OK, most of their videos/music really moves me. The cinematography, camera angles, blending, schemes, etc to me are very professional and well done. My favorite location for them so far is out on the Bonneville Salt Flats. Some of their cover songs are dynamite.

But OMG the sappy connection to Mormonism is disgusting, for example this charmer taken from the Morg's latest pimping of these artists: "The Piano Guys know their talents are gifts from Heavenly Father and love sharing them with others, especially when it means using their instruments to be instruments in the Lord’s hands."

https://www.lds.org/youth/activities/spiritual-strength/face-to-face-with-the-piano-guys?cid=HP_WE_10-14-2015_dPTH_fEVT_xLIDyL1-C_&lang=eng

So in the end, who will have more converts, The Osmonds or The Piano Guys?

My fantasy would be for The Piano Guys to all go apostate and start making videos about their fast and furious exit from Mormonism. LOL

my little brother has been a cellist since he was 4 and he's 26 now. Very musically gifted, creative and has a pretty distinct musical palate. He has a pretty low opinion of the piano guys, he actually has a pretty low opinion of all mormon music(hymns included) in general and he's an active church member.

I agree that the production quality of their videos is very good. At the same time, I find them dorky and contrived.

-Piano on the beach...
-Piano on the salt flats...
-Piano on a mountaintop...
-Piano in a pasture...
-Piano in the desert...
-Piano in a glacier...

Anybody see a theme...? Have they run out of ironic places to play yet?

But then there's this one: multiple guys plucking and strumming the piano strings? I suppose it looks "cool" in the video, but most serious pianists consider directly touching the strings to be nearly sacrilegious. And it's bad for them in the long term.

A tangential thing about them that irritates me is that periodically, someone turns up on a piano forum that I frequent. She gushes about the "Piano Guys," how "great" they are, and that they inspire her, and she wants get all their stuff, and learn to play the piano, etc, etc. But a quick review of her less than a dozen posts reveals that over a period of several years, all she's ever posted is the same tripe about the Piano Guys. I'm wondering, if she's so inspired to learn to play, why she hasn't bothered to do so. My gut feeling is that she thinks she's doing her part to lead us feeble minded pianists to the Morg.

Frankly, I'd never heard of the Piano Guys until I came across a post of hers, and I noticed that she indicated she lived in Utah. That piqued my suspicion, so I poked around and discovered that, sure enough, the Piano Guys are Mormons. What are the odds of that? And she finds no other pianists inspiring. Go figure...



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/15/2015 10:39AM by nomonomo.

Don't tell chic corea not to pluck the strings.

But when you get right down to it to the piano guys suck? I don't know. I've never listen to their music. But I just have to venture a guess if seated next to serious musicians they would be blown away.

It's like that chick the dances and plays the violin that Lindsey girl. People seem to go ape shit about her, but she probably couldn't play in any half decent symphony in United States. Just wouldn't make the cut.

This is true. She wasn't even good enough for the Philarmonic at BYU. She was one of the very last chairs in the symphony I think.

but she's easy on the eyes and that's what matters on the youtubes.

I thought it was her ability to do gymnastics while playing the violin in various locations. Just amazeballs!

They are copy cats. There was a Piano Guy first who did this and is no connection to LDS, INc. TSCC has never been very original.

the Piano Guys. The sappy Moism does drip way too much, but I still like most of their tunes and video work because I am not a trained musician.

Maybe because I am easily entertained is why I stuck with Mormonism for 40 years? LOL

Unless you have produced a video yourself, give them some credit because it is not easy loading, setting, getting the right light and sound set up in out of the way places and then editing into a quality product. It's hard work.

It's too bad what passion and energy that they have is being siphoned off by the blood sucking parasite Church of Latter-day Leeches.

I think I feel the same way you do. I enjoy watching their videos and even bought a CD. I suspect most of the posters here would criticize them less were they not Mormon. They've had over 730 million views on Youtube, so it's probably not just Utah that likes them.

