The Piano Guys is a quartet, but not all members are musicians. The group comprises Steven Sharp Nelson on cello, pianist Jon Schmidt, videographer Paul Anderson, and Al van der Beek handing the duties of music producers. They have been together since 2010, producing and uploading music videos to YouTube, where they have created an immense following.
The group started in a piano shop when Jon Schmidt asked the owner, Paul Anderson, if he could practice there for a show. A few months later, they began making videos just for fun, and then Van der Beek came aboard as their technicians. Schmidt and Nelson had been performing together for years.
With the group complete, they began to upload to YouTube, posting a new video every week. Since 2014, The Piano Guys’ channel has earned a half-billion views, and has more than three million subscribers.
Sony Records got wind of them, signed the duo in 2012 and released their first album “The Piano Guys,” that year. They released their latest studio album, “Lullaby,” in 2021. A review says:
“These guys are funny, charming, and brilliantly talented. Their songs will make you laugh, cry, stomp your feet, and leave you absolutely breathless!”
The Piano Guys will be at the Taft Theatre on September 13. Events like this can be effectively advertised when organizers use poster printing.