Perfect Harmony: Dueling Pianists
Jennie and Steve Luhmann

One of the most iconic lyrics to describe the life of a piano player comes from Billy Joel’s well-known song “Piano Man.” The minute the song is performed, it’s often immediately joined by a crowd singing loudly together: “Sing us a song, you’re the piano man. Sing us a song tonight. Well, we’re all in the mood for a melody. And you've got us feelin' alright." Married couple and dueling pianists Jennie and Steve Luhmann get to experience this musical lifestyle when they play piano on stage in front of crowds. 

Jennie and Steve have studied piano since childhood, sang in their high-school choirs and musicals, and manifested their talents into becoming professional dueling pianists.

Jennie grew up in Upper Makefield Township and decided to try piano because her parents and brother played. 

“My family moved to Upper Makefield Township when I was in fourth grade, and it was a quintessential childhood,” she says. “I lived across the street from the elementary school in a rural house. It was all very familial. When I started piano lessons at age 7, I liked learning the theory, but as I progressed, I really enjoyed the pop aspect of music.”

Steve was raised in St. Louis, Missouri, and started learning piano at age 8 after his mom saw him tinkering on the keys, trying to play a Richard Marx song by ear. He confesses he was a tough student who didn’t like to practice at first, but his attitude changed when his mom and teacher showed him ragtime music.

“I remember getting butterflies in my stomach when I heard that ragtime sound, and I thought, ‘Would I be able to do this one day?’” he says. “It was inspiring to hear that music; I loved the rhythm, and that’s what got me going. I went on to win a ragtime competition at age 12, and I was off to the races.”

Jennie graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a major in communications and Latin studies. She then continued on to nursing school a few years later. Steve went to Valparaiso University and majored in piano performance. Soon, their love of piano playing would bring them together and blossom into a romantic relationship.

A Note-able Request

After college, Jennie moved to Ohio for a corporate job and worked nights at The Big Bang, a dueling piano bar that opened in her apartment building. She started as a server, and once her talent on the piano was recognized, she became a performer. Steve was hired as a piano player at the bar’s St. Louis location, while also working at his church.

There was a temporary pianist opening in St. Louis in 2010, so Jennie volunteered to take the spot since she had left her day job and had the time to travel. The first person she met walking into the venue was Steve, who would also be her playing partner that night.

Dueling pianos is when two players sit at two pianos and work with each other to play requested songs, covering all music genres ranging from the ’50s to today. “The ‘duel’ is when someone from the audience gives you $5 to play a song, and if someone wants to hear something else, that person will give you anything over $5 to stop the song and play something else; so now you have a duel and you go back and forth with those songs,” Steve says.

Jennie says the duel aspect doesn’t happen all the time, but when it does, it can be a lot of fun. “The real shtick is to be super involved with the audience,” she says. “We want them to sing, clap, and have fun. It can be a show filled with musical comedy, interaction, and dancing.”

Within a few months of meeting Steve, Jennie took a full-time position at the St. Louis piano bar, and they became a romantic couple in addition to their professional relationship on stage. Eventually, they moved to another dueling piano company in Rhode Island for a few years and got married. When that establishment closed, they started to freelance, taking jobs in the New York City area.

Both say they were immediately comfortable with each other from their first encounter, and playing together was very natural. They both emphatically say that feeling continues today. “We have a lot of trust in each other at shows,” Steve says. “We’re sort of in each other’s head. I just love when she’s feeling a song and you can hear it in her voice. Those are the moments that are just so cool—that I get to do this with her.”

Jennie’s admiration is reciprocal. “He’s the most prepared dueler you’ll ever meet,” she says. “There are a lot of times I’ll look over to see what I can do to back him up in the song, but then I get lost watching him because I’m so impressed with his talent.”

No Place Like Home

When they found out they were expecting a baby in 2020, the couple decided to move to Upper Makefield Township. Jennie says she always knew she wanted to come back and loved that her friends and family were still local. While they continue to freelance for various dueling piano companies, Jennie works full-time as a clinical research project manager, and Steve gives in-home piano and guitar lessons.

“I teach a lot of students in the area,” he says. “I love being able to share my abilities. I’m very patient with them and encourage them to keep at it.”

After moving back to the area, the duo also started their own show, “Jennie and Steve’s Dueling Pianos,” where they perform at local venues and parties. They say every job is different because of the crowds and the requests, and it keeps them on their toes.

“You’re always thinking five steps ahead of what needs to happen in the show,” Steve says. “You look at requests and try to navigate what the best flow is because you want momentum to keep the show rolling.”

Jennie says the Newtown Theatre helped solidify their brand when they started playing there in 2021.

“The Newtown Theatre is special for me because I grew up going there, so it’s an out-of-body experience playing there,” she says.

Newtown Theatre Executive Director Andrew Smith says almost all of Jennie and Steve’s shows sell out.

“I think it’s nice to have people on stage who live in the community,” he says. “Everybody loves dueling pianos. The feedback is always positive. It’s like a big party.”

Now with two children, Jennie and Steve nickname their gigs “date night.” Since Bucks County is their forever home, their hope is to continue to add more local business to their repertoire.

“When the clients come up at the end of the night and say we had the best time, it’s a great feeling to know you’ve had a successful show,” Steve says.

Jennie agrees, adding: “I feel so lucky we get to do what we do. To perform on stage for a living is a dream.”

Dari Kotzker resides in Bucks County with her husband and four kids. She has worked as a reporter in television news and print media since 2001.

Photograph by Juan Vidal Photography