TED piece on CBS
Here’s a nice clip about the annual TED Conference, for which I have acted as Musical Director over the past 5 years.
This year’s conference takes place March 7th-10th in Monterey, CA. It’s shaping up to be a good one, with speakers including Isabel Allende, Bill Clinton, and Richard Branson. We’ve managed to score some major musical talent also–how about Paul Simon, Tracy Chapman, They Might Be Giants and Raul Midon? And BT’s offered to spin at the last night party.
Forget about trying to buy a ticket though–TED’s always sold out at least six months in advance, costs $4400 a ticket, and you need to be invited. However, you can always download the FREE ‘TEDtalks‘–18 minute video slots featuring world class speakers.
CBS did a nice job with that piece. And you modestly left out that you appear not once, but three times in said report!
Someday, I’ll make it to TED.
As soon as I win the lottery, that is. …and come up with something fascinating to share with a group of Really Bright People.
Thanks for introducing us to TED in 2006. I’ve really enjoyed the “TedTalks” section of the website. I tend to watch the clips of lectures during my lunch hour. Gives me some food for thought along with my turkey sandwich…
Sure wish they’d do a feature on you on the site some time!
Beech
TED – Think “Davos For Geeks”.
Seriously, it’s a great conference, and why think about the $4.4k “tuition” when you can see TEDTalks online?
David Pogue (NY Times) did a great job with the piece.
That’s a very good CBS report.
‘Davos’ has had a lot of air time on our UK news it would be good to have ‘TED’ reported generally as well. I’m surprised it isn’t as many well known people attend. Maybe this year as Branson and Clinton are there it might get more World media coverage.
Out of interest as ‘Musical Director’ do you approach artists to come to the conference or do they come to you (TED) asking if they can be part of it?
I can imagine that playing infront of so many influential people must be quite a buzz!
Thomas, since you’re the musical director, does that mean you are the one who chooses which musicians get booked?
What things do you organize for the event?
My main responsibilities are (1) approach world-class and pursuade them to come and play at TED (2) find unkonwn performers that will delight the TED crowd (3) play an original live piece of music at the start of each of the 12-hour sessions, to set the tone. In the past I’ve sometimes done this toot solo, and sometimes with a small house band, as will be the case next month–I’ll be bringing the 3-piece brass section featured on my latest podcast.
TED wants to include one of my songs as an upcoming TEDtalk, but I talked them out of it as their suggestion was ‘SBMWS’ which IMO is getting a bit overexposed at the moment! Still, there have been some other splendid moments over the last few years that they could use, including duets I did with Eddi Reader, Natalie MacMaster, and Rochelle Garniez. We’re planning some ‘TEDtunes’ in a few months to highlight these and other great musicians that have guested there.
There’s a TED clip out on YouTube (not sure if it’s legitimately there) of Caroline Lavelle with you on keyboards, performing “Farther Than the Sun.” I found it so lovely and so haunting, I went out and procured some of her music. Very nice!
Oh yeah I should have mentioned Caroline Lavelle. That is indeed a stunning song. Here’s the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97WnBC516rI. She really brought the house down with that performance.
Another highlight was Eddi Reader’s ‘What You Do With What You’ve Got’. I mixed that song years before for her album so I found I knew it pretty well. I was planning on playing a sequenced/synth backing with her. She walked on stage and said in her broad Scotish accent: ‘Come out from behind your cuckoon, Thomas Dolby, and play the grand piano man. Don’t be afraid of it. It’s only strings and wood.’ So I had to noodle on the piano on WTDWWYG and her other all-time classic, ‘Kiteflyer’s Hill.’ If you’ve never heard these two songs, I urge you to hunt them down. I love them more than life itself! Eddi’s right up there with the Sprouts in my heart.
I haven’t heard those two songs by Eddi Reader. Thanks for the recommendation. My current favorite song by her is “Ae Fond Kiss,” off her 2003 album “Sings the Songs of Robert Burns.” So melancholy but beautiful.
Hi Thomas, hi all flatearthers,
i’m just popping in after googling around this youtube video “Farther Than the Sun”, i first thought it was an Thomas Dolby song interpreted by Caroline Lavelle (i just discover)
Incredible why those voices aren’t more kown, she has a tremendous feel between folk and soul and really tells a story.
I also love Thomas’ backing on E-Piano, it remembers me some chord sequence from “Mind’s Eye” (the song), at least there is a recognisable “Dolby”-voicing in the piano part
that comes nicely through.
Just a question, in the final part of the songs, there are some additional strings but see nobody playing them live.
Are those arranged by you, Thomas?
‘Kiteflyer’s Hill’ is the kind of song that makes me want to hear Thomas more backing on grand piano, you play there with very nicely laced canvas.
It’s a real pleasure to hear your creativity expressed that way in the piano arrangements, choosing couloured notes here and there, playing retained.
And always surprised too: there is a kind of “bum-chord” towards the end of the song that lift me up.
Wow, i thought, there is some alternate chord here, a little like those you play in ‘Budapest’ with a dx7-like sound at the end of some verses, the kind of “bum chord” i’d would like to hear once again in the next two bars, lol.
A propos, both videoscan be found on the TED site with a much better resolution, and in stereo to appreciate the mix in all splendeur.
Great piano backing, behind great songs, played by a great monsieur.
à bientôt,
happy to be amongst us.
Paul Herlitschka