Testimonials

Awarded the WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards®, which recognizes the top 5% of local wedding professionals from the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism.


Wedding Ceremony & Reception Music - Apr 6, 2019
Matt & Elisabeth, Columbus Art Museum, Ohio

When the lady and I began planning our wedding, the only aspect of it for which I was immovable was having a pianist. Under no circumstances did I want a DJ ruining my wedding. This was the most important part of the wedding to me. Music is everything -- it sets the mood of your wedding and reception, it makes you feel a certain way, and it makes your guests feel a certain way.

I searched the internet high and low, finally sending Emily an email. It was an instant connection. Emily is very talented, but also very knowledgeable. I myself was classically trained on the piano from a young age, toured in a couple rock bands, and minored in music in college. The lady and I are also season ticket holders to the symphony. As such, Emily graciously allowed us to be a part of the music selection and ordering.

I'm not sure what this experience is like for other couples, but Emily allowed us to have great input into planning the music. We went back and forth selecting and ordering the music; we offered a lot of suggestions on specific songs and how the overall feel/phases of the day would go while she would say yay or nay, fill in gaps we missed, and offer her own suggestions based upon her vast knowledge and experience.. She learned new music for the occasion, including a special arrangement just for our first dance and for the Bride's entrance. She played classical music, jazz standards, Broadway, pop songs, and hybrids. She intermixed all the styles seamlessly.

The result was magical. I started crying from the first note of the prelude, and I know my Elisabeth felt like the classiest and most special woman ever. There is a lot of that day that has become fuzzy in the months since, but I will always remember the music -- the way I felt that day in the ambiance that Emily created, and the way I still tear up just remembering it.

Planning a wedding sucks. Vendors do not care about you, they care about making money. The live on their own timelines and generally do not respond to you. Our caterer was prompt with communication, but we were still just a number. Emily, however, cared. She was prompt in her communications; she always remembered our names (that sounds dumb, but other vendors didn't), and she was genuinely excited to play our music at our event.

Emily, thank you.

Wedding Music - July 23, 2016
Erika & Travis, Dayton, Ohio

Emily provided the music for our Catholic wedding ceremony in July 2016. She was such a professional: she was always prompt with her responses to our (many) questions, provided wonderful selection recommendations to assist us, and coordinated everything with our Priest. We were planning our wedding in OH from our home in MA, and she offered to hold Skype meetings with us, too. Emily played beautifully on our wedding day and gave us a wonderful surprise: a full listing with all of the music she played throughout our wedding so that we could remember our special day. We would highly recommend Emily and her services. She is a talented artist and wonderful to work with. Thank you, Emily!

Coldwell Banker Awards Ceremony - January 23, 2015
Laura, Dayton Art Institute

Emily did a wonderful job playing at our corporate event (300+ in attendance) and working with her was a pleasure. She was very punctual and professional. She also chose the perfect music to set the mood - everyone loved her playing!

Wedding Music - August 2, 2014
Ashley, South Vienna, Ohio

Emily was absolutely wonderful to work with and she was so flexible with our last minute changes. She responded to every email within the day and we were complimented on her beautiful music. She was very professionally dressed for the occasion. She has new music to choose from, which is something we had difficulty finding with other musicians. I will be recommending her to anyone that asks!!!

Wedding Music - April 26, 2014
Jason, Oxford, Ohio

Emily played the piano for our wedding ceremony. She was fantastic! She was easy to work with, responsive, and very helpful with selecting appropriate music. We could not recommend her more highly!

Holiday/Christmas Party Music - December 21, 2013
Dave & Beverly, Oakwood, Ohio

Emily played during a cocktail party in our home. Her musical selections (holiday and jazz standards) were just what we needed to set the right mood for our gathering. Her playing was wonderful -- a class act.

Private Event - September 22, 2013
Kathleen, Springboro, Ohio

Emily Noatch was the perfect special touch to our treasured weekend with my aging mother and 4 sisters. Emily surpassed our expectations. She arrived at my home 15 minutes early, taking a sincere interest in meeting everyone. She came prepared with a program of the classical selections that she thoughtfully chose from a variety of time periods and composers. As she played, my 82 year old mother slipped into heaven. Emily played with passion. She was delighted to chat between pieces if we had questions. She made my old piano sound new. I recommend Emily for any and all types of special occasions. You truly will be in good hands!

Wedding Music - June 25, 2011
Daniel, Youngstown, Ohio

I contacted Emily through the University of Akron for my wedding. Her quick response and professionalism was phenomenal. She arrived at my wedding early to perform prior to the wedding and during. Her selection of music and quality of playing was perfect. Coming from one musician to another, I would highly recommend Emily for your Wedding or other event.

