The Piano Guys are at it again. Their new CD is coming out early in October 2014. It’s titles “Wonders”. I have already pre-ordered mine. I’m such a fan.
I’m taken by Steven’s joy and big smile while playing any of the many cellos he has. Jon has fast moving fingers, showing a dexterity on the piano keys that is beyond comprehension.
These guys look like they are having the time of their lives. Their joy and enthusiasm is infectious.
This many be one of the many reasons why I like and enjoy their music and talents so much.
The Piano Guys are an American musical group consisting of Jon Schmidt, Steven Sharp Nelson, Paul Anderson, and Al van der Beek. They gained popularity through YouTube, where they posted piano and cello renditions of popular songs and classical music. Schmidt and Nelson’s music is accompanied by professional-quality videos shot and edited by Paul Anderson and formerly by Tel Stewart.
Their first three major-label albums The Piano Guys, The Piano Guys 2, and A Family Christmas each reached number one on the Billboard New Age Albums and Classical Albums charts. The Piano Guys’ newest album Wonders is due October 7, 2014.
The song is a medley of Batman anthems from over 50 years, including the theme song from the 1966 Batman television series, Danny Elfman’s theme from the 1989 Batman film, and Hans Zimmer’s score from The Dark Knight Trilogy.
1966, 1989, 2005
In the video, each theme is played in front of a replica Batmobile from their respective show or film.
Holy hemiola, Batman! 50 years of music and film all rolled together in front of the cars that have become icons of super hero history. This is one of those projects we’ve wanted to do from the very beginning of The Piano Guys.
We love super heroes, the dramatic music that has brought them to life, and the vivid films that have made them legends. We used piano, cello, handheld cameras, a radio controlled helicopter, and some scrappy special effect techniques in the most creative ways possible to emulate the three epic eras of one of the greatest super heroes ever created: BATMAN!
One of our favorite little surprises on the album is a track called, “Batman: Evolution” – an epic mash-up of all three Batman themes (from the 60’s TV show, the ’89 “Keaton” movies, and the current “Dark Knight” trilogy). We’re filming the video this week. And for the first time in history ALL THREE BATMOBILES from each of these eras will be in the same video! Holy hot wheels, Batman!
The 8-yr old kid in each of us is doing back handsprings! Be sure to stay tuned! And in the meantime please PRE-ORDER our new album!
Miracles, Ice cream, 1000 foot cliffs, Great Wall of China, DNA, Common Ancestors. Come join the conversation with ThePianoGuys!
ThePianoGuys have teamed up with millions of YouTube fans to create a phenomenal success! The story about ThePianoGuys beginnings and success begins with Paul having an idea to start a YouTube Channel and then get a video to go viral to promote his piano store. He expresses his first thoughts with a question, “How are these Youtubers getting millions of subscribers?” he continues, “I came across a video with Jon and Steve, they had done a video, ‘Love Story Meets Viva La Vida’ and the music to it was just amazing. I was taken back by it, it was inspiring, it got in my mind.” Paul’s idea started to take off, “If these guys would keep putting their own classical music to it and mixing it with the pop, that would be such a huge Youtube channel!”
Paul was right and that started the wheels turning, miracles happening and five guys came together along the path to create an amazing journey with millions of viewers and subscribers joining the adventure on their ride to success. They love their viewers, they read their comments, they are inspired by them and they are what keep them going.
~~ThePianoGuys … before they were The Piano Guys~~
~~Uploaded on Apr 9, 2010~~
This is a great live version of Jon Schmidt and Steven Sharp Nelson before they were ‘The Piano Guys’. It was this combination of Viva La Vida and Love Story that helped set the stage for great things to come. http://brideaccess.com
Come follow me into a world where green is abundant.
I love colors. My favorite color is green. Thinking about what I know about the chakra system, green is the color of the heart chakra. The heart chakra is the “mediator” between the earthly chakras and the spiritual chakras.
The Color Green
As we go along our life’s path, we experience many things that drain our energy. We need replenishing and recharging. Gardens and greenery are the perfect places for this.
Follow me to these places where green is predominant!
