YouTube was the most used social media platform by Generation Z in 2022, according to PEW Research Center. “YouTuber” has become a viable career, especially for those who caught on early. In 2009, Jon Schmidt and Steven Sharp Nelson released a video that would change their lives and their careers. Schmidt was kind enough to give us an interview on his experience with “The Piano Guys” and their beginnings.
Schmidt started on his own as a small-time pianist, playing gigs and garnering followers. He played solo for the first 20 years of his career, publishing a few books such as John Schmidt: New Age Classical Piano Solos in 1998. Throughout this time, he built a large audience with a mailing list of more than 30,000 people, and began performing yearly for different wealthy people through “The Jello Belt.” At one of these shows, he collaborated with old high-school-mates Peter Brienholt and Steven Sharp Nelson. All three were doing their own solo projects, and Schmidt asked to collaborate on a song. One song turned into two, two turned into three, and so on.
After Nelson became a regular on Schmidt’s show, it was discovered that the cellist had a knack for making people laugh. “This was a game changer,” Schmidt said in our interview. “He is truly a world-class comedian.” It added an entirely new element to their shows. “(The audience) got a real kick out of him making fun of me.”
In 2009, at the very inception of YouTube, Schmidt and Nelson uploaded a compilation of pop songs their kids liked. Their covers of songs such as Love Story by Taylor Swift and Viva La Vida by Coldplay became sensations overnight. The connections made from the mailing list and other relationships were eager to share the video after being asked in one of the newsletters. Only two months later, their first video had over a million views. “It was so exciting,” Michelle Schmidt, Jon’s wife, commented. The video was reposted by several bigger celebrities, hitting the scene at “the perfect time.”
The name “The Piano Guys” came from a friend who owned a store under the same name. The Piano Guys store would supply the pianos and edit the videos to promote the channel. The signature style in their videos comes from this relationship. They’re known for their exotic scenery and over-the-top production. Neither Schmidt nor Nelson are particularly fond of the name, but they couldn’t change their brand this late in their careers.
The Piano Guys are still touring all over the world, doing both frequent concerts and smaller, more fun gigs. Recently, they traveled to Saudi Arabia to perform for a private audience. They’re working on an album titled “Chill.” The Schmidts are very grateful for the success they’ve found in the industry.