75th Wedding Anniversary - Aug 19, 2019
Kathy, Polen Farm Kettering, Ohio

Emily played for our parents' 75th wedding anniversary. Our guests really enjoyed her music. She added "their" song, Always, to her repertoire and played it as they "walked down the aisle" with their walkers to renew their vows at an outdoor gazebo. It was very touching, yet fun and upbeat. Emily was so easy to work with from start to finish, adding multiple family favorites to her repertoire for this very special day. Her music added a gentle ambiance to our outdoor event at Polen Farm in Kettering. You'll love everything about Emily and her piano! Thank you, Emily.

Christmas Party - Dec 19, 2017
Joe, Englewood, Ohio

Emily did a great job playing for our Christmas party... Needless to say, she enhanced the dinner and made it special for all those attending. This was our second time using her and hope to use her more in the future.

Corporate Christmas Party - Dec 14, 2016
Kelly, Mason, Ohio

Emily made our party "merry and bright" by playing beautiful classical, jazz and Christmas songs in the background. We couldn't have asked for a better pianist and more beautiful music. Plus...as if that wasn't enough, she made the party super fun when we sprung "corporate musical chairs" on her. Without skipping a beat, she took control of the game and had 50+ adults marching around tables to her music, laughing the whole time as they clambered for chairs and prizes. She did a great job making it fun and memorable!

Wedding Music - July 2, 2016
David (Father of the Bride), Cincinnati, Ohio

My daughter asked me to find a pianist for her wedding knowing I would try to find the best of the best which is exactly what we found in Emily of In Good Hands Piano! Emily was very professional and responsive from the initial information seeking email all the way through the wedding date. She knew exactly when to follow-up to get the music decided without making anyone feel any pressure. Her vast experience was very helpful to my daughter in choosing the music and in hindsight she would pick the exact same songs again. Emily's music fit perfectly with the ceremony and the best way I can describe it is simply the best! I have another daughter that will be getting married in the future and we already have the best pianist picked out, Emily from In Good Hands Piano!

Reception Music - February 28, 2014
Elizabeth (Mother of the Bride), Dayton, Ohio

Everything about working with Emily was a complete pleasure. Not only is Emily very sweet and easy to work with, but she was very professional and most importantly she is a wonderful pianist. I hired Emily to play the piano as background music during my daughters wedding reception, we received so many compliments from friends and family who enjoyed her lovely music. I highly recommend hiring Emily for your special event.

Wedding Music - February 1, 2015
Cara, Dayton, Ohio

Emily was wonderful and I could not have been any happier with her performance. She listened to what I wanted and guided me through what I would need and determined the parts of the songs that would fit best. I highly recommend her as a pianist.

Wedding Music - June 28, 2014
Chelsea, Mason, Ohio

Emily recently played the piano at my wedding ceremony. She was absolutely fantastic throughout the entire process (planning and actually playing). She quickly and eagerly learned songs that I requested and played them even better than I imagined. She was professional, polite, very nice, and very quick to respond to any form of communication. She's also a VERY talented musician! I have been recommending her to everyone I have talked to since the wedding!

Memorial Service & Cocktail Hour - April 25, 2014
Amy, Centerville, Ohio

Emily played at my father's memorial service. My father loved music, especially old jazz standards. I wanted someone who could play a hymn and then play for the cocktail hour afterwards. Emily was wonderful! (I'm from NYC, so I'm pretty picky.) Not only is she a VERY talented musician, but she was a pleasure to work with. I've worked with many musicians at various events and I can tell you Emily is top-notch!

Engagement Dinner Music - November 1, 2013
Alfonso, Dayton, Ohio

One word, incredible. I wanted to propose to my girlfriend and knew she liked classical violin music. So, I contacted Emily with only three days in advance. She agreed to do it and even helped me chose the songs she could play. Emily truly made the moment a perfect moment. She was very professional courteous and seemed like a happy person that you would not mind sharing an important moment in your life with. Thanks Emily.

Wedding Music - September 14, 2013
Tasha, Dayton, Ohio

Emily was outstanding. She was that special touch that made my wedding ceremony perfect. I would recommend her to anyone for any event. She is very easy to work with, very professional, and good at what she does!

Wedding Music - October 3, 2009
Kate, Akron, Ohio

Emily was the violinist at our outdoor wedding. We were absolutely thrilled with her performance during our ceremony. She helped us choose music and made time to meet with us to ensure that everything was just right. Emily is a very talented artist and executes her craft with the highest of excellence. I would definitely hire Emily again. Emily is a pleasure to work with.