Green is the color of balance and harmony. From a color psychology perspective, it is the great balancer of the heart and the emotions, creating equilibrium between the head and the heart.
From a meaning of colors perspective, green is also the color of growth, the color of spring, of renewal and rebirth. It renews and restores depleted energy. It is the sanctuary away from the stresses of modern living, restoring us back to a sense of well being. This is why there is so much of this relaxing color on the earth, and why we need to keep it that way.
Green is an emotionally positive color, giving us the ability to love and nurture ourselves and others unconditionally.
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~~The Enchanted Garden~~
~Kevin Kern~
~~Published on Sep 1, 2012~~
From the album “In the Enchanted Garden” (1996)
The music is enchanting and enthralling.
The green color is the foundation of the garden where all other colors form a kaleidoscope of beautiful bursts of energy and vibration. It’s a palette of unique diversity and a feast for the eyes and senses.
Balance and harmony can easily be attained as you “visit” these wonderful places of color ….. green as a base and all others as unique and different at the same time.
Today is a day where positive thoughts, bright light and healing energy are needed in this household.
Music has always been a refuge and a comfort for me. It’s played a very important part in my life. Once again, I rely on music …. to make it through some rough spots.
This is a meaningful, triumphal, lyrical song that touches the heart and soothes the soul. There are a few versions of this song and they are all inspiring!
Yanni’s “Aria” (from Yanni Live at the Acropoplis) is based on The Flower Duet, from the Léo Delibes opera Lakmé, and popularized by various British Airways TV commercials.
Lakmé is an opera in three acts by Léo Delibes to a French libretto by Edmond Gondinet and Philippe Gille, based on the 1880 novel Rarahu ou Le Mariage de Loti by Pierre Loti.
The subject of the opera was suggested by Gondinet as a vehicle for the American soprano Marie van Zandt. Delibes wrote the score during 1881-82. Like other French operas of the period, Lakmé captures the ambience of the Orient that was in vogue during the latter part of the nineteenth century; Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers and Massenet’s Le roi de Lahore being two other examples.
As noted above, this beautiful song was popularized by various British Airways TV commercials.
~~1989 British Airways Commercial~~
~~Uploaded on Jul 3, 2006~~
The British Airways face commercial.
Yanni Live at the Acropolis is the name of both an album and video by Greek composer Yanni, recorded live at the Herodes Atticus Theatre, Athens, Greece, on September 25, 1993, and released in 1994.
In a three-year television deal with PBS, the live television special was one of the top fundraising subjects for PBS, raising $13 million, with more than 750,000 home videos and more than 7 million albums sold worldwide. It has been seen in 65 countries by half a billion people, has almost continuously remained on the charts since its release, and is the second best-selling music video of all time.
This album peaked at #1 on “Billboard’s “Top New Age Albums” chart and at #5 on the “Billboard 200” chart in the same year. The film received an Emmy nomination in 1994 for “Outstanding Individual Achievement in Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Drama Series, Variety Series, Miniseries or a Special“. The corresponding concert tour of the year was “Yanni Live, The Symphony Concerts 1994“.
~~Aria~~
(Live at the Acropolis)
~~Uploaded on Oct 4, 2007~~
“ARIA ” is loosely based upon a short, but beautiful part of the 19th century French opera, lakme, by Leo Delibes. Yanni has revived ARIA with a lot of passion in this wonderful super production in Acropolis. Watch it , you will never forget it!
~~LYRICS~~
Sous le dome epais Ou le blanc jasmin A la rose s’assemble Sur la rive en fleurs Riant au matin
Viens, descendons ensemble. Doucement glissons De son flot charmant Suivons le courant Fuyant, dans
L’onde fremissante D’une main nonchalante Viens, gagnons le bord Ou la souree dort
Et l’oiseau L’oiseau chante Sous le dome epais Sous le blanc jasmin Ah, descendons ensemble
This is a very special one for me. Yanni played in Puerto Rico, my country. The concert took place at the Castillo San Felipe del Morro also known as Fort San Felipe del Morro or Morro Castle, is a 16th-century citadel located in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Taj Mahal, the iconic white marble mausoleum and one of the most photographed historical monuments in the world, is located in the city of Agra in Uttar Pradesh, India. Mughal emperor Shah Jahan promised Mumtaz Mahal, his third wife and soul mate, that he would build a magnificent monument for her and Taj Mahal was the result, still bearing the mark of their true love.
