One of my favorite Piano Guys videos can’t be viewed through their channel. The song is a medley of two songs I love and their arrangement is so full of emotion and energy that it still moves me even though I’ve heard it a thousand times.
The video was filmed before the Piano Guys were really the Piano Guys. I attended a concert in which Jon Schmidt described what happened with this video. Click play to listen to the song and then read below for the back story (to the best of my memory).
Jon Schmidt and Steven Sharp Nelson arranged the piece and loved it. They threw it up on Youtube and were flabbergasted when it went viral. Crazy viral. Suddenly they realized that they could be in copyright violation, so they tried to get in contact with Taylor Swift and Coldplay to request permission to feature their songs.
How easy do you think it is to contact Taylor Swift and Coldplay? I’m imagining not very–especially for someone who hasn’t yet built up contacts and a big name.
They did eventually get permission from Taylor Swift, but never were able to get an okay from Coldplay, so they had to take the video down. Fortunately, I was able to find this video so that I could share my forbidden favorite with you.
As you watch and listen, can you see how much passion these two artists have for their music? Can you sense how much joy they experience as they play?
As parents and teachers, this is what we want to inspire in young children. Even if most of these kids don’t become professional musicians, I hope that music can enrich their lives. I hope that they will always be eager to sit down at the piano and create inspiring music. I hope they have fun as they play and I hope they enjoy sharing their talents with others.