Like an actor's script, a sheet of music instructs a musician on what to play (the pitch) and when to play it (the rhythm). Sheet music may look complicated, but once you've gotten the hang of a few simple elements like notes, bars and clefs, you're ready to rock. Tim Hansen hits the instrumental basics you need to read music. [Directed by Thoma...

Singer-songwriter Mereba delivers a divinely captivating performance, evoking messages of resilience and triumph in the face of adversity.

With dynamic energy and infectious beats, TED Fellow "Blinky" Bill Sellanga delivers an uplifting performance of four songs.

The problem with music, says Tim Exile, is that it's so perfect. For those of us who didn't grow up playing an instrument, we're often too afraid to try because it doesn't sound like the masterful music we hear. In a talk-performance hybrid, Exile demos a software instrument that he designed to allow anyone, whether they have musical training or...

Robert Gupta, violinist with the LA Philharmonic, talks about a violin lesson he once gave to a brilliant, schizophrenic musician -- and what he learned. Called back onstage later, Gupta plays his own transcription of the prelude from Bach's Cello Suite No. 1.

Joan As Police Woman performs a gorgeous, tender version of "Your Song" and "Real Life."

Light, bright, and cheerful, "The Four Seasons" by Antonio Vivaldi is some of the most familiar of all early 18th century music, featured in numerous films and television commercials. But what is its significance, and why does it sound that way? Betsy Schwarm uncovers the underlying narrative of this musical masterpiece. [Directed by Compote Col...

Fronted by vocalist and songwriter Kimberly Kitson-Mills, the French band Kimberose performs a serene, smoldering rendition of "Back on My Feet."

How many times does the chorus repeat in your favorite song? How many times have you listened to that chorus? Repetition in music isn't just a feature of Western pop songs, either; it's a global phenomenon. Why? Elizabeth Hellmuth Margulis walks us through the basic principles of the 'exposure effect,' detailing how repetition invites us into mu...

New York Times tech columnist David Pogue performs a satirical mini-medley about iTunes and the downloading wars, borrowing a few notes from Sonny and Cher and the Village People.

Singer-songwriter KERA performs the powerful, entrancing song "Bright Future Ahead," leaving us with a profound message: "Breathe, and go again."

Singer-songwriter Mia Kami dives into the soothing sounds of the Pacific with a tribute to the unifying spirit of her Indigenous heritage.

Bay Bridge artist and songwriter Mike Sempert shows his heart through his music, melding folk with Americana and synth-pop, and exploring elements of electronic, orchestral and chamber music. His soulful performance features a duet with singer/songwriter Sonya Cotton.

Sampling 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 ...

When Robert Gupta was caught between a career as a doctor and as a violinist, he realized his place was in the middle, with a bow in his hand and a sense of social justice in his heart. He tells a moving story of society's marginalized and the power of music therapy, which can succeed where conventional medicine fails.

Elon Musk discusses his new project digging tunnels under LA, the latest from Tesla and SpaceX and his motivation for building a future on Mars in conversation with TED's Head Curator, Chris Anderson.

The music synthesizers that are a DJ's stock in trade were once the size of entire rooms. Now the power to create your own music can be housed in a laptop. In a live demo, James Bickerton shows how music production is not just for pros but for everyday people who want to make the beat drop.

In this talk, musician and educator Anita Collins makes a passionate case for music education as an indispensable part of school curricula, describing how learning to play music is the neurological equivalent of a full-body workout.

Inventor of electronic instruments and DJ, Tim Exile, believes if we listen, we can make music from the noises we hear every day. In this live performance, he takes sounds recorded from around the TED@Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany conference and mixes them in-front of the audience to create a one of a kind audio track.

Money, money, money ... in the music business, there seems to be little left for the songwriters that fuel it. ABBA co-founder Björn Ulvaeus calls for the industry to support its most valuable asset, breaking down how the streaming revolution impacts creator royalties, careers and craft -- and outlines what can be done to truly thank artists for...

One night in 2002, a friend gave Jorge Drexler the chorus to a song and challenged him to write the rest of it using a complex, poetic form known as the "Décima." In this fascinating talk, Drexler examines the blended nature of identity, weaving together the history of the Décima with his own quest to write one. He closes the talk with a perform...

When you listen to music, multiple areas of your brain become engaged and active. But when you actually play an instrument, that activity becomes more like a full-body brain workout. What's going on? Educator Anita Collins explains the fireworks that go off in musicians' brains when they play and examines some of the long-term positive effects o...

As 12 musicians from disparate cultures harmonize their eastern and western scales, they show the long bridges that music can build.

From the printing press to the digital camera, innovation has often democratized the creative arts. In this forward-looking talk, music producer Drew Silverstein demos a new software that allows anyone to create professional-grade music without putting human musicians out of work.

In this epic overview, Michael Tilson Thomas traces the development of classical music through the development of written notation, the record, and the re-mix.

Offering her soulful music as medicine, Mohawk songwriter Shawnee sings two original songs dedicated to fellow Two-Spirit people and anyone who is searching for their place in the world.

Celebrating her hometown of Oakland through her music and unique "stomp and groove" style, sing-songwriter Lisa Marie Johnston performs two songs that blend the country, Americana and blues genres.

In this live, unedited conversation, Elon Musk -- the head of Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink and The Boring Company -- digs into the recent news around his bid to purchase Twitter and gets honest about the biggest regret of his career, how his brain works, the future he envisions for the world and a lot more. (This conversation with head of TED Chris ...

Many animals need sleep. But all of the threats and demands animals face don't just go away when it's time to doze. That's why a range of birds, mammals, and even humans experience some degree of asymmetrical sleep, where parts of the brain are asleep and other areas are more active. So, how does it work? Masako Tamaki explores how animals' brai...

"Music is everywhere, and it is in everything," says musician, student and TED-Ed Clubs star Anika Paulson. Guitar in hand, she plays through the beats of her life in an exploration of how music connects us and makes us what we are.