The construction of Taj Mahal, literally meaning the “crown of palaces”, began around the year 1632 and completed in around 1653.
Ustad Ahmad Lahauri, the renowned architect of the Mughal Empire is considered the principal designer while the whole project was handled by an architectural board, comprising of the likes of Abd ul-Karim Ma’mur Khan and Makramat Khanunder, under imperial supervision.
I have been a huge fan of Yanni’s work and music. I started following him since his first appearance with Linda Evans on the Oprah TV show. It was love at first sight.
I have followed his career since then and have been able to see him perform live several times.
I was looking for a video to use in the last post of the day and ran into Yanni performing at the Taj Mahal. I selected the video presented here mainly because of the introduction given by him.
~~ALBUM: TRIBUTE~~
Tribute pays musical homage to India on several songs; Greek-born composer and keyboardist Yanni describes the album as a tribute to the builders of the Taj and the Forbidden City, as well as to the people of India and China. Yanni’s ethereal keyboard work is backed by orchestra, vocalists, a choir, and various world instruments including didgeridoo, duduk, charango, and bamboo saxophone.
~~Some Interesting Facts About Yanni’s India Tour in 1997~~
Yanni performed live for three consecutive nights from 20 to 22 March 1997 at India’s iconic monument Taj Mahal located at the heart of the city of Agra (State -Uttar Pradesh). The spectacular concerts which were staged at the back-side of the monument Taj Mahal on the bank of the river Yamuna took almost two years of meticulous planning and painstaking efforts by Yanni and his team.
Yanni became the First Western Artist to be permitted to perform at the Taj Mahal. The event also marked the artificial illumination of the Taj Mahal during night for the first time in history.
Yanni’s team comprising of almost 300 members successfully accomplished the task of building a stage and seating arrangement in the middle of the river Yamuna on a sandbar that periodically became visible when the river dried up between November and late March.
Indian Army’s help was sought to build two pontoon bridges to get across the river and also for building the roads leading to the pontoon bridges. The bridges were built in record time.
Almost 130 tons of video and audio equipment were imported from United Kingdom brought in around 50 trucks and a plane.
Four towers were built with some of them over 60 feet high for housing the lighting equipment.
A stage was also built spanning 100 feet to 80 feet, 6 feet high and tiered to hold the orchestra and the band.
Seating was created for 7200 people.
Yanni also flew in the revolutionary V-DOSC sound system that cancelled the sound reflecting from the rear of the speaker cabinets completely. During the concerts the sound reaching the Taj Mahal was as low as two people talking.
Apart from adhering to strict sound emission and lighting norms, no motorized vehicles were brought in upto 500 meters of the monument.
Yanni wrote the songs “Deliverance” and “Love is All” specifically for the Taj Mahal.
Yanni says: “This album was conceived and recorded during a tumultuous and wonderful period in my life. It was inspired, in part, by the possibility that I might perform new works at Taj Mahal and the Forbidden City, two of the greatest man-made structures on earth. That this came to be, that I had the privilege of performing my music in India and China in the midst of national treasures, is a tribute to so many who believed in project that seemed always at the edge of reason.
For me, the Taj and the Forbidden City remain essential because they remind us all of our own potential for greatness. The spirit of their builders remains incredibly vibrant. For the members of my band and the orchestra, the nights spent in the shadows of these monuments provoked inspired work and often, tears. I hope, in a small way, we have been able to pay tribute to those many souls, many years ago, the nameless artisans, and laborers, who created these incredible structures.
