The Piano Guys

It absolutely boggles my mind that some people (granted, not that many) have given this CD 1 and 2 stars. To me, not liking their music is like not liking life. I would give it 10 stars if I could. I discovered The Piano Guys last year when I saw a video of them playing "Bring Him Home" from "Les Miz". I immediately looked them up, started watching their videos and subscribing to their website. I have been hooked every since. I've downloaded pretty much all of their pieces and added them to the two CDs. This is music I listen to on my iPod, on my computer, in the car--basically all the time. It covers all emotions: I love it when I'm happy, it lifts me up when I'm a bit down, and it just makes me feel good. I'm listening to them even as I write this. I love the fact that they bring such emotion to their playing, and that they feel every note. You can see it in their faces and hear it in their music. It's wonderful that the guys have made classical music so accessible, and have shown people, especially younger ones, that music can be fun. That is very inspirational. I saw them in concert in Anaheim, California and was wondering how they would handle some of the pieces, given that there is so much visual "magic" in their videos. The concert was amazing--they played flawlessly, and cleverly interspersed the actual videos with the live playing. It was wonderful that the packed house consisted of people of all ages--young kids, parents, and grandparents. I have second row seats to see them in Seattle in February and cannot wait. Without sounding ridiculous, I have to say that these guys' music has added much to my life, and it is a true blessing that they are here. Buy their CDs, go see them in concert, support them on their website--they deserve it. Music makes the world a better place, and the Piano Guys make music that is clever, inspirational, uplifting and just plain gorgeous.

I rarely purchase music these days. Between being able to listen on YouTube to exactly what you want to hear, and Pandora that has introduced me to many new artists... I just don't see the need to own the actual songs or CDs anymore. I came across The Piano Guys by accident on YouTube. That evening I spent the next two hours searching out every one of their songs/videos. For the next two weeks, I was completely enamored. Finally I saw a video where they were asking for sponsors because they would love to quit their days jobs. I paid $35 for the first CD/MP3 download - more than strictly necessary to merely own the music. This is their second album and it is better than the first. Peponi is an African style re-imagining or Coldplay's Paradise. The video is awesome, the passion of the singer, the music... the whole package is so well done that my husband will come home, put this song on repeat at max volume (hope the neighbors appreciate it) and hum along for 30 minutes or more to it. The Cello Song is one by Bach (sorry, can't recall which one) remixed as a song for eight cellos. Each and every song here is a remix of a song you know well and can hum along to, but done by top notch musicians with great arrangers behind the scenes. Reminds me of when Beatles tunes were gotten ahold of by Herb Albert and Brazil 66. Steven Sharpe Nelson is the cellist. He started with guitar lessons as a kid, then switched to drums in his teens, then switched to cello (I may have the order wrong). Well now, the physical instrument he uses most often is the cello... and he plays it like a guitar and a drum set at the drop of a pin. (He plays piano, too, and Lord knows what else.) John Schmidt (no verification on whether or not his middle name is Jingleheimer) is the usual pianist. He is hugely talented and plays with the same passion as Steven. It is the passion combined with the skill that makes this such a worthwhile listen.

Wonderful music

New Review: I bought this a about 9 months ago, and I didn't like it at first. I put in on the shelf and never looked at it again. Then they were coming to concert and so I I took the time to get reacquainted with the Piano Guys. I delighted to find out how wrong I was in my first assessment. As a classical musician, I was very impressed with their fusion of modern with classical creating a neo-fusion which I'm loving! If at first you don't like it, research where the songs came from, and do some digging. It wasn't until I was thoroughly familiar with Beethoven's 5th Symphony that I really appreciated Beethoven's 5 secrets. And until I understood what Michael meets Mozart was all about it didn't ring for me. But now that I understand, I really like this album! I just saw them in concert, and now I'm looking forward to more music from The Piano Guys. Old Review: I was expecting a masterpiece with this album. Unfortunately I was sorely disappointed. If you have heard all the songs, and you like it, then order it. I pre-ordered it, and was very sad when I listened to it. (Added) I was asked what made it so-so for me. I wasn't expecting instrumental pop music. John Schmidt is a great pianist, but his music is very modern, and has many fans. I was new to his music, and liked some of his medleys so i went out on a limb and bought this. Instead of finding music like Bach, or Chopin i just got some new age piano remixes of songs that I already know/am not fond of. I'm not saying this is a bad album, it just isn't my style. If you like new age piano, and other John Schmidt songs buy it! It's a great album, if you like that. I LOVE Bring Him Home with John Schmidt and Steven Sharp Nelson, but these were just pop style songs played on a different instrument. I felt like they were looking to have fun and play music, and that's what this album feels like.

