“I actually majored in economics,” said Dueling Pianos member Rhiannon Kruse. “I decided to go a safe route, settle down and get a real job.”

“You would have been a lawyer,” said fellow member Jeffery Coleron.

“My job is more fun, though,” said Kruse with a laugh.

Needless to say, Kruse and her fellow member Jeffrey Coleron did not go the “safe” route. Dueling Pianos, which performed in the Reid Ballroom on April 5, has encountered great success during their eight-year run.

Kruse and Coleron, who initially met while working as entertainers for Disney Cruise Line, are an independent entertainment industry consisting of two pianists, two voices and an all-requests live sing-a-long show. Everything from “Build Me Up Buttercup” by The Foundations to Broadway hits to “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen is fair game.

“We’re your piano bitches for an hour,” said Coleron. After looking at a few requests, he stated, “But we don’t do Beyoncé. Sorry.”

During their performance, Dueling Pianos performed songs from a wide variety of artists, including Guns and Roses (as Coleron imitated Axl Rose), Elton John, Billy Joel, Journey, the Eagles and even Michael Jackson.

The energy and personality pervaded the show. In an offstage interview they were just as personable, readily talking about how they met, what they do, their favorite shows and even helpful hints about college.

“Study abroad,” said Kruse. “You get so much experience, even if you have to leave behind your home.”

“Always expect the unexpected, and just find pride in whatever you want to do,” said Coleron.

When asked about work, the duo came readily prepared with stories and information. For example, while they primarily perform for private or corporate events and the occasional wedding, the duo still enjoys working for cruise lines.

“It’s a little more scripted, but we’ve gotten to go on some world cruises that travel to places like India or Bengal,” said Coleron.

The duo has taken on musicals as well. During the summer of 2008 Kruse and Coleron produced and acted in “The Last 5 Years” at the Oregon Musical Theatre Festival.

“Both of our backgrounds are in musical theater,” said Kruse. “It’s our first love, and this is what it allows us to do, both our company [Dueling Pianos] and in musicals.”

Acting in “The Last 5 Years”, which tracks the life of a couple though their tumultuous five year relationship, marriage, and separation, was ironic for the couple because “they performed the show about three weeks before they got married,” according to Kruse.

As entertainers, Dueling Pianos constantly travels all over the country, toting two collapsible grand pianos as well as a large sound system in their custom trailer and SUV.

Despite the heavy travel schedule and the amount of work put into each show, the duo stated that their energy levels rarely wane during performances.

“You think it would be [tiring], but it really isn’t,” said Coleron. “When you’re adrenaline is pumping and you’re in front of such a large audience, it comes naturally.”

“The energy from the audience is contagious,” said Kruse. “We just feed off of it. If we’re putting it out there, we’re getting it back.”

While the couple rarely performs for colleges, they enjoyed their stay at Whitman.

“It’s such an intimate atmosphere here,” said Kruse. “Everyone is friendly and interested, and the size of our audience was perfect for us, since we like to get to know who we’re performing to, even for the short amount time we’re given.”  

“I think we’re kind of unknown to most colleges,” said Coleron. “I think if colleges knew about us, they would love to get us. We’d love to do kind of a small circuit, performing at four or five colleges in the area, maybe going to Willamette [where Kruse graduated from].”

When asked about her college, Kruse revealed that her 10-year reunion is coming up, and that her alumni department asked her to perform for it.

“I ended up saying no so I could enjoy my reunion rather than playing background music, which is not really our show anyway,” said Kruse.

In any case, Dueling Pianos is not backing off any time soon. Both plan on staying in the industry and doing what they love.

“I think we’re the luckiest people in the world,” said Kruse. “I know it’s cheesy, but we’re enriching people’s lives.”

“It really drives us,” said Coleron. “It’s what we live for.”