~~November 13, 2014~~
I know, I know … I ended last night with a Piano Guy post and video. However, the included video is brand new, right off the presses. It’s a new video from the “Wonders” album. It’s a fun piece and I’m looking forward to post in. These are awesome performers and musicians beyond compare …. in my humble opinion.
The best way to start a day!!
(It’s so “fresh” that there aren’t many new images out there)
“Ants Marching/Ode To Joy”
… “a mash-up that incorporates melodies from Dave Matthews Band’s huge hit “Ants Marching / Beethoven Ode to Joy…. ”
Many thanks to St George Tourism who helped make this video possible.
Like them on Facebook: http://https://www.facebook.com/St.GeorgeZion
We would also like to thank Tuacahn for their generosity in allowing us to film at their beautiful amphitheatre.
What began as an experiment and then exploded into an Internet phenomenon has now evolved into an incredible success story. The Piano Guys, four talented dads from Utah, released their fourth studio album entitled Wonders (Portrait/Sony Music Masterworks) on October 7th. In an incredibly competitive week of major music releases, the album makes its chart debut at an impressive #12 on the Billboard Top 200.
This marks The Piano Guys’ highest debut and biggest opening sales week of their career.
The Piano Guys – Steven Sharp Nelson, Jon Schmidt, Al Van der Beek and Paul Anderson – are an American musical group who became an online sensation by way of their immensely successful series of strikingly original self-made music videos. They’ve made over 50 music videos since early 2011, including their breakout hit, an innovative multi-handed version of One Direction’s “What Makes You Beautiful” and a gorgeous reinvention of the hit song “Let It Go” from Disney’s Frozen.
To date, the Utah-based classical-pop group has released three major label albums on Portrait/Sony Music Masterworks: The Piano Guys, The Piano Guys 2, and the holiday album A Family Christmas.
~~GALLERY~~
~~Ants Marching/Ode To Joy in 4K~~
~~Published on Nov 12, 2014~~
Story behind “Ants Marching/Ode to Joy”
Shout out to all the Dave Matthews Band fans out there! Shout out to all the Ludwig van Beethoven fans out there! Now a shout out to all the DMB/Beethoven mash-up fans out there! Introducing … Ants Marching / Ode to Joy!
OK, so this tune started in sound check at one of our shows. We were playing around with that super catchy lick at the front end of DMB’s “Ants Marching.” Using a loop pedal we’d set up the chords then improv on top of them. It then evolved. We did things like mimic the snare hit on beats 2 and 4 using a padded piano bench. We created a unique fiddle-like sound by combining a 5 string electric cello and a bowed piano string (using a disassembled cello bow.) We used a myriad of muted piano and piano percussion sounds. Then we developed the loop effect farther so that 4 guys could play a lot more parts together.
Like most of our music, ALL OF THE SOUNDS YOU HEAR WERE CREATED BY PIANO & CELLO (with the help of a tambourine).
Ode to Joy crept its way in because, well, throwing classical licks into pop tune arrangements is one of the things we love to do, but we also loved that, though the two melodies melded well, the lyrics or “messages” of the two tunes starkly contrasted each other. Poetic irony, right? DMB’s tune talks of everyone doing the same thing (um…like ants marching) and implies a meaningless, despondent and monotonous isolation of human beings from one another, while Beethoven’s “tune” talks of friendship, brotherhood, interconnectedness, meaning, and, of course, joy.
We filmed this in ONE TAKE (meaning no cuts or alternative angles) using an octocopter with an attached gimbal (pivoted support). This allowed us to alternate between fly shots and glidecam-style shots. Jeremy Crawford and Frank Nelson (our “Piano Stunt Coordinators,” in addition to a long list of specialized roles within TPG) would catch, walk with, and then release the copter during the “take.” They wore motorcycle helmets as a safety precaution!
We performed this on one of the most incredible stages on Earth – Tuacahn Ampitheatre! This happens to be in the TPG’s “hometown” of St. George Utah. We were positioned on a rotating island stage surrounded by running water, heavy fog, dramatic lights, pyrotechnics and majestic red rock mountains. Ya. It felt as epic as it sounds.
#AtTheEndOfTheDay #ThePianoGuys #AntsMarchingOdeToJoy #NewAlbumWonders #InternetPhenomenon #AmericanMusicalGroup #YouTubeSensation #DaveMatthewsBand #TuacahnBeautifulAmphitheatre #AllSoundsPianoCelloTambourine #OctocopterAttachedGimbal #StoryBehindVideoSong #MusicVoiceSoul #Jon Schmidt #StevenSharpNelson #Paul Anderson #Alvan Der Beek
#WeAllAreOne #ItIsWhatItIs #DrRex #hrexachwordpress
We ALL are ONE!!
It Is What It Is 