This album is also meant to be a tribute to the dynamic, warm India and China, to the many, many people who embraced us with their kindness, smiles and applause. Finally, like all I’ve done since leaving, Kalamata, Greece, this is also a tribute to my parents, Sotiris and Felitsa, who taught their little boy a long time ago that …. love is all“
~~Love Is All~~
~~Uploaded on Sep 15, 2007~~
This a magnificent song especially written for the Taj Mahal by Yanni. This is in fact his very first song with lyrics. Solos are by Pedro Eustace on the ancient Armenian Duduk, Ramon Stagnaro on the guitar, and voice by Vann Johnson.
“As the population increases, the planet becomes smaller and smaller. We need to learn to accept and tolerate one another. I am a human being just like all. There is more than one way to live life. Socrates once said: The perfect human being is all human beings put together. As a collective, as a “we”. All of us together make perfection.
Sending a message to all the world of love and unity, acceptance and tolerance.
~~PARTIAL LYRICS~~
“Love will keep me believing Through the dark, can you hear me calling? Holding on when I’m dreaming Love is all, love is all, love is all
Like a tempest to the sea, I’m standin’ Love is all, love is all, love is all Love is all, love is all, love is all Like a tempest to the sea I’m standin’, I’m standin’ [Incomprehensible] Love, love, love , love is all
A religion is an organized collection of beliefs, cultural systems, and world views that relate humanity to an order of existence. Many religions have narratives, symbols, and sacred histories that are intended to explain the meaning of life and/or to explain the origin of life or the Universe. From their beliefs about the cosmos and human nature, people derive morality, ethics, religious laws or a preferred lifestyle.
According to some estimates, there are roughly 4,200 religions in the world.
May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.
God’s peace (“Shalom“) is not essentially about “quiet” or the absence of noise, but about the gift of wholeness, health and well-being.
(Thank you to yahtzeebutterfly for leading me to this video)
I was familiar with The Piano Guys version. Recently, I heard on the radio the melody with lyrics. I started looking and found OneRepublic.
What is a “secret”?
Kept hidden from others: known to only a few people.
Keeping information hidden from others.
Secrets never stay secret. Somehow they always come out in the open.
And there’s always more than one version!
It’s better when said through music …..
~LYRICS~
I need another story Something to get off my chest My life gets kinda boring Need something that I can confess
‘Til all my sleeves are stained red From all the truth that I’ve said Come by it honestly I swear Thought you saw me wink, no I’ve been on the brink, so
Tell me what you want to hear Something that’ll light those ears I’m sick of all the insincere I’m gonna give all my secrets away
This time Don’t need another perfect lie Don’t care if critics ever jump in line I’m gonna give all my secrets away
My God Amazing how we got this far It’s like we’re chasing all those stars Who’s driving shiny big black cars
And everyday I see the news, all the problems that we could solve And when a situation rises, just write it into an album Send it straight to gold but I don’t really like my flow, no so
Tell me what you want to hear Something that’ll light those ears I’m sick of all the insincere I’m gonna give all my secrets away
This time Don’t need another perfect lie Don’t care if critics ever jump in line I’m gonna give all my secrets away
Oh, got no reason, got no shame Got no family I can blame Just don’t let me disappear I’m gonna tell you everything
So tell me what you want to hear Something that’ll light those ears I’m sick of all the insincere I’m gonna give all my secrets away
This time Don’t need another perfect lie Don’t care if critics ever jump in line I’m gonna give all my secrets away
So tell me what you want to hear Something that will light those ears I’m sick of all the insincere So I’m gonna give all my secrets away
This time Don’t need another perfect lie Don’t care if critics ever jump in line I’m gonna give all my secrets away
All my secrets away All my secrets away
~~OneRepublic – Secrets~~
~~Uploaded on May 12, 2010~~
Music video by OneRepublic performing Secrets. (C) 2009
Mosley Music/Interscope Records
There’s another awesome version!!
~~Beethoven’s 5 Secrets – OneRepublic~~
(Cello/Orchestral Cover)
~~ThePianoGuys~~
~~Uploaded on Feb 9, 2012~~
Story behind the song
The American Heritage Lyceum Philharmonic (Youth Orchestra) and its director, Kayson Brown, approached us with this idea. We loved it. It combined two of the things we are working to accomplish — inviting people to classical music and inspiring young musicians. Steven Sharp Nelson had soloed with the orchestra the previous year and loved the spirit and the talent that the orchestra showed at such young ages (ages 13-18!) Together we developed the concept of “Beethoven’s 5 Secrets,” combining OneRepublic’s tune “Secrets” with melodies and moments from all four movements of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony.
