Role of the Performer: The Piano Guys

The Piano Guys are one of the musical groups that I love listening to, even though they usually don't play their own music. They change the songs that they play, often only doing the instrumental part, and leaving out the singing, or mixing different songs together. Despite this, they still play so well that I often prefer their version of a song to the original. 

Biographical Information: 

The Piano Guys are a band consisting of four members: pianist Jon Schmidt, cellist Steven Nelson, videographer Paul Anderson, and music producer Al van der Beek (The Piano Guys). This group had a very interesting history. Paul Anderson owned a piano store, called The Piano Guys, in Utah (About Us – The Piano Guys). Jon Schmidt was in the store one day asking to practice on the piano. After a time, Anderson and Schmidt were making music videos together, and then posting them on YouTube (Leggett). Nelson also became a part of these music ventures, since Schmidt knew him from working with him during concerts for several years (About Us – The Piano Guys). Al van der Beek introduced himself to Nelson when he moved into the neighborhood, and after discovering his talent for song writing, they began to work together to write the music for the Piano Guys (About Us – The Piano Guys). The music videos that the four guys created together soon became so popular that they decided to close the piano store and focus solely on making music (The Piano Guys). They create distinctive music by combining classical and pop music together, as well as movie or even video game hits (Leggett). The formation and music of this band is very unique. Each member of the group was brought together through chance, but they perform amazingly well with each other. 

Analysis:

This song is called Titanium/Pavane. Titanium was originally composed and written by Sia, David Guetta, Giorgio Tuinfort, and Afrojack (Titanium (song)). I had a really hard time finding the country of origin for this song, but it was recorded and released in the US in 2011. Pavane was originally composed by Gabriel Fauré in 1887. It originated in France (Pavane (Fauré)). This song is a combination of the two and was composed by The Piano Guys, in the US, and released in 2012.

This song is called Let It Go (Disney's "Frozen") Vivaldi's Winter. Let it Go was composed by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez. The song originated in the US and was released in 2013 (Let it Go). Winter was composed by Antonio Vivaldi, in Italy, sometime around 1716 or 1717 (The Four Seasons (Vivaldi)). This song is a combination of the two songs, and was composed by The Piano Guys, in the US, and released in 2014.

Timbre: The timbre in both of these example songs is a bit different from the original works that they are composed from. By using only the cello and piano, the more modern and occasionally electronic sounds that can be found in Titanium aren't found in the Piano Guys' rendition of it. Some parts of it follow the same basic notes, but the timbre of the song is completely different. There is also a difference in timbre between the two instruments that are used in these songs. When playing the mix of Let it Go and Winter, the piano and cello take turns playing the same notes for parts of the song. This allows for a wonderful contrast in timbre, from the light, almost sharp, sounds that the piano produces, to the deeper and more drawn-out sounds of the cello.

Form: There is no vocal form in these two examples. Almost all of the works composed by The Piano Guys don't involve any vocals, and are purely instrumental works. In both of these examples, they combined a song containing lots of vocals and lyrics, with a classical song that didn't contain any vocals or lyrics. Rather than singing along with the mix of songs, they let the instruments do it for them. I believe that both of these examples contain ternary form. The initial music is played, often part of the more modern piece of music, then a contrasting section is played, usually a part of the classic piece. After that, the initial music is returned to, and played again. 

Role of Performer:

I believe that The Piano Guys, and other musicians who use other's compositions, can be just as important as those who compose their own work. The Piano Guys don't play the exact songs of others, they change them, or mix them, producing unique work that showcases the best parts of other's music. Not only that, but it also changes the genre of some of the works that they use, causing them to sound more classical, or more modern. This can make a wider range of audiences enjoy a song, or part of a song. They also do music scores from movies or video games, which are often overlooked, even though they can have a wonderful composition (Leggett). The Piano Guys take these sorts of songs and allow them to be heard and appreciated by thousands of people as an actual song, rather than just a part of a movie. The amazing music videos that often accompany their music also contribute to their role as performers, providing a work of art that matches the music. 

Personal Opinion:

I absolutely love the music that The Piano Guys compose. I enjoy The Piano Guys' version of these particular songs more than I do the original works. Many of the songs that they use are ones that I already enjoy, but the combinations that they come up with enhance the songs, in my opinion. I love the mix between pop and classical songs; it's amazing how well they go together. The skillfully done music videos are also a part of why I enjoy this group so much. The visuals are often of beautiful places that I wouldn't normally see, and match the tone of the music. Through this group, I have also discovered new music that I most likely wouldn't have ever heard.

The Piano Guys create unique music by using others' compositions to form an entirely different-sounding song. They provide people with an alternate choice when listening to a song, and an amazing visual to go with it. Their songs can also lead people to other related works, like they have for me, and fuel exploration. While they don't normally compose their own works, they are no less important or skilled than the musicians that they get their inspiration from. 

Sources: 

"About Us – The Piano Guys." The Piano Guys. Web. 17 March 2021.

Leggett Steve. "The Piano Guys Biography & History." All Music. Web. 17 March 2021. 

"Let it Go." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 11 March 2021. Web 17 March 2021.

"Pavane (Fauré)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 3 March 2021. Web 17 March 2021.

"The Four Seasons (Vivaldi)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 9 March 2021. Web 17 March 2021.

"The Piano Guys." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 11 March 2021. Web. 17 March 2021. 

"Titanium (song)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 4 March 2021. Web. 17 March 2021.