Wedding Music - Sept 24, 2016
Laura (vocalist), Cincinnati, Ohio

Absolutely Perfect! Beautiful music and very professional. I had the pleasure of working with Emily for a wedding this past summer. She was the pianist and I was the vocalist. I could not have asked for a better person to work with! Emily is not only professional, organized, and extremely talented, but is so easy and joyful to work with. I could tell she put a lot of time into planning and looking at even the smallest details. Her performance was beautiful. She is obviously very experienced and loves what she does. She was willing to travel for the wedding and also to have a rehearsal a couple weeks before the wedding to ensure all was in order. She was prompt with communication as well. I will definitely be calling Emily for any future weddings and would love to work with her again. I highly recommend Emily to play at your wedding or any other event!

Memorial Service - February 26, 2016
Leah, Xenia, Ohio

We were so pleased we found Emily online and had her provide the music for our mother's Memorial Service. She provided suggestions for pieces which were very helpful. Emily was both professional and compassionate as we planned the service and right from the start, I felt very comfortable with her and her prices were very reasonable. She arrived before the service with plenty of time to test out the piano and ended up playing longer than we originally thought due to some late guest arrivals. Her music was both appropriate and beautifully played. After the service, she was so cordial with the guests - almost like one of the family. My mother would have loved to meet her and hear her play.

Anniversary Party - November 21, 2015
Chip, Cincinnati, Ohio

We were having a 50th wedding anniversary gala at the Dayton Racquet Club (DRC) and six days before the event our scheduled piano player backed out. A neighbor searched the Internet and directed me to Emily's web site. I called her and she was responsive and quite organized. She immediately emailed her repertoire and a contract. She had her contract before the DRC had theirs.
Emily Noatch was exactly what I was looking for; a concert pianist! Our event was a formal dinner party and Emily's lengthy performance was a key element in achieving the formal atmosphere which I desired. As the evening wound down and she had performed well beyond her usual time constraints, she was joined at the keyboard for an impromptu duet with a grinning four year old girl banging on the treble keys. Emily laughed and played on. What a trouper!

Wedding Music - October 4, 2014
Tony (Father of the Bride), Cincinnati, Ohio

I have played the piano for 41 years and am picky when critiquing musicians. After listening to several pianists, I asked Emily to play for our daughter's wedding & reception; and am thrilled she agreed to do so, playing both piano and violin. Emily has an extraordinary gift of being able to bring music to life. I asked her to learn several new pieces, including a special arrangement of The Bridal March. Emily's dedication to perfection helped make the day very special & I highly recommend her.

Wedding Music - June 12, 2014
Rita (Mother of the Bride), Dayton, Ohio

Emily played piano for my daughter's wedding ceremony. She was awesome! She was great to work with throughout the whole planning process. Emily played a variety of contemporary and classical pieces with perfection. She is very gifted and the ceremony music was absolutely beautiful! I would, and have, recommended Emily to everyone. I was moved to tears the first time I heard her play. You will certainly be "in good hands" if you select Emily for your event. Just beautiful!!

Classical Concert - January 27, 2014
Mallory, Monroe, Ohio

Emily Noatch gave an incredible classical piano concert at Mount Pleasant Retirement Village! She came prepared and played for the entire hour program. She is very talented and the residents were in awe of her talent. She is very professional and wonderful to work with!

Wedding Music - October 5, 2013
Danielle, Houston, Ohio

Emily was wonderful! She helped me select music that went beautifully with my ceremony style. She asked all the right questions. She was pleasant well-dressed (even asked my wedding color and style to pick her outfit!). She was early and worked with the church music coordinator to time everything perfectly. She showed up early and she was so prepared she needed no direction from me. The solo violin was such a gorgeous and timeless addition to my ceremony I'm so glad I chose her instead of a trio like I was considering. Oh, and you can stop looking because she's HUNDREDS less expensive than anyone else around. Thank you so much Emily, I will definitely be sending people your way!!

Wedding Music - August 10, 2013
Rochelle, Sidney, Ohio

We absolutely could not have done this without Emily. She did so much more than just provide the music for our outdoor wedding. She found someone to play with her so we could have Canon in D with both a piano and a violin. She also learned the song we wanted for our sand ceremony as well as helped us find some beautiful and appropriate music for the sad and unexpected memorial candle lighting ceremony we added when my grandfather passed away just before the ceremony. She stayed in touch with us lending her experience from planning her own wedding to help troubleshoot all the aspects of having an outdoor ceremony and even gave us some advice for our reception. At times she was more of a wedding planner than simply our ceremony musician. We can not thank her enough and look forward to my brother using her when its his time to get married.