11" MacBook Air won't start even after SMC reset attempt

I press the power button on my Air and the Apple sound chimes, a dimmed grey-black screen appears and nothing else. I have combed through the communities and the suggestion was to do a SMC reset. I followed the instructions exactly and nothing changed. I initially plugged into my Thunderbolt monitor and ultimately plugged into power with the standard MagSafe cord. Neither changed the outcome. I have had this Air since November 2014.

One of my questions about the SMC reset was how could the device recognize actions while the computer is powered off?

Please help me!

11" MacBook Air, OS X Yosemite (10.10.2)

Resetting the SMC on portables with a battery you should not remove on your own

Note: Portable computers that have a battery you should not remove on your own include MacBook Pro (Early 2009) and later, all models of MacBook Air, and MacBook (Late 2009).

1. Shut down the computer.
2. Plug in the MagSafe power adapter to a power source, connecting it to the Mac if its not already connected.
3. On the built-in keyboard, press the (left side) Shift-Control-Option keys and the power button at the same time.
4. Release all the keys and the power button at the same time.
5. Press the power button to turn on the computer.
   Note: The LED on the MagSafe power adapter may change states or temporarily turn off when you reset the SMC.