of Mystery Science Theater 3000, Pee Wee’s Playhouse, and Liberace and I built up a sizable fan base.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
My first year of playing dueling pianos, I was coasting on comedy and personality- using it to hide the fact that I was not a strong piano player. One night while frustratedly venting to my wife, she told me, “You don’t have to be everyone’s favorite. Enjoy that you’re getting paid to play music..” She was trying to make me feel better and she did, but her first sentence stuck in my head. Turns out I DO have to be everyone’s favorite and her words motivated me to really get better at the piano and write some of the best bits I’ve ever written. Within months, the Entertainment Director made me his partner.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
I think some people are born with the need to create. I also write and illustrated comic books. I wrote and published a novel. I love cooking. I like to build stuff. Beyond the inherent need to make things, the fact that I support my family is incredibly motivating. If I don’t keep succeeding with dueling pianos, we lose our house. That’s what led to livestream success. But it is a double-edged sword when what is a passion becomes a job. Like everyone, sometimes I want to do something else. So I do. I still do video editing, I write, I do graphic design, I do enough on my own time to keep me from getting bored with playing piano every night.
Contact Info:
- Youtube: https://YouTube.com/dan.louisell
Image Credits
Dana Laureano, Noel Leaman