Podcast
TED Talks Music
Hosted by TED · EN
Some of the world's greatest musicians and researchers showcase the power and science of music onstage at the TED conference, TEDx events and partner events around the world. You can also download these and many other videos free on TED.com, with an interactive English transcript and subtitles in up to 80 languages. TED is a nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading.
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
An 11-year-old prodigy performs old-school jazz | Joey Alexander
Jun 19, 201500:06:18Tap to summarizeRaised listening to his dad's old records, Joey Alexander plays a brand of sharp, modern piano jazz that you likely wouldn't expect to hear from a pre-teenager. Listen as the 11-year-old delights the TED crowd with his very special performance of a Thelonious Monk classic.
Transcribe →
Hidden music rituals around the world | Vincent Moon and Naná Vasconcelos
Nov 14, 201400:24:03Tap to summarizeVincent Moon travels the world with a backpack and a camera, filming astonishing music and ritual the world rarely sees -- from a powerful Sufi ritual in Chechnya to an ayahuasca journey in Peru. He hopes his films can help people see their own cultures in a new way, to make young people say: "Whoa, my grandfather is as cool as Beyoncé." Followed by a mesmerizing performance by jazz icon Naná Vasconcelos.
Transcribe →
Why I take the piano on the road ... and in the air | Daria van den Bercken
Oct 3, 201400:09:20Tap to summarizePianist Daria van den Bercken fell in love with the baroque keyboard music of George Frideric Handel. Now, she aims to ignite this passion in others. In this talk, she plays us through the emotional roller coaster of his music — while sailing with her piano through the air, driving it down the street, and of course playing on the stage.
Transcribe →
The DIY orchestra of the future | Ge Wang
Jun 26, 201400:17:23Tap to summarizeGe Wang makes computer music, but it isn't all about coded bleeps and blips. With the Stanford Laptop Orchestra, he creates new instruments out of unexpected materials—like an Ikea bowl—that allow musicians to play music that's both beautiful and expressive.
Transcribe →
How I started writing songs again | Sting
May 30, 201400:23:01Tap to summarizeSting's early life was dominated by a shipyard—and he dreamed of nothing more than escaping the industrial drudgery. But after a nasty bout of writer's block that stretched on for years, Sting found himself channeling the stories of the shipyard workers he knew in his youth for song material. In a lyrical, confessional talk, Sting treats us to songs from his upcoming musical, and to an encore of "Message in a Bottle."
Transcribe →
How sampling transformed music | Mark Ronson
May 9, 201400:16:40Tap to summarizeSampling isn't about "hijacking nostalgia wholesale," says Mark Ronson. It's about inserting yourself into the narrative of a song while also pushing that story forward. In this mind-blowingly original talk, watch the DJ scramble 15 TED Talks into an audio-visual omelette, and trace the evolution of "La Di Da Di," Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick's 1984 hit that has been reimagined for every generation since.
Transcribe →
To hear this music you have to be there. Literally | Ryan Holladay
Jan 10, 201400:06:15Tap to summarizeIn this lovely talk, TED Fellow Ryan Holladay shares his experiment with "location-aware music." This programming and musical feat involves hundreds of geotagged segments of sounds that only play when a listener is physically nearby, creating a magical sense of presence.
Transcribe →
In the key of genius | Derek Paravicini and Adam Ockelford
Aug 9, 201300:19:24Tap to summarizeBorn three and a half months prematurely, Derek Paravicini is blind and has severe autism. But with perfect pitch, innate talent and a lot of practice, he became a concert pianist by the age of 10. Here, his longtime piano teacher, Adam Ockelford, explains his student's unique relationship to music, while Paravicini shows how he has ripped up the "Chopsticks" rulebook.
Transcribe →
The polyphonic me | Beardyman
Aug 2, 201300:10:56Tap to summarizeFrustrated by not being able to sing two notes at the same time, musical inventor Beardyman built a machine to allow him to create loops and layers from just the sounds he makes with his voice. Given that he can effortlessly conjure the sound of everything from crying babies to buzzing flies, not to mention mimic pretty much any musical instrument imaginable, that's a lot of different sounds. Sit back and let the wall of sound of this dazzling performance wash over you.
Transcribe →
The violin, and my dark night of the soul | Ji-Hae Park
May 24, 201300:12:27Tap to summarizeIn her quest to become a world-famous violinist, Ji-Hae Park fell into a severe depression. Only music was able to lift her out again -- showing her that her goal needn’t be to play lofty concert halls, but instead to bring the wonder of the instrument to as many people as possible.
Transcribe →