Listening to Bobby McFerrin sing may be hazardous to your preconceptions. Side effects may include unparalleled joy, a new perspective on creativity, rejection of the predictable, and a sudden, irreversible urge to lead a more spontaneous existence.

Why you should listen

Bobby McFerrin is one of the world's best-known vocal innovators and improvisers, a world-renowned classical conductor and a passionate spokesman for music education. His recordings have sold more than 20 million copies (including the sunny classic, "Don't Worry, Be Happy"), and his collaborations including those with with Yo-Yo Ma, Chick Corea, the Vienna Philharmonic and Herbie Hancock have established him as an ambassador of both the classical and jazz worlds.

McFerrin has worked with such orchestras as the New York Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony, the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Vienna Philharmonic.

What others say

“McFerrin has juiced up appreciation for the classics immeasurably. He's a natural-born teacher. The performing arts need him.” — The Mercury News

Bobby McFerrin’s TED talk