OCT. 11 I KRETZER PIANOS I EVENT I BY ZACH PHILLIPS
Musical Doctors Fight Homelessness

On Aug. 21, 18 physicians moonlighted as musicians to fight child homelessness.

The Physicians Talent Showcase, hosted by Kretzer Piano of Jupiter, Fla., featured 13 acts with docs rocking out, getting soulful and showing off their classical chops. Held at The Harriet Himmel Theater in West Palm Beach, Fla., the event raised $38,000 for Adopt-A-Family and, specifically, to benefit homeless children. Kretzer Piano owner Kathi Kretzer added that Adopt-A-Family also received a matching grant, bringing the total amount raised to nearly $80,000.

During the finale, performers gathered onstage to sing “Seasons Of Love” from “Rent.” One physician, Dr. Tim Abou-Sayed, even wrote and performed a parody of “I Will Survive” about his life as a surgeon. Participating doctors rehearsed for two months prior to the concert with Kretzer’s assistance.

“It was a tremendous amount of work but well worth it,” she said. “The doctor friends and contacts I made during the five-month journey will benefit me for years to come.”

Kretzer modeled her program after the Physicians’ Talent Showcase created by Greg Billings of Steinway Piano Gallery in Naples, Fla. She credited Billings for advising her during the process. “His expertise in this area was invaluable to me,” Kretzer said.

She noted that she didn’t host the Physicians Talent Showcase to generate immediate sales. The program was designed to seed the market and promote her company’s name in the community.

“It’s not like doing a college sale,” Kretzer said. “It’s building your name constantly in the community, so when those people are in the market for a piano, you get the call.

“I know that in the long run, the publicity and goodwill I got will make it worthwhile. [Physicians are] already calling me about next year. They were calling me the next day.”