Jon Schmidt

Jon Schmidt, Pianist, Composer, and Entertainer has a refreshingly unique style that is difficult to pin down. Just when you think you have a reflective New Age Pianist, he'll do a back flip off the piano bench, throw himself under the keyboard and play ragtime with his hands crossed. Say his music has elements of Beethoven or Chopin and he suddenly turns into Jerry Lee Lewis. The style in which he sometimes plays makes you think of Billy Joel, but then suddenly he's Victor Borge.

Born to German immigrants who raised him on the music of the masters, Jon was already playing Mozart Sonatas and composing his own music by age 11. Hours a day at the piano, however, did not stop him from being well-rounded. He was captain on the varsity football team, the class clown, and the kid at school that got along with everyone.

This could be why people often use the term "well-rounded" to describe his performance. A rare combination of sincerity, comedy, charm, high energy, and "aw-shucks manners" immediately endears him to the audience. His unusually warm rapport makes you feel like he'd love to go catch pizza with you after the show.

Well-rounded could also describe the music of his albums, "August End," "Walk+ the Woods," "A Day in the Sunset," "Jon Schmidt Christmas," and "To the Summit," in which Schmidt spotlights the beauty and the purity of the solo piano. Orchestration is used sparingly to highlight his piano arrangements, which are always interesting and provocative. Schmidt's original style combines Classical and New-Age sensibilities with Pop-style elements of hook and melody, or "the simple genius of melody," to use Schmidt's words. He is also noted for his distinctive treatment of harmony, counterpoint, and rhythm. These elements give his music a definite signature, one in which the fun, the sincerity, and the warmth of his personality all find themselves revealed. Also reflected, in the words of an early write-up, is depth: "His music seems to carry more weight than you'd expect from his years. A family tragedy quickly sobered him as a young man and that resonance of maturity shows up in his songs." Schmidt is quick to acknowledge that his best inspiration comes from the special relationships in his life, including those with his wife, Michelle, his children and God.

Schmidt trained classically for twelve years and began teaching piano at age 16. By age 29, only four years after starting his recording career, Jon had already produced three albums, performed all over the country, and published some of his popular album titles in what has been called the most entertaining and user-friendly piano music book in history.

Over the last few years, Jon's music has quickly risen the mp3.com charts with many top five songs within major music categories such as Easy Listening, New Age and Piano. With over 1.3 million plays to his credit, Jon's music has reached hundreds of thousands of listeners across the world.

About his show, one critic wrote: "When the energy and volume of the show have faded, what the audience will remember is the sweetness." After the airing of a locally televised concert (in which Jon said he felt flat), more than 100 viewers called the station. Some of the comments were as follows: "Very inspiring." "Very entertaining." "I couldn't turn it off." "One of the most incredible hours I've spent on a Saturday night in a long time." Please visit jonschmidt.com for more information.