1. The Piano Guys by Colton Fadely
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by Colton Fadely

2. Introduction Members of the group: Met in Saint George, Utah
Paul Anderson (Producer/Videographer)
Jon Schmidt (Pianist/Songwriter)
Steven Sharp Nelson (Cellist/Songwriter)
Al van der Beek (Music Producer/Songwriter)
Met in Saint George, Utah
Hello everyone, I am Colton Fadely and I would like to introduce you to The Piano Guys. I first would like to talk about the different members of the group and how they met. The Piano Guys started in St George, Utah at a piano store called The Piano Guys. The owner of the store, Paul Anderson, had the idea to get some publication for his store by doing videos of people playing the different pianos he had to sell. Jon Schmidt walked in one day and asked if he could practice on one of his pianos in his store for a concert he had that night. Paul pitched the idea to him and that’s how it started. By this time, Jon already had a successful career in performing and writing music. He was known for his excellent piano skills and abilities. He knew the ins and outs of the music world so he has been a very useful member of the team since the beginning. Steven Sharp Nelson and Jon had known each other ever since Steven was 15 years old. They performed frequently together and he was a great member of the team and was well qualified with his skills with multiple instruments and ideas for filming. Al van der Beek came to know Steven because he was a good neighbor and came to his house to help him move in. He heard that Steven was a musician and invited him over to his in-home studio. They played a lot together and formed a great friendship. Each of the members of this group met under normal circumstances and found their way together to form the Piano Guys.
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3. Biography of the Piano Guys
First album recorded in 2012
Combination of modern and classical music
Creative videos accompany each song
Known for filming in hard to get places
Lifting a piano by helicopter for “Peponi”
So what are they known for? The Piano Guys are a huge internet sensation right now because they have unique and powerful music, mixed with creating videos in locations all around the world. One of their most interesting film destinations was in southern Utah in the mountains where they used a helicopter to get a piano to the side of a cliff so they could film. This was for the song titled “Peponi” which featured Alex Boye as guest vocalist. They have filmed in multiple countries around the world including Germany, England, Jordan, China, and Mexico. One of the videos titled “Batman Evolution” features 3 of the bat-mobiles from 1966 to Their creativity brings a whole new look on classical music and how fun it can be.
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4. Biography Continued Film videos around the world Batman Mobiles
Scotland
China
Mexico
Batman Mobiles
New and fun classical music
The Piano Guys have filmed in multiple countries around the world including Germany, Scotland, Jordan, China, and Mexico. One of the videos titled “Batman Evolution” features 3 of the bat-mobiles from 1966 to Their creativity brings a whole new look on classical music and how fun it can be.
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5. The Piano Guys: A Family Christmas (2012)
Albums
The Piano Guys: A Family Christmas (2012)
The Piano Guys (2012)
The Piano Guys 2 (2013)
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The Piano Guys: Wonders (2014)
The Piano Guys: Uncharted (2016)

6. Beethoven’s 5 Secrets Features Steven Sharp Nelson on the cello.
Composition History
Features Steven Sharp Nelson on the cello.
American Heritage Lyceum Philharmonic Youth Orchestra
OneRepublic’s “Secrets”
Beethoven’s 5th Symphony
This song features Steven Sharp Nelson on the cello as well as the American Heritage Lyceum Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. It’s director, Kason Brown, came to the Piano Guys with the idea of doing the song together. With ages ranging from 13 to 18, this orchestra played with Steven who soloed with them the year before this song was developed. This song combines OneRepublic’s song called “Secrets” with music from Beethoven’s 5th Symphony.
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7. Beethoven’s 5 Secrets Listening Guide
Time
Form
Event Description
00:00
Intro
Pianissimo cello plays disjunct melody – Polyphonic Texture as other cellos come in – quadruple meter
00:32
Rhythm speeds up, plucking of cello starts on every beat
00:57
Verse
Conjunct melody, Homophonic texture
1:22
Chorus
symphony enters with snare and bass drum, woodwinds and strings, cymbals crash at end of chorus
1:49
Bass drum hits and strings play notes with emphasis on beats one and three, cello plays melody
2:02
crescendo from the verse into the chorus with the strings
2:14
symphony and cello play chorus
2:39
symphony with Beethoven’s 5 – different parts of the symphony echo back and forth
3:03
strings play melody, percussion
3:16
cello comes back in with symphony
3:41
Bridge
crash cymbal on 2nd beat – melody comes to a conclusion with drawn out note, ritardando
4:10
Coda
Adagio tempo, smooth melody with strings and wood winds
4:57
ends with cello playing same melody as the intro as it comes to an end

