Concert pianist and composer Jennifer Lin was only 14 when she performed at TED, drawing tears with her extraordinary improvisation.
Why you should listen to her:
A student of the Yamaha Music Education System from the age of 4, pianist Jennifer Lin has an unusual talent for improvisation. Speaking at TED, she compared her creative process to drawing a comic, and admitted that the state of "flow" -- when she is able produce beautiful music instantly -- cannot be forced.
Her virtuoso performances, particularly the improvisations, are profoundly moving, and -- even via podcast -- have been known to reduce listeners to tears. As one blogger recorded, "I was listening to a presentation by a 14-year old girl named Jennifer Lin who plays the piano like whoa ... I wasn't expecting it, and when she was a minute or two into the piece, I was literally crying in the crowded subway car." Lin was featured on ABC World News Tonight as Person of the Week and also appeared on a "Little Geniuses" segment on Oprah, where Winfrey declared her "a miracle prodigy."
"An exciting young talent who wants to touch the world."Peter Jennings, ABC World News Tonight
Blog Posts on TED
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Your brain on improv – March 5, 2008
Two Johns Hopkins researchers have isolated the part of the brain that is most active during improv -- the part that Jennifer Lin accesses during her TEDTalk performance, and that Robin Williams used the other night during the BBC debate at TED in Monterey.
Setting up six right-handed jazz pianists inside an fMRI, researchers Charles Limb and Allen Braun recorded them playing, first, a jazz composition they had memorized, then an improvisation on that same piece. Essentially subtracting the first brain scan from the second, Limb and Braun isolated the brain activity associated with improv, and found that:
a region of the brain known as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, a broad portion of the front of the brain that extends to the sides, showed a slowdown in activity during improvisation. This area has been linked to planned actions and self-censoring, such as carefully deciding what words you might say at a job interview. Shutting down this area could lead to lowered inhibitions, Limb suggests.
The researchers also saw increased activity in the medial prefrontal cortex, which sits in the center of the brain’s frontal lobe. This area has been linked with self-expression and activities that convey individuality, such as telling a story about yourself.
Look for more details in the original journal article -- including audio files, brain scans, and notes on the custom non-ferromagnetic piano keyboard playable inside an MRI.