I also find myself thinking given their talent and connections, surely they can't all be 100% TBM can they?

cricket Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> OK, most of their videos/music really moves me.
> The cinematography, camera angles, blending,
> schemes, etc to me are very professional and well
> done. My favorite location for them so far is

It used to be that music was sufficient. When the Beatles
played Shea Stadium it was just four guys onstage with their
instruments. No light show, no fireworks, no elaborate set, no
mechanical gadgets, just four guys playing music.

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02650/bernstein_shea_2650811b.jpg

Maybe this is a morridor thing...?
I've never heard of them. Ever.

I saw them in concert a few months ago. It was a disappointment. Nice guys. Jon is more "real". Steven sports his religion with that glassy-eyed "enlightenment" persona, which has long gotten pretty old. Despite Jon losing his daughter, he does not even go there or milk it in any way.

I guess what made the concert disappointing was the ticket price. Outrageously overpriced. It's like getting gristle in an advertised $$$$$ steak and still having to pay for it.

No offense intended, but that stuff is just shlock.

Maybe they can do a piano version of "Crazy Horses."

I wanna see that with the same outfits.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiNnDpIW918

There's an unmanned drum kit that just sits there.

Religion aside, piano guys are to the piano what Kenny G is to the saxophone.

Oh yeah??? But he wins hands down due to his hair, dontcha think? What, no???

Yep, KG wins with the hair! Wonder what he would look like with a standard issue missionary haircut!!

I listen to what artists say as it tells me who their target audience is. Same for politicians. It may or may not be what they really think or believe, but it's expedient to "play the role" to sell their product.
They are talented, I've see the Piano Guys videos. They bring a whole new interest in the piano and make it enjoyable to watch with their clever sets.

I'm a musician, and I really love the way Steve plays. I'm not a pianist, so I won't comment on John. I could listen to Steve all day. Their videos are really inspiring to me--I always hated the solo stage scene, and orchestras...you just totally get lost. You're one key in a great piano, playing what you're told day after day. But doing videos like this, it brings life and interest, especially to today's young audiences. It's my favorite when they take great classical pieces and turn them into movie music. If I were to follow my training and do something with it, I'd do this.

Youtube has given rise to a new genre: cheesecake "music," which the right audience can stare at and say, "yer kyoot. I like it." And everyone pretends it's a musical performance, but it's really a powderpuff shoot, with "music" as the excuse for doing it.

Like that Lindsey girl someone mentioned. She has a cute face, and nice legs, so everyone watches her cavort around and pretends they like her "music." It's intriguing for about 30 seconds, but is nauseating by about 60 seconds. I see she has dozens of videos. How much of that crap do people really want to watch?

The worst example I've seen is some girl who plays Christmas songs on a crappy keyboard badly, but she does it in short-shorts and a tight tank top, while wearing a santa hat to keep things festive. And lots and lots of people watch it.

same forms of criticism The Piano Guys stir up? One reason I like The Piano Guys is that they turned me on the versatility of the cello. Remember I am musical dimwit so I like the music it is just from the pure enjoyment and emotion it generate. I can understand why you gifted musicians have strong and passionate disagreements regarding style and ability.

This 2Cellos vid has over 47 million views. It moves me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uT3SBzmDxGk

And they should be hired to perform in between talks at General Conference to bring the house down.

IF you watch the videos carefully you notice that the players are not really playing the sounds you are hearing. Yes in some clips they are playing the right strings and keys, but watch how long they hold a vibrato or slide a finger, it does not fit with the sound track, it's just a dubbed music video, like bad Monkees 60s. It's over produced multi tracked shlock.

"Anybody see a theme...? Have they run out of ironic places to play yet?"

I haven't seen a PIANO ON KOLOB yet!

verilyverily Wrote:
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> "Anybody see a theme...? Have they run out of
> ironic places to play yet?"
>
> I haven't seen a PIANO ON KOLOB yet!

Oh, man! That makes my day. Perhaps after the guys receive the second anointing they'll be able to play on Kolob.