Awesome Talents

People are Awesome compiled this series of people making short work of their jobs, as they flip pancakes, wash windows, and make pizzas at lightning speeds. Though we think sometimes it’s all about the flourish rather than the end result.

Musician Chris Thile performs a wonderful rendition of J.S. Bach’s Sonata No. 1 in G Minor, BWV 1001 on his mandolin. The entire 15 minute piece is impressive, but the bit starting at 11:42 is simply spellbinding.

Multitalented musician Kawehi turns in a fantastic and uplifting solo performance of The Beach Boys’ classic track Don’t Worry Baby, accompanied by her electronic recording rig to help with the harmonies.

Performer Ruben “Lucky” Hall aka “Flat Top” adds his unique spin to Daft Punk’s Voyager, embellishing the track with sweet vocals and robotic dance moves. Come for the outfit and hairdo, stay for the talent.

We’ve tried to skip stones across the water but rarely have gotten them to go more than a few bounces before they sink. Kurt Steiner, on the other hand, holds the world’s record for stone skips, somehow skipping a rock an astounding 88 times across the surface.

We can only imagine how many attempts it took to get this right, as a line of 43 people tossed coins into liquid-filled beakers to play back a passage from one of Mozart’s minuets. Though you can only hear the notes when played back in slow motion.

Kim Gehrig directed this wonderful spot for the new Honda HR-V, in which a team of talented steppers move and groove in perfect formation as the vehicle provides a central focus. While the compact crossover is surprisingly spacious, we doubt it really seats 40 though.

Claudio Stroe is just five years-old, but he can do more pushups that we ever could. And before you say you can do better, did we mention that Claudio does them while balanced on the tops of glass bottles?

We’ve heard beatboxer Tom Thum before, and the sampled loop thing at the beginning of his vertical video shot on a potato is nothing new, but he totally steps it up about a minute in, when we discover that he’s actually a turntable disguised as a human.

Tenor saxophone player Derek Brown shows off the reason why nothing beats the acoustic properties of the real world, rather than electronically-produced echoes, as he plays a little Bach in an abandoned warehouse.

Cuban group Vocal Sampling turns in a wild performance of The Eagles’ classic Hotel California, creating not just harmonies, but every musical instrument with their voices. Their version of Every Breath You Take might even be better.

Kuma Films presents footage of Takeshi Kamisato aka Yo-Yo Hero demonstrating his impressive talent for balancing and spinning tops, resulting in a very different sort of ballet than we’re used to seeing.

Guitarist Connor Gallagher, whose name sounds like a mashup of characters on two Showtime series, cranks out a dynamic metal version of the musical rollercoaster ride that is Symphony No. 5. IV. Allegro non troppo by Dmitri Shostakovich.

We’ve heard of 6-string and 12-string guitars, but this is the first time we’ve seen or heard a 9-string guitar. Musician Rob Scallon shows off his nimble fingers on this unusual instrument with a track called Torque Soul, with Kevin Wade on drums.

Heavy equipment operator Jeff Dabe has an unusual body attribute – his arms are disproportionately huge, like the ones on Popeye after eating spinach. He’s put his large limbs to good use, and is a professional arm wrestler.

Street performer Dario Rossi demonstrates his impressive rhythm and improv skills as he uses a variety of found objects as surrogate drums on the streets of Rome, Italy. Just one question: is he rushing or dragging?

St. Louis beatboxer Nicole Paris takes on her dad to see who can spit sounds better. Dad’s pretty good, but it’s quickly apparent that young Nicole has outpaced the skills of her sensei. We always want our kids to do better than us, right?

The very talented choreographer and tap dancer Sarah Reich dances to a medley of diverse and rhythmic tracks, accompanied by the guys from Postmodern Jukebox. We’re surprised her platform doesn’t catch on fire by the end.

Like most who find themselves homeless, there’s clearly more to the story of Donald Gould as he demonstrates his amazing musical talent on the streets of Sarasota, Florida. Show your support for Donald over on GoFundMe.

An unlikely cover version of Guns ‘N Roses Sweet Child O’ Mine performed in four violin parts by musician Cathie King. The video is two years old, but is just making the rounds now that G’NR shared it. Arrangement by Ben Hippen.

Guitarist Miguel Rivera turns in an incredible acoustic rendition of Michael Jackson’s classic Beat It, finessing out wondrous rhythms and crazy harmonics along the way. You can download his originals over on Bandcamp.

While acrobat Jon Call (aka Jujumufu) didn’t do his split between two moving trucks like JCVD did, he did amp up the danger by holding a 100 pound barbell over his head while doing his.

Musician Pensen Paletti demonstrates a nifty trick – his ability to play both his acoustic guitar and a small electronic drum controller at once, resulting in a complete one-man rhythm section. Hear another guit-drum tune here.