We used 5 different melodies from the 4 movements of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony (not including the “bridge” the orchestra plays in the middle). Try to guess where they are and where they come from!
What are Beethoven’s secrets? He had many. His most prominent secret that he desperately tried to keep from the public and that caused him to be considered extremely eccentric, irritable, and hermit-like was his “weakness.” He was deaf during most of his life. Imagine that one of the greatest composers that ever lived could hardly hear. And yet, he wrote his life’s greatest works after becoming deaf. He believed that art itself had “secrets” that had to be “forced into” in order to obtain art’s highest level. There is no doubt Beethoven discovered many of the “secrets” of art — people all over the world enjoy them every day. He was a true master of music, blessed by God.
Some of you, readers, must know by now that I am an avid Piano Guys fan. I’ve already wrote a post about this song. The link to that post is provided below.
I did find out something that I didn’t know. The Piano Guys are well know for the songs interpreted with the cello and a grand piano.
Did you know “Story of My Life” is the first Piano Guys video to include an upright piano?
The history behind that piano is fabulous also!! The Covington Mansion in Washington City Utah was a great place to film. We are thrilled you used that 100 yr old piano and brought the magic to it.
“Story of My Life”
~~Direction with Saint-Saëns~~
By Mel Spencer
The piano-cello duet takes inspiration from the ‘storybook feel‘ of music by the French composer to transform One Direction‘s smash hit into a classical cello melody.
Globe-trotting musicians Steven Sharp Nelson and Jon Schmidt have taken a break from performing at the Seven Wonders of the World to re-work a version of an unlikely pop track – One Direction’s ‘Story Of My Life‘.
Rather than focusing on their own performances in the video, the music acts as a soundtrack for a short animated film.
~~The Piano Guys Interesting Fact~~
Story Of My Life
~~Published on May 22, 2014~~
Many thanks to AtoZion who helped make this video possible. Go check them out and help us give them thanks by visiting their pages!
As we began our arrangement of One Direction’s “Story of My Life” we wanted it to feel like each note of the music was a word in a vivid story being told. When writing a song sometimes you just need a little spark.
That catalyst came from a piece of classical music – one that had such a “storybook feel” to it that we gleaned inspiration from it: Saint-Saëns’ “Aquarium” from his Suite “Carnival of the Animals.” It’s an incredibly beautiful and transportive piece.
The Carnival of the Animals (Le carnaval des animaux) is a musical suite of fourteen movements by the French Romantic composer Camille Saint-Saëns. Written for private performance by an ad hoc ensemble of two pianos and other instruments, the work lasts around 25 minutes.
The group that usually features mostly footage of Jon Schmidt on piano and Steven Sharp Nelson on the cello took a different approach in their latest video, focusing more on the art of storytelling.
“We determined to do something we’ve never done before, film a short story and let the music be its soundtrack,” The Piano Guys website states.
“A story was written around the music — a story about the life of a tree. And how that tree’s life intertwined with the life a young boy who planted its seed — a boy who would grow up under its canopy.”
Many fans expressed their appreciation and love for the music.
Sonja Marie commented: “This is such a beautiful portrayal of the story of life. I was in tears when lighting took his tree. And again when he gave his wife the cradle. Making it through this life with out some heart ache just can’t be done. Loved, loved, loved it. Thank you.”
“Gentlemen, thank you once again for a beautiful piece of music,” Dan Fritz wrote on Facebook. “As always, your music serves as a wonderful escape to a place where I can spend hours at a time. Please continue to do what you do so well!”
This is a message that has been seen throughout the world. It’s a universal message. It’s timeless. It has been presented through different eras in our lives, by different outlets, with different people and different images.
Yet our reality remains the same.
We can take this message and apply it to any point in time, any country, any culture.
This means that we haven’t learned our lessons. We continue to repeat the cycle of violence, greed, oppression, abuse, war, annihilating and killing.