8. Code Name Vivaldi Soundtrack from the film Borne Identity
Composition History
Soundtrack from the film Borne Identity
Antonio Vivaldi’s concerto for the cello
90% of the song was arranged in 3 days
Playing while riding a train
Code Name Vivaldi combines music from the movie Borne Identity and Antonio Vivaldi’s concerto for the cello. Steven Sharp Nelson regards this concerto as one of his favorites, having been one of the first things he played with orchestra. The Piano Guys has this to say about composing this song that cannot be put into other words: “90% of this tune was written in 3 days. We worked on it day and night because it was so enjoyable to write.” The video that was filmed of this song features Steven Sharp Nelson and Jon Schmidt playing while riding on an empty platform of a moving train car. The result is incredible!
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9. Code Name Vivaldi Listening Guide 4:00 Coda End Time Form
Event Description
00:00
Intro
Starts off with cello playing in the distance, slow and steady, plucking lower string
00:27
Tempo speeds up to Allegro and cello comes in with a melody with an arched contour that is in the background throughout the song, music stops suddenly
00:41
By this point piano riffs and percussion parts begin to enter in random parts
00:59
Piano ascending riff, while percussion comes in with a steady beat
1:04
Homophonic texture, cello still playing background arch melody with piano and percussion on top of that
1:22
Piano starts with descending notes 4 times and then goes into a verse again.
1:51
piano plays by itself in an ascending melody, rapid notes the continually ascend until cello comes in
2:09
Piano and cello play beginning melody, echoing back and forth
2:45
Piano plays descending notes 4 times, crescendo starting at Metso forte
2:54
Fortissimo, arched cello melody stops, cello plays conjunct melody over the homophonic texture of piano and percussion
3:19
Arched melody comes back in, cello continues conjunct and smooth melody, ends with piano and percussion dropping out one by one while the arched melody continues and fades out
4:00
Coda
End

10. The Cello Song Arranged by Steven Sharp Nelson
Composition History
Arranged by Steven Sharp Nelson
Bach’s Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 1: Prelude
7 added cello parts
Includes percussion done from a cello.
The Cello song is based from Bach’s Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 1: Prelude. Steven Sharp Nelson took this iconic piece and added 7 cello parts that are put together to make the original composition come to life. Steven adds in percussion to the mix by what he normally does in his compositions and uses his cello for the sounds. In this song, he makes shaker noises by rubbing the sides of his cello, bangs on it for the sound of drums, and strums the cello strings for a guitar-like sound. Although you have probably heard this song before, you have never heard a version like this before.
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11. The Cello Song Listening Guide Time Form 00:00 Theme A
Event Description
00:00
Theme A
Single cello melody, disjunct with a very wide range, Metso forte
00:11
Second cello comes in with plucking and strumming like a guitar as the harmony
00:23
Theme B
Inverted arch melody, both parts play melody - one plucks while the other plays normal
00:42
all cello parts come in, also bass drum – polyphonic texture
1:06
one cello part starts to play Tremolo adding more sounds to the texture
1:24
crescendo throughout multiple measures
1:46
Fortissimo, steady crescendo until 1:58, builds until climax at 1:57
1:58
Slight pause, Brief homophonic texture with harmony, then the other cellos come to bring it back to a polyphonic texture with different sounds
2:33
Descending Scale into a syncopated rhythm, notes are played in between each beat
2:52
Ascending scale by single cello
3:05
Ritardando and crescendo to fortissimo
3:11
End note is played

12. Bibliography https://thepianoguys.com/about
double-cello-concerto/
cellos/
All sources for the pictures are noted in the presenters notes on each slide