Known as the “guys” who make music with just the piano and cello, the Piano Guys’ pianist and songwriter, Jon Schmidt, and videographer Paul Anderson joined Peter Hollens, a self-made YouTube a cappella sensation, to answer some questions for BYU-Hawaii. For this article, Jon Schmidt’s answers will be noted by JS, Paul Anderson’s as PA, and Peter Hollens’ as PH.Q: What are your impressions of Empower Your Dreams and how, as musicians and YouTubers, do you fit into this?JS: Such a cool event. I’m super impressed of what is happening. I think [BYUH students] are really blessed to have this opportunity. It’s a huge opportunity. It merges real life with education. It just kind of blew me away.PH: I think the innovation within the higher education system needs to go this route. Otherwise, the tuition doesn’t make any sense. You need to have this kind of experience, in my opinion, and all the verticals for me to be able to tell my son to fork out all the money to go to college because it is really expensive and this kind of thing actually provides true value. It’s awesome to be a part of this.Q: How would you say your experiences qualify you as judges?PA: I think each of us has been in the field of raising money to keep our business going. We understand that model. We know what it is like. We know what you have to do to keep the customers or fans happy, and what to do to create a product that will last a while that people will continue to enjoy. JS: I totally relate to what they are trying to do. It is very relatable to being entrepreneurial as an independent artist, inventing something and trying to market it.PH: I would say that anyone who has found success on YouTube as a musician and has a kind of longevity at all really learns how to run a business, how to brand yourself, how to innovate constantly, and that’s what these kids are really going to have to do if they are going to succeed at their business.Q: What would you say are the skills students should be trying to acquire and pick up if they want to be successful? Are these things that you can learn in the classroom or should they be spending more time somewhere else? PA: Well I think it is good to learn in the classroom. I didn’t go to college, but I wish I would have learned some things before going out in the world, because I spent a lot of money experimenting on things myself. The biggest thing I would say for them is to just go out and do it, to just start something, even if it is wrong or doesn’t work, just do it.PH: I would also say that anyone who even thinks they want to do anything has to learn social media, branding and how to market yourself. You have to present yourself in digital means just like you do in an interview physically. You need to have that same element but in a digital way.PA: People need to stay authentic to who they are. There is a lot of people who go out there and choose something to make money, and even if it does make money, they don’t find happiness—the happiness that comes along if they were to stay true to themselves. If you stay true to yourself, there is long-term happiness and money will come with it.PH: Money has to be the by-product, not the reason for doing anything.Q: What project has been your favorite so far?PA: It’s hard to say; it seems like every project we do is our favorite. We just did one recently where Jon and Steve (the cellist) dressed up in the 17th Century and also the 1970s to mix the two genres of music with the song ‘I Want You Back’ by The Jackson 5. It was hard to take them seriously on set because they looked so goofy, but it was just so fun.PH: From what we do with constantly creating and constantly thinking of the next thing so as soon as you release it, it’s like ‘Okay, what is next?’ It’s one of things I dislike most about my job – that I never have time to relish in the creation of something that I’ve put hundreds of hours into.JS: It’s like asking ‘Who is your favorite child?’Q: Any last words of advice for BYUH students?JS: The world is so full of opportunity right now… The world is wide open and we are right at the beginning of it. Right now you’ve got crowdfunding that is young. Do it now when stuff is new.PH: Just start. If you have an idea, do it. Be an innovator. If you love something, create it. There are online tutorials for everything. I taught myself how to do everything. I just did it; you can do it.PA: Everyone has a gift. Find out what your gift is, because there is something you can do. I always wanted to be a musician but I’m not that great of one. Now I have surrounded myself with awesome musicians so I get to experience that and I can help them with my gifts.Uploaded March 25, 2015
Writer: Jessica Tautfest
