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Overview
I have played piano since I was 7 years old and now have decades of recording and performing experience. Skilled in jazz improvisation and possessing a large repertoire of pop, folk and rock classics, I can adapt well to various events including cocktail hours, wedding music, parties, etc. I'm psyched to do whatever you want, be it gentle background classical or jazz-influenced improvs, 10 Beatles tunes in a row or a set ranging from Taylor Swift's "Blank Space" to Disney tunes to Tom Waits. I prefer to play gigs instrumentally, but if you want vocals, I have folks I can call up to join me and make a duo. I will respond quickly and am happy to answer any questions you have!
8 Reviews
I wanted to take a moment to sincerely thank you, Alec for the beautiful music you played at my mom's surprise 70th birthday celebration. Your performance truly added a magical touch to the event and created a warm, elegant atmosphere that everyone will remember. You are very talented! Thank you again!
Pianist
Alec was great. He arrived early which really worked out well. He was happy to just play awesome music in the background and right there when we wanted to get up and sing. Everyone really enjoyed his playing!
Pianist
Alec was a total gentleman, professional, talented and very accomodatiNguyen. made our party amazing. I can't thank him enough. was on time and can play abynthing!! thanks Alec!!
Pianist
Response from Alec Betterley:
Thanks Nilsa! I had a wonderful time playing your party.
Alec's music really made guests feel welcome from the moment they entered the room. He was professional and very easy to work with.
Pianist
My husband hired Alec to play at my recent 60th birthday party and the 50 guests and I were thrilled with his talent and demeanor. He worked closely with my husband to find out the music that we liked and even worked with my sisters to create a "singalong", helping to write words that pertained to me alone. Alec was very professional, easy to work with and fun! I highly recommend him and would hire him again for a special party.
Pianist
I hired Alec to play my daughters bridal shower. He was such a fabulous addition to our party .My guests were so impressed with how lovely he played throughout the afternoon. I have a baby grand piano and over the years I have had guests play my piano but I never had a professional. I'm sorry I waited so long to hear someone with Alec's talent play the piano.I am so lucky that I chose Alec to play at my party, I highly recommend him and you will be lucky if you have the opportunity to book him for your party. Thank you Alec.
Pianist
Alec played at my wedding, and his music really set the mood and made it wonderful. He played before the ceremony while guests were arriving, and learned a few songs I had requested for the ceremony... it was really lovely, I couldn't have imagined it going any better.
He also played during the cocktail hour, and everyone loved his selections. They were classic and recognizable, but also added in some newer popular music, giving it his own twist and feel. He is a great musician... I don't think he stopped playing once during the whole cocktail hour!
Prior to the wedding, Alec was great to communicate with. He brought everything he needed and assured me that he would take care of the set up, as he didn't want to worry me during the wedding! He always responded quickly and was a joy throughout the process.
I can highly recommend Alec to anyone looking to add live music to their party and I hope to see him play again soon!
Pianist
Booking Info
Price Range: $250 and up
Gig Length: 30 - 300 minutes
Languages: English
What to Expect
I travel by car and have both a Yamaha P120 and Nord Stage 2 keyboard, stands and a Roland amp that can meet most sound level needs. I bring all necessary cables/adapters including power strips, extension cords, etc. A piano onsite is very ideal; if a tuned piano is available for the performance, that might result in a lower fee. I ask that the host or venue pay to have the piano tuned if a tuning is necessary.
Other gear that I own and can transport for certain gigs include my Mellotron Mini M4000D, Yamaha DX7 and Korg M1 keyboards.
About
Alec Betterley is an Albany, NY-based songwriter, freelance pianist and film composer. Trained in classical piano during his formative years, Alec branched out into jazz, blues and rock piano as a teenager and has been performing primarily in these styles ever since. Alec completed a Masters in Music Therapy at New York University and currently works as a full-time music therapist at Wildwood School in Schenectady, NY. Experienced playing weddings, cocktail hours and parties of all varieties, Alec can mold his piano stylings and large repertoire to your specifications. Alec can improvise jazz, classical-style, and blues music and can weave classic songs into and out of the mix. Easy to work with, friendly and adaptable to the requests of all clients, Alec will be a great addition to your event.
Most common/ideal events:
-Wedding package (play couple down the aisle as well as provide cocktail hour music)
-Holiday parties
-Cocktail parties
-Engagement proposals
-Birthday parties
Additional Booking Notes
If you have a piano, chances are that's all I'll need sound-wise. Those things can usually fill a room pretty nicely! If the piano needs to be mic'd, I will need to have those supplies provided; I do not currently have the ability to travel with a PA and mic a piano.
