Jon Schmidt
Jon Schmidt is a prominent musician and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Jon's music has more than a religious appeal and reaches past the Mormon audience. His style is a combination of New Age, Rock 'n Roll, and Classical that touches people of all ages and appeals to a diverse audience. Schmidt, as a Latter-day Saint, is devoted to God first, then his family, and to both of them through his music. His priorities are clear and his music is a reflection of those priorities.
Schmidt was playing Mozart Sonatas and composing original tunes at just 11 years of age. He decided against a music major in college, aiming for a career with a better opportunity for financial security. However, he is now both a happily married father of five and a successful musician.
Per Soundclick.com, "Because of Jon's strong musical appeal, his sheet music continues to touch the new crop of fresh pianists. As thousands will attest, the 'kid tested, parent/teacher approved' outcome illustrates why Jon's seven volumes of musical scores fly off the store shelves. He has inspired teenagers to stick with their piano lessons and children to try it for themselves. Who would think that a New Age artist would have the teenyboppers of today raving about the 'awesome' music?"
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A Jon Schmidt Concert Experience
Schmidt has recorded seven albums. His Christmas concerts are a sell-out, legendary fare, and he appears at numerous benefit concerts around the Salt Lake valley and throughout the country. Soundclick.com further comments, "In a time where music is becoming more and about a brand to sell, Jon Schmidt is a breath of fresh air. Jon Schmidt is creating pure music that does not bow down to genre and image but rather rises above them to bring the listener an innovative music experience."
After attending his first Jon Schmidt concert, one writer described his experience watching Schmidt perform as follows:
- Jon Schmidt plays with his elbows. He stands. He even plays upside down and backward. Every note gets a chance to be heard when he’s running the keyboard. He plays like he may never have a chance to perform again, swaying back and forth and bobbing his head to the tunes he is unleashing. He nods to the audience when he comes to his favorite parts of his music. It’s a celebration. It’s like this unbridled joy. It’s immaturity that is infectious, and I am sure the audience aged in reverse the night that we saw him play.
The Wonder of The Piano Guys
Schmidt is one of the founding musicians of the music group The Piano Guys. He was in St. George, Utah, and walked into a local piano store, The Piano Guys, seeking a place to rehearse for an upcoming concert. Paul Anderson wanted to promote his store and sell pianos more effectively so he set up a Facebook page and a YouTube channel wanting to feature artists playing his pianos. He pitched the idea to Schmidt and the first video featuring Schmidt soon followed. Steven Sharp Nelson joined as the second musician. Paul Anderson is the group’s producer and videographer. Al Van Der Beek, who is one of Nelson’s neighbors, became the group’s music producer and songwriter. Tel Stewart, one of Anderson’s piano movers, used his videography degree to help create the videos Anderson posted online. Fellow piano mover Jeremy Crawford made moving the pianos to amazing locations possible. As of late March 2017, The Piano Guys YouTube channel has garnered 5.5 million subscribers with their videos being viewed more than 1 billion times. To date, they have released six albums.
Schmidt has also worked with Peter Breinholt creating music for Especially for Youth. Schmidt and his wife, Michelle, are the parents of five children.
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