On March 12, 2023, the Singapore Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints welcomed The Piano Guys at the Church’s chapel in Bukit Timah for a special members and friends fireside. The chapel and hall were full, with over 350 members and friends in attendance to listen to The Piano Guys speak and perform. The audience even included visitors from neighbouring Malaysia.
Originating from the United States in Utah, The Piano Guys gained popularity through YouTube since 2011. As of today, the group has surpassed 2 billion views on their YouTube channel and have over 7 million subscribers. Their trip to Singapore this time to perform at The Star Theatre is their only stop in Asia for their world tour this year. On the side, they were happy to do this fireside for members and friends of the Church at no cost.
The fireside featured cellist Steven Nelson and pianist Jon Schmidt performing a mix of religious and contemporary pieces such as “O Come O Come Emmanuel”, “Can’t Help Falling In Love”, and a special arrangement of “Gabriel’s Oboe” from the movie “The Mission” together with the hymn “How Great Thou Art”. Schdmit also performed “All of Me”, an original composition of his.
Between performances, the duo were joined by Schmidt’s wife Michelle and shared their thoughts, experiences and spiritual testimonies from their journey through life. As they recounted vignettes of faith strengthened instead of diminished through different trials in their lives, audience members felt a special spirit which distinguished this fireside from their public concerts.
Sister Jean Kwan from the Jurong Ward who attended the fireside said, “They didn’t dwell too much on the details of what they went through, but it was sufficient to know they went through hard trials and tribulations. So always be positive!”
Audience members, regardless of their personal faith, reported feeling a strong sense of warmth and love from the sharing and music. Many were also impressed by the indomitable spirit and faith present in The Piano Guys and took away life lessons from the fireside.
Brother Casey Tan, a Singapore Stake High Councillor who also attended, added, “I really enjoyed the fireside with The Piano Guys. It was great how they were able to showcase a different side from what you usually see in their videos and performances. They humanised themselves and showed vulnerability, character and their faith in Christ. It was a great faith builder for me and for everyone. I liked how they interspersed performances with testimony and stories. They were very engaging and I think everyone had no regrets turning up for it.”