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.

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

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.

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...

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...

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...

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.

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.

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

Scott Rickard is passionate about mathematics, music -- and educating the next generation of scientists and mathematicians.

"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.

Violinist Robert Gupta joined the LA Philharmonic at the age of 19 -- and maintains a passionate parallel interest in neurobiology and mental health issues. He's a TED Senior Fellow.

Percussionist and composer Dame Evelyn Glennie lost nearly all of her hearing by age 12. Rather than isolating her, it has given her a unique connection to her music.

José Bowen is an accomplished musician and teacher who explores how technology has shaped the history of music.

Brothers Ryan and Hays Holladay explore the intersection of art and technology with an emphasis on music and sound, with projects ranging from multichannel audio installations to interactive performances to mobile apps.

After a concert, you find it difficult to hear your friend rave about the show. It sounds like they're speaking from across the room, and it's tough to make out their voice over the ringing in your ears. But, by the next morning, the effect has mostly worn off. So what caused these symptoms? And can you go to concerts without damaging your ears?...

It all started as a practical joke: Geert Chatrou's sister-in-law entered him in the International Whistler's Convention in Louisburg, NC. To save face, he went … and won!

Whether they’re sung in in English or his native Faroese, Teitur laces his deceptively innocent songs with often stinging hooks.

Young piano player Joey Alexander has an old soul's gift for jazz.

Acoustic duo Anielle Reid and Matthew Brookshire (playing together as Boy Girl Banjo) take the TED stage to perform their original song "Dead Romance," weaving together the sounds of Americana folk music and modern pop.

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...

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 ...

He’s sold more than 100 million albums and earned 16 Grammy Awards, yet Sting continues to surprise. His fourteenth solo album, The Last Ship, features songs from his Broadway-bound musical of the same name.

With a rich voice and an equally rich sense of history, Rhiannon Giddens animates American folk tradition with her electrifying song interpretations.

"Music can unlock a frozen memory that melts into the seeds of our creativity," says musician Rosanne Cash. Reflecting on the power of memory, solitude and community, she performs "The Sunken Lands" and "Particle And Wave" and meditates on some of life's most poignant and bittersweet themes.

Vishal Vaid and his band explore a traditional South Asian musical form in this mesmerizing improv performance. Sit back and let his music transport you.

Mark Applebaum writes music that breaks the rules in fantastic ways, composing a concerto for a florist and crafting a musical instrument from junk and found objects. This quirky talk might just inspire you to shake up the "rules" of your own creative work.