Jon Schmidt Concert

Last week Brandt and I got to see Jon Schmidt in concert. My cousin, Jill, introduced me to his music just last year. For those of you unfamiliar with Schmidt, he is an awesome pianist/composer and describes his style as "New Age Classical." This was one of the funnest things we've done in a long time. He really has an amazing talent at the piano and it was so fun to watch his fingers literally fly across the keys (and he really can play the piano upside down like he's doing in the picture above). Not only that, but he has a great personality and was very entertaining. His parents were in the audience and at one point he brought his dad on stage and had him do a stand-up comedy bit for a few minutes; it was hilarious. After the concert, we waited in line for him to sign our CD and get a picture with him. I was a little bummed it turned out so blurry...but I guess that's what happens when you are crammed in there with the masses trying to get close to him and the teenager we had snapped the picture so fast. Oh well...what do you do.

This concert was Jon's first time playing with a full orchestra (the Teton Chamber Orchestra) and it was so cool. The video below is of him playing "Love Story Meets Viva la Vida;" it's a neat video, but I have to say seeing him perform it live with a full orchestra was AMAZING! He explained that they are still working with Taylor Swift's and Cold Play's labels in order for him to market the song, so in order for him to play it for us legally, he had to stop near the end of "Love Story" and say, "And we will now play 'Viva La Vida' by Coldplay...with a special introduction" and then he kept going. You had to be there, but trust me, it was funny. :)

**On a side note, Brandt found out yesterday that he was accepted to the Master's program at University of Idaho! He's been very nervous waiting to learn his fate, but I just knew he'd get in. Congrats babe! So proud of you!! :)