If I travel with my gear, the Roland amp I have should provide ample sound for most environments. I travel with extra cables/extension cords and I take care of the sound needs so that you can have a worry-free event.
Services Offered
Upcoming Booked Events
| March 29, 2025 • 1:00pm - 5:00pm | Baby Shower |
Past Booked Events
| November 02, 2024 • 12:00pm - 2:30pm | Birthday Party |
| September 07, 2024 • 3:00pm - 6:00pm | Birthday Party |
| January 11, 2024 • 8:00pm - 10:00pm | Dinner Party |
| December 23, 2022 • 5:00pm - 7:00pm | Christmas Party |
| February 25, 2017 • 8:00pm - 10:00pm | Birthday (Adult) |
| December 03, 2016 • 8:00pm - 11:00pm | Cocktail Party |
| November 19, 2016 • 6:00pm - 8:30pm | Fundraiser |
| October 01, 2016 • 12:30pm - 3:30pm | Bridal Shower |
Set List
Repertoire (piano-based, instrumental renditions)
Jazz Standards:
All of Me
Autumn Leaves
Beautiful Love
Don’t Get a Round Much Anymore
Fever
Moonlight in Vermont
Take the ‘A’ Train
Valerie
… and many more
Pop/Folk Classics (a tiny sampling):
Beach Boys - God Only Knows
The Beatles - Hey Jude
The Beatles - In My Life
The Beatles - You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away
Cass, Mama - Dream a Little Dream Of Me
Grateful Dead - Ripple
Joel, Billy - Piano Man
Joel, Billy - Scenes From an Italian Restaurant
Jones, Norah - Don’t Know Why
King, Carole - You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman
King, Carole - You’ve Got a Friend
Lennon, John - Imagine
Mitchell, Joni - River
Simon, Carly - Anticipation
Simon, Carly - Nobody Does it Better
Sinatra, Frank - Just The Way You Look Tonight
Springsteen, Bruce - Fire
Springsteen, Bruce - I’m On Fire
Springsteen, Bruce - Thunder Road
Taylor, James - Fire and Rain
Taylor, James - Sweet Baby James
Wilco - Far Far Away
Winehouse, Amy (/The Zutons) - Valerie
Withers, Bill - Lean On Me
Young, Neil - Harvest Moon
Young, Neil - Out on the Weekend
Young, Neil - Unknown Legend
… and MANY more. Happy to learn songs of your choosing for your special event!
Below is a list of artists where I feel comfortable playing many of 'the hits' as well as a variety of other tunes (instrumentally):
Adele, Alicia Keys, Allman Brothers Band, Amy Winehouse, The Band, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Ben Folds Five(/solo), Beyonce, Billy Joel, Bob Dylan, Carly Simon, Carole King, Chuck Berry, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Dolly Parton, Elton John, Elvis Presley, Fleet Foxes, Frank Sinatra, G n' R, Grateful Dead, Green Day, James Taylor, Janis Joplin, John Lennon, John Prine, Joni Mitchell, Kacey Musgraves, Katy Perry, The Kinks, Leonard Cohen, Mariah Carey, Marvin Gaye, Mountain Goats, Neil Young, Neutral Milk Hotel, Nina Simone, Nirvana, Olivia Rodrigo, Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, Patsy Cline, Phish, The Ramones, R.E.M., Rolling Stones, Sam Cooke, Simon & Garfunkel, Stevie Wonder, Talking Heads, Taylor Swift, They Might Be Giants, Tom Petty, Tom Waits, Traveling Wilburys, Vampire Weekend, Van Morrison, Velvet Underground, Weezer, Wilco, Whitney Houston, Willie Nelson.
& lots more. I am always happy to learn stuff, from jazz standards to instrumental Cardi B and anything in between.
Influences & Inspiration
The Beatles, Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Sam Cooke, Joni Mitchell, Tom Waits, Disney music, Brian Wilson, Nirvana, Leonard Bernstein, Carole King, Billy Joel and onward... (I could go on all day!)
Setup Requirements
All I need is a power source with two inputs! For a large event, I prefer to a direct input box into a PA system. That said, I bring a powerful Roland amp and can always use that. If you have a piano in your house, I ask that it be fairly recently tuned.