First, for those who have never listened to The Piano Guys or seen their videos, imagine a mix of Pop/Rock, New Age, and Classical music. Most of the music they play has an accompanying video that adds to the feel and atmosphere of each song in a way only 5 guys from Utah have been able to do. All their music is meant to be positive, uplifting, beautiful, and above all, family friendly. Fans of The Piano Guys span all age groups and are found in all corners of the world. If you are looking for something with passion that won't overwhelm the senses like so much media today, look no further than The Piano Guys. This album comes shortly after The Piano Guys signed with Sony Masterworks. If you have heard or own their first album under their own label, then you will recognize a few of the songs on this new album, but they are welcome additions to a very well rounded track list. Not a single song feels out of place or "forgotten". The two previously unreleased songs: Titanium/Pavane and Arwen's Vigil, don't disappoint. Vigil starts soft and romantic like the title suggests, and then picks up momentum about half-way through and finishes again on a slow note. For fans of the movies, the song reflects the various ups and downs of the fantastic story in fine style. Titanium/Pavane was heard once before this release during the taping of their PBS special in mid September and the quality of the performance is certainly heard in both versions. It's obvious why this song is said to be The Piano Guys' favorite. This is the second time David Guetta was covered by The Piano Guys and I hope they plan on using more of that style of music because it translates so well onto classical instruments (with the flair that The Piano Guys are famous for). A video should, hopefully, follow the album release closely and, as always, The Piano Guys experience is not complete without the videos to go with the songs. So, if you haven't seen their youtube page, go to: [...] and check out all the great videos available. And subscribe to The Piano Guys for all their future releases.

This is lovely stuff. Ok, you're probably here because you ran across these guys on YouTube or Pandora. So you've got a good idea of what you're in for. The Star Wars one isn't as much fun without the visuals, but everything else is great. Their cover of Paradise is so much more enjoyable than the original. Michael Meets Mozart is one of my favorites by the guys as well. This is excellent music to work by, especially if you work with words. There's not much singing, the music is uplifting without being exhausting (Hans Zimmer soundtracks, I'm looking at you here), it's like a mental massage while you work. This is Windham Hill jazzed up for today, embracing pop sounds and soundtrack bombast. Definitely worth checking out.

To fully grasp what this artful music means to me I believe first requires a little background. I was born with a wonderful gift, the ability to play piano at the ripe age of 3. I went thru various phases from childhood thru my 20's, the likes of Elton John, Billy Joel, Journey, country music, and always with a base of music such as Arthur's Theme, Hill Street Blues, St Elmos Fire Love Theme, etc. I had gone quite a while without inspiration when in my late 20's or early 30's, I discovered David Benoit, whose style I learned to mimic quite well and whose music kept me delighted for years to come. Alas, not much of a creationist myself and more than tired of playing the same songs over and over again, and keeping busy with work and family, I lost my inspiration. For a guy who played professionally for a few years but for most of my life played for hours every single day just for pure enjoyment, lost inspiration was a travesty of epic proportion. Recently, I finally plopped down in front of the computer and started searching, and searching, listening to all kinds of clips, trying everything I could to find an artist to re-inspire me once again, to no avail, nothing struck the proverbial chord. Then, I got this email inviting me to register to win tickets to see The Piano Guys, and naturally, that title got my attention. So, I quickly found their website and was instantly breathless - finally, I had found for what I'd been looking for far too long!! Beautiful, artful melody, unique and wonderful interpretations of familiar songs, incredibly wonderful strings including my favorites, the cello and violin, blended beautifully with precisely my own style of piano playing. Yipppeee!!! And the videos on their website only make the music that much better! I bought these MP3 albums (both 1 & 2) so I could listen in the car, and everywhere I've gone since discovering this music only days ago, you can bet this stuff is cranked all the way!

I wish I could sY something unique about The Piano Guys that has not already been said before. That being said, I am rather at a loss of what to say here: do I jump up and down, rant and shriek and say, "buy it! Buy it?" Perhaps it's enough to say that they are the most exciting artist I have come across in the last five years. Their whole thing... the group made up of musicians and video producers both, is tailor made for the Internet video age. Their world is first and foremost the Youtube universe, where they first really caught on. What's emerged from that period is a unique expression of talents (and yes, they are Talented!) by what seems to be some really nice guys. The music is fresh, engaging, totally modern, but with clear, devoted homage paid to the classical roots behind much of their material. I would suggest that where a CD and a CD plus video option is available, to go with the DVD as well. That way, you get the full on Piano Guys experience. Note: I have recently seen them live in Tampa earlier this month. It was a very fun concert, one of the best I've ever seen - and as a guy in his fifties, I've seen a lot of live music! It was only a one night engagement, but I was not the only one openly expressing regret over that fact. Even the ushers were bummed out when it was over, as they too wished they could do a rewind and see it all over again. Don't miss these Piano Guys. You will be glad you didn't!

Entregado puntualmente y la música excelente

最近たまたま曲を聴いて衝撃を受けました。 素晴らしいです！美しい曲、美しい映像☆ 演奏する表情も凄く素敵で、聴く度に元気が出ます。 もっと早く出会いたかったと思いました。 CDも素晴らしいですが、DVDで美しい映像と共に聴くのが最高!！ たくさんの人に聴いてもらいたいアルバムです。

Que du bonheur bon cd agréable a écoute,je l'adore.

These guys are awesome!!

Le sonorità e le esecuzioni sono notevoli. Gli strumenti usati: pianoforte e violoncello sono ideali per creare emozioni irripetibili. Riprodotti i brani con un opportuno lettore CD/DVD si ottengono notevoli emozioni sonore.