20090530

YouTube Symphony

Had a hiatus for the last one and a half month. Was not really busy just irritated to think and write as it is spring time here and I have pollen allergies. So dedicated my time to catch up on sleep as I was in a sedated state most of the time. But alls well and there is lots I already did this summer. Will write about it in the coming blogs.

This post I will write about the one interesting musical performance that I attended in New York.

YouTube Symphony :
April 15th was the inaugural show for the YouTube Symphony aptly called The Internet Symphony - a Global Mash Up. This is the link to their main website.
It is my belief that the overall concept of this event is something which historians will write about when they write about the positive aspects of the internet and this period of digital revolution.
Few years back I had read a book by Thomas Friedman - The World is Flat - which basically spoke of how the entire world is a level field for work and business because of the advent of the computers. The whole process of outsourcing, working from home, multitasking etc etc.
Based on similar ideas - in the case of Youtube - they asked musicians from all over the world to post their videos playing one new piece written for the occasion by the renowned Chinese composer Tan Dun. Based on that they selected 96 musicians - from all corners of the world - from completly diverse fields - surgeons, mechanics, farmers, teachers - who played a particular instrument as a hobby. This whole group performed for over 2-1/2 hours and it was a brilliant performance comparable to musical performance by professionals.

Here are two videos of the entire show if you are interested - do see fast forwarding parts of it - there are acts where a chinese girl plays on different sizes of cars tyre rims, there is an european DJ - mashing techno with classical, there is three kids playing simultaneously on one piano the same composition.



Why I believe that this will be part of History is
- Its an event where totally unknown faces got an exposure just for their sheer talent
- Computers, Internet and specially YouTube - things that were unknown a decade back - brought about the possibility of such an event. Makes me wonder how people must have felt when Henry Ford introduced the Model T in 1908 that revolutionised the entire car industry.
- Symphony usually is an elite event usually with older listeners and not the kind of music that Yuppies or Dinks listen to but that boundary was shattered as the crowd attending this event was really Young.
-This probably is a beginning of a great idea that can be expanded to any creative fields.
And finally if and when I do have grand kids I can tell them - Ahem I was there then!
(Next post - A night with Zakir Hussain and Pandit Shivkumar Sharma)

38 comments:

broca's area said...

hmm....really interesting...another feather in the cap for technology!!:)

waiting for ur next post!!..

happy weekend:)

Compassion Unlimitted said...

Welcome back from the long break !!
Reaching the unreached has been the strength of the technology..Opportunity for so many talents,otherwise lost in the shadow of biggies,brought to the forefront by the strength of current day technology is most welcome isnt it

TC
CU

The Furobiker said...

ceedy bhai.. welcome back hai ji..

will give more comments after i watch tht symphony..
pollens se door rehna tab tak

Catherine Vibert said...

Welcome back Ceedy. I'm going to watch all of this! Very exciting. Thanks so much for sharing it.

Rià said...

good to see u back with yet another interesting post.its amazing hw u come up with something new everytime. :) welcome back!!

ceedy said...

@brocasarea

Hey thanks...hope you had great weekend.
Yes this is another feather - rightly said

ceedy said...

@compassion unlimited

Yes sure - what you say makes perfect sense.
Look at this example of us interacting in different parts of the world - simply connected via blog - another feat...not possible 7-8 years ago...

ceedy said...

@abhishek

Thanks bud...hope you enjoyed the show....let me know.

ceedy said...

@catvibe

Thanks...and hope you enjoyed the show...lemme know.

ceedy said...

@ria

hehe - thanks - thats an interesting comment to an interesting post ;)

Pavi!!!! said...

wooow..Very fascinating! seems to have beena rich experience! will have to wait until i get home to see the video..thanks for posting it tho !

n welcome back...wtg to hear abt tete-a-tete with zakhir :)

♥ÐÅyÐяєÅмє®♥ said...

the good thing I like about youtube.... :P

it helped me connected with some oldest memories...

Anonymous said...

Where in SAM'S HELL have you been? lol You know I love music, Classical being one of my favorite, but don't tell anyone it will make me look smart! lol

See you later sweetie!!

Ne

KP said...

me to after long time...

at times "orignal" sound much better than most of the music generated by technology :)

waiting to hear abt ur summer trips!

Satish Bolla said...

wow, looks interesting. but the video duration made me fall flat. will check them late.

n a night with zakir hussain!!!! com'on man. post it soon. btw, welcome back.

whoami said...

Welcome back!!!

ceedy said...

@pavi

Yeah it was awesome!

Did you happen to see the video?

ceedy said...

@daydreamer

Design a patch so you can watch youtube in the college! Its really awesome timepass

ceedy said...

@ne

I am with uncle sams niece ;)

And I wont let out a secret that I know an intelligent blond!

ceedy said...

@kp

Agree....thats why I still buy CD's and dont like Mp3 and go to good concerts...

will try and update the blogs...

hope all is well....

ceedy said...

@whoami

Thanx!

ceedy said...

@satish

Yeah its the whole show...see it only if you are patient...or forward it and see parts...

next post this weekend....

thanks bud...talk to you soon!

Jaya said...

Wow.. that must be awesome... Next post on Zakir Hussain and Pandit Sharma.. You sure are going places, dude :) :) Welcome back. Hope the rains have eased out the allergies.

Mysterious Mia said...

hey i started ti listen to it....nest stuff.....

rainboy said...

it was surprisingly beautiful.

thanks for sharing bro

tc n hugs

ceedy said...

@joy

I am not going places - they are all coming to where I am :)
Well allergies and me have a long relationship...so it difficult for it to simply vanish.

Hope all is well with you.....

ceedy said...

@mia

It was a carnival sorta environment...in there

ceedy said...

@rabbit

Glad you liked it....:)

Toon Indian said...

welcome back..really interesting concept!!

waiting for your next post!!

Aarti said...

Eeks, hope the allergies are not bothering u too much... i get them too, but mine are mostly cos of Dust!!

Loved both the videos.. truly a step ahead for technology.. wonder where next!!!

joie de vivre said...

Indeed nice effort

Cinderella said...

I totally loved this idea !
Very innovative...wonderful !
Thnx for sharing.

Anonymous said...

you're back with a bang :-)
concept is interesing, everything around us is moving so fast that there's this genuine fear of being left behind! (cliche)

Zakir Hussain- can't wait to read abt your meet-up!

Abreysham said...

It was Abreysham- not Anamika (aka anonymous in the above post) :-)

aMus said...

what an interesting idea! and to be a part of history too!

waiting for the next one on zakir hussain and Pt. shivkumar...

and to continue the discussion, from prats blog...

let's put it this way, if my son says he gave his 100% in something and i know that a little more effort could have improved it, i'd still think he gave HIS 100% if he is SATISFIED that he could not have done better at THAT point in time...so the scale varies with time, experience and maturity, and from person to person. This holds true ofcourse, if you are true to yourself.

was this what you were saying?

Sparkling said...

And when are you planning to have grand kids? :p

Nirmal said...

hello bhai..how ru..

Jaggu said...

People stopped blogging these days or what?
Are you still missing?
Updated my blog after long time.