The Piano Guys Full Album Download 26
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The Piano Guys is the second studio album, and first on a major record label, by American musical group The Piano Guys. It was released on October 2, 2012 through Sony Masterworks. The album is composed primarily of covers and mashups of classical and popular music.
The Piano Guys is an American musical group consisting of pianist Jon Schmidt, cellist Steven Sharp Nelson, videographer Paul Anderson, and music producer Al van der Beek. Originating in Utah, they gained popularity through YouTube, where in 2011 they began posting piano and cello compositions combining classical, pop, film score and original music, showcased through elaborate or cinematic videos. As of March 2020[update] the group had surpassed 2 billion views on their YouTube channel and had 6.7 million subscribers.[3][4] Their first eight major-label studio albums, The Piano Guys, The Piano Guys 2, A Family Christmas, Wonders, Uncharted, Christmas Together, Limitless, and 10, each reached number one on Billboard Classical Albums or New Age Albums charts.[5][6][7]
"Michael Meets Mozart" (2011) gained a respectable showing after Schmidt invited the people on his fan mailing list "to watch it and share it".[12] In June 2011 the group won the "Most Up-and-Coming Channel" award in the YouTube "On the Rise" contest, which brought 25,000 new subscribers to their channel.[13] In 2011 and 2012 the group uploaded a new music video every week to two weeks, attracting thousands of new viewers each time.[13] Meanwhile, their focus of selling pianos shifted to solely making music videos and they decided to close the piano store,[15] which closed in March 2012.[9]
By September 2012, The Piano Guys had uploaded more than 30 music videos which had garnered 134 million views, and had 757,000 subscribers on their YouTube channel.[14] That month, facilitated by David Simoné and DSW Management, they signed with Sony Masterworks.[14][9] After signing, they released their first album, The Piano Guys, which sold gold, followed by The Piano Guys 2 and A Family Christmas in 2013, and Wonders in 2014, which debuted at #12 on the Billboard 200 chart.[16] A fifth album, Uncharted, was released in 2016, followed by a second Christmas album, Christmas Together, the following year.[17] Their seventh major-label album, Limitless, was released in November 2018 on Portrait/Sony Music Masterworks.[18] A new album entitled 10 was released on November 20, 2020, as a celebration of their 10-year anniversary, and of their 10th album so far.
The Piano Guys draw on a variety of classical, pop, film score and original music in their compositions for piano and cello.[19][20] They are especially well known for their mashups of classical and contemporary songs, such as blending Mozart and Adele, Liszt and Coldplay, Tchaikovsky and Shawn Mendes, Bach and Michael Jackson, or Vivaldi's "Winter" and Disney's "Let It Go".[9]
The group's YouTube videos show the musicians performing in a variety of settings. These include locations in the Utah desert, at the edge of a 1,000-foot cliff, atop a speeding train, in an ice cave, and at Iguazu Falls, among others.[9] Anderson's goal was "to put pianos and cellos in places nobody would ever expect to see them", thereby generating marketing buzz for his store.[23] In the videos, Schmidt is seen playing a variety of Yamaha grand and baby grand pianos,[11] while Nelson plays custom acoustic and electric cello. They plan to film music videos at each of the New Seven Wonders of the World.[9] As of November 2018[update], they had performed in front of or on top of four. Videos at the Great Wall of China ("Kung Fu Piano: Cello Ascends"),[9][24] the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro ("The Mission/How Great Thou Art"),[9][24] Chichen Itza ("The Jungle Book/Sarabande"),[25] and Petra ("Indiana Jones and the Arabian Nights")[26] have been completed.
Since their serendipitous start in a Southern Utah piano shop, The Piano Guys have proven to be a powerhouse group without limits. Arriving as a musical phenomenon seemingly overnight, the quartet has delivered bold compositions that transcend boundaries of style and genre, a boundlessness that has since translated into a massively-successful career.
Having amassed over 2 billion audio streams worldwide for their genre-defying renditions, The Piano Guys return with yet another one-of-a-kind album. Limitless, a 13-track collection, includes their take on the latest pop hits, including a new recording of Shawn Mendes' hit single "In My Blood" as well as their previously released cover of Ed Sheeran's "Perfect," a fan-favorite that has garnered over 14 million views on YouTube alone. Expanding their reach far beyond the American pop music scene, the foursome are also taking on K-pop with their covers of "DNA" and "Epiphany" from global K-pop superstars BTS. Known to bring music of different genres together for a sound all their own, Limitless also features their mash-up of The Chainsmokers' Coldplay-featuring hit "Something Just Like This" with Franz Liszt's "Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2." Rounding out the collection are recent favorites from the award-winning film The Greatest Showman ("Rewrite the Stars" and "A Million Dreams") as well as never-before-heard original compositions ("Limitless," "North Cape," "First Dance," and "Miracles"), culminating in a diverse new album that's sure to have multigenerational appeal.
