27 years is a long time, especially if you have been going back to the same place to play the piano. That’s exactly what Juan Perez has been doing. He has been playing the baby grand Baldwin on the main floor at the Tacoma Mall Nordstrom store in Washington, United States on a regular basis. However, last Sunday, he played his final session.
Many shoppers in the mall stopped to listen, some offering hugs and handshakes while others offered a kiss. There were lots of compliments and thanks being made, along with some tears. There were also several sons and daughters from the Perez family in attendance who took photos. A number of passers-by also stopped to take photos using their smartphones. It wasn’t Juan’s choice to retire too.
There was a period of time when Nordstrom stores provided a live pianist to their shoppers. Unfortunately, only thirty of all Nordstrom stores nationwide provide such upscale ambiance today. Valerie Radloff, who shared musical duties along with Perez for the past 27 years herself, has managed to find another position in the store. Unfortunately for Juan, he was unable to obtain a suitable position for himself. “It’s a store-by-store decision. It’s just part of the evolving experience in the stores. It just depends on what the store wants to do. I think the store manager, like a lot of store managers, heard from some customers that wanted a different type of experience. We’re going to try something new, and mix up the variety, refresh the experience. We’re always looking for new ways to innovate, and that was one way to do it,” explained Tara Darrow, a spokeswoman for Nordstrom, when she was questioned on the reason why the piano will no longer be played.
She mentioned that stores “are moving to recorded music. It’s more modern.” Regardless, Juan’s commitment for the past 27 years has not gone unappreciated. “We’ve loved having him. We’re sad to see him go,” she also added. Juan, a father of 10, is rather upset too. However, he still remains thankful to Nordstrom. He could still recall his very first audition there back in January 1986. “There were five of us. Four beautiful young ladies, and me. They were carrying music books. I was the first one to play. I wasn’t expecting they would hire me, and I was dressed in a regular shirt. I started playing and playing as the store opened up. I didn’t even have an application,” he recalled.
When he got back home, his wife received him with good news and told him that they wanted him to start the day after. When he heard that, he was nearly in tears. For more of the story, click here.
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