Kaufmann, TC's Piano Man, High Above the Town

It won't take long for the half dozen seats surrounding the piano to fill tonight at the Beacon Lounge. That breathtaking panoramic view of West Grand Traverse Bay is only the icing on the cake – the main attraction is up-close seats to Tom Kaufmann and his varied musical talents.

It’s been nine years since Kaufmann, who discovered his penchant for piano playing while overseas, began tickling the ivories at the top of downtown Traverse City’s tallest building, the Park Place Hotel. Tonight and every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 8:30pm to close, he's the main event.

The Ticker caught up with TC's Piano Man a few weeks back just as he began playing to a packed house.

Music wasn’t part of his life plan. After high school in his hometown of Hastings, Mich., Kaufman decided to explore the world. “I traveled through Asia, around Europe. I really liked Japan,” he says. It was in a night club in Osaka when he began playing piano. He went on to entertain audiences as a soloist and with a number of groups in the San Francisco area, on Florida’s Gulf Coast and throughout the Midwest. “I didn’t plan on a career in music, but it worked out that way.”

About those wire sculptures…Seated at the piano bar, you’ll notice the musical wire sculptures on display. Kaufmann began designing and creating these sculptures – made from a special aluminum welding wire manufactured by Traverse City’s AlcoTec – in 2001. Since starting this venture, called Your Name Rings a Bell, he has created an ever-expanding collection of wire figures, three-dimensional doodles and customized mobiles. Most popular names he’s designed into a musical wire sculpture: Sarah and Jennifer.

Play it again, Tom. Audiences vary in age and musical tastes night to night, Kaufmann says, so he’s always ready to perform “a broad cross-section of music.” Even so, some songs remain tried-and-true crowd favorites. Yep, this includes Billy Joel’s “Piano Man” and Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” as most popular requests, he says. It’s also common for diners to come up and sing along with him.

Definite job perk: the view. Gorgeous skies and special events like fireworks, even hot air balloon take-offs, all are all part of the 10-story tower view overlooking West Grand Traverse Bay. “Sunsets are the best,” he said.

Keeping busy. Kaufmann, who has two grown children with wife Judy Childs, has constructed a series of unusual outdoor musical instruments. These sound sculptures are featured at the Children’s Garden at the Charlevoix Michigan Public Library and at the Garoon Gateway to Science in Lake Zurich, Ill. In 2009 he completed the Earth Tones Musical Garden at Raven Hill Discovery Center in East Jordan, Michigan. He also continues to compose and record his original music, teach music through his Tinkertunes Music Studios and builds custom designed desks – made from old upright pianos – through his Upright Furniture Company.

Learn more about Kaufmann here.

To view a brief video of Kaufmann in action, click on the image at top left.