When will we learn? When will this stop?
~~A Simple Message for Humanity~~
Human activity is destroying the natural systems that we depend upon for our survival. Our most basic instinct as humans is to survive; yet we continue to destroy our life-support machine. Connected humans understand this terrible contradiction; disconnected humans are not able to.
Not all humans are responsible: just those who are part of Industrial Civilization. Industrial Civilization depends on economic growth and the unsustainable use of natural resources, so it has developed a complex set of tools for keeping people disconnected from the real world and living a life that keeps civilization running. Humans have been manipulated in order to be part of a destructive system.
Civilization is complex and delicate: it depends on everything running smoothly and also depends upon people having faith in its goodness. Global ecological systems are changing in unpredictable and major ways; natural resources are running out rapidly; the population is growing, particularly the population of urban areas; there is considerable political and civil unrest developing throughout the world: any combination of these factors are likely to lead to a sudden and catastrophic collapse of civilization during the 21st century.
I will show this YouTube video again. It’s important to remember. I will also show a new one that came my way.
We need to know that things need to change, otherwise, this will be the end of our life, as we know it.
~~A Message To Humanity!~~
~~Uploaded on Jan 11, 2012~~
Speech by Charlie Chaplin from the film: The Great Dictator
Music is called ‘Time‘ from the Inception Soundtrack by Hans Zimmer
These are some of the people at the top of command who pull the strings of the politicians. If you are unaware of who they are and their far reaching influence, please research their names. Search for terms such as: ‘Rothschild Banking Cartel’, ‘Empire of the cities’, ‘Soros social engineer’, Kissinger’s war crimes. It only takes a quick google search.
My blogging friend Sue, from http://suedreamwalker.wordpress.com/
posted this video today. In her own words:
“I have a blogging Friend to thank for passing along this amazing video of a poem in spoken word by its author Jamie Dunmore. Listen to his passionate plea as he calls on Humanity to act responsibly and wake up to what we are doing to ourselves and our planet. I hope you listen to his poem, as you also ask yourself questions on what we would do and what WE are allowing to happen.”
At least we see that there are some in the upcoming generation who think alike and are concerned about the state of affairs in our Earth!
Heart beats fast
Colors and promises
How to be brave
How can I love when I’m afraid
To fall
But watching you stand alone
All of my doubt
Suddenly goes away somehow
One step closer
(Chorus)
I have died every day
waiting for you
Darlin’ don’t be afraid
I have loved you for a
Thousand years
I’ll love you for a
Thousand more
(Verse 2)
Time stands still
beauty in all she is
I will be brave
I will not let anything
Take away
What’s standing in front of me
Every breath,
Every hour has come to this
One step closer
(Chorus)
I have died every day
Waiting for you
Darlin’ don’t be afraid
I have loved you for a
Thousand years
I’ll love you for a
Thousand more
And all along I believed
I would find you
Time has brought
Your heart to me
I have loved you for a
Thousand years
I’ll love you for a
Thousand more
One step closer
One step closer
(Chorus)
I have died every day
Waiting for you
Darlin’ don’t be afraid,
I have loved you for a
Thousand years
I’ll love you for a
Thousand more
And all along I believed
I would find you
Time has brought
Your heart to me
I have loved you for a
Thousand years
I’ll love you for a
Thousand more
“A Thousand Years” … a brand new song me + my best friend David Hodges wrote for Bella + Edward. We wrote it after we so luckily screened the movie + i couldn’t be more proud of this song.
~~A Thousand Years~~
(Piano/Cello Cover)
~ThePianoGuys~
~Story behind the song~
Our kids give us great inspiration for our music.
When Jon’s 17 year old daughter said how much she loved this song, Jon decided to try it. He experienced a flood of inspiration. “Never has a piano part come together this fast” Jon says. Steve experienced similar inspiration while composing the cello parts. Since the lyrics suggest a bride walking towards the groom in a ceremony we thought we would include a quote from the Bridal Chorus by Wagner in the climax of the song. (It is carefully disguised).
"the Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord shine His face upon you and be gracious unto you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace"