"I remember playing cello on the edge of a rocky oceanside cliff with the waves splashing up, and all I could think was, 'Man, am I glad my dad made me practice'," Steven laughs. "When you hit double digits on anything, it makes you do a double take and causes introspection. We're in a mood of real gratitude. There have been highs, lows, and extreme times. If you take the running average, it's been quite a ride. We've been rolling down the hill, bumping into things, and rubbing off our edges. Today, we're more invested emotionally and spiritually in what we're trying to accomplish. That's why this album is so important to us. There were extraordinary moments, but there have also been moments alone in a practice room where I just thought, 'Wow, I can't believe music has made me into who I'm trying to be'. If you work hard enough at an instrument, you'll inevitably be able to close your eyes, start playing, and feel like you're flying. In essence, that really is the story of The Piano Guys."
The collective of friends and collaborators turned the first page of the story in 2011. The musicians initially captivated listeners everywhere on YouTube before visiting dozens of countries on tour. They built a catalog comprised of seven studio offerings, two Christmas albums, and a live record. Along the way, they gathered nearly 4 billion global audio streams, accumulated 2 billion-plus YouTube views, and achieved six #1 debuts on the Billboard Top Classical Albums Chart. In between sold out shows on five continents, the boys earned gold certifications for their self-titled album The Piano Guys and single "A Thousand Years." Additionally, they would be featured in The New York Times, Fast Company, BuzzFeed, Mashable, People and on CBS Sunday Morning in addition to performing on The TODAY Show, Good Morning America, and The Tonight Show.
"This is not a 'Greatest Hits' or 'Goodbye, Cruel World' album," assures Steven. "On the contrary, we joke that this was a 'Midlife Crescendo'. It's very much about moving forward to the next level. We're just able to look down the mountain and say, 'Wow, this has been an amazing journey'. There's still a long way to go, but we're able to recognize we've come a long way. We feel like music is our life's calling. Thematically and transparently, we are getting back to the joy and passion of music on 10. It's the theme of the album."
Providing an overview of the group's catalog thus far, the bonus disc on 10 includes "A Thousand Years," "Fight Song/Amazing Grace," "Sky Full of Stars," and other staples. Heralding the new material, The Piano Guys introduce the first disc of the album with the single "You Say." On this rich mosaic of strings and piano, they weave Lauren Daigle's uplifting "You Say" together with Beethoven's "Sonata Pathétique," upholding an important reminder in the process.
Hailing from Utah, The Piano Guys became an Internet sensation by way of their immensely successful series of strikingly original self-made music videos. They've made over 35 since joining forces in early 2011, including their hit video, an innovative 10-handed version of One Direction's "What Makes You Beautiful." But it's the Guys' highly original blend of classical music with pop that has really been the cause of an Internet phenomenon that brought them to their major label self-titled debut album released on Sony Music Masterworks in 2012. This release was followed by their sophomore album, The Piano Guys 2, holiday album, A Family Christmas, Wonders, and recently released The Piano Guys Live! album all available now on Portrait, an imprint of Sony Music Masterworks.
Besides Nelson on the cello and Schmidt on piano, The Piano Guys consists of two others -- their producer, Al van der Beek, and cinematographer Paul Anderson, the man behind those extraordinary YouTube videos.
"We remind each other all the time, you know, guys, don't let this get to your head," said van der Beek. "This can all be taken away as fast as it came. I don't ever want to get used to this feeling of the miracle that brought us together."
Using only a piano, cello, and asian percussion instruments including the Erhu and Guqin, The Piano Guys have revealed their latest Chopin-inspired track.
Once they were granted a permit to film on the Great Wall, they had to decide on which music to record. As well as including the classical influence, they wanted to include music from Kung Fu Panda, and a musical 'Kung Fu battle' section in the middle.
They said: "Since ThePianoGuys began, it has been our impossible dream to put a grand piano on the Great Wall. People laughed at us when we said we were determined to do it. It is done."
Now they've successfully captured the atmosphere of the Great Wall, the Piano Guys' new dream is to play music on all seven wonders of the world. Can we put in a bid for Stonehenge next, please?