Dueling pianists? Not a chance

They could be considered rivals: musicians with similar styles all trying to carve a niche out of the same market.

Instead, they are friends, fans who listen to each other's music and are supportive, excited about each other's successes.

Jon Schmidt, Paul Cardall, David Tolk and Michael R. Hicks are all pianists. They play new-age music and have all made a name for themselves locally, even nationally. They approach music with similar fervor, hold common beliefs and share a deep-seated love of their craft. Yet they are far from carbon copies of one another; they each bring a distinct style and flavor to their work.

And there's no better place to hear that than on their latest project, a collaborative effort that combines work from all four on one CD, "Piano Portraits." The collection includes two previously recorded songs and one original piece from each artist.

"We all voted which of the other guys' songs should be on the album," said Cardall, adding that it was interesting to see how close they all came to agreeing. There was one major criteria: "We wanted the overall feeling to be relaxing; that's why a lot of people want to listen to piano music."

Between them, the four have 17 albums, so there was a lot of choose from. But, said Cardall, "I think we got the prettiest of all our songs." However, the album does more than "simply allow people to sit back and enjoy our music. It also gives them incredible new insight as to the diverse musical talent that exists in their own back yard."

That was one reason Hicks spearheaded the project in the first place. "I wanted to create a unique album that featured various styles of music, and at the same time provided listeners with the sense of peace that accompanies piano music," Hicks said. "But this is also a great way to introduce those listeners to artists they might not know. Fans of David might not be aware of Paul; my audience might not know Jon."

Besides, said Cardall, there's always room for another pianist. "Some people might think there are too many. But I happen to think there aren't enough pianos out there."

The men all share that passion for their musical instrument.

"I love the piano," said Tolk. "Its range is unlimited. With guitar or trumpet (which he also plays), you have so many restrictions on what you can do."