# Music for Thought: Ted Talk by Benjamin Zander



## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

I don't know if this was ever discussed in the past, but has anyone here on TalkClassical seen this before?

http://www.ted.com/talks/benjamin_zander_on_music_and_passion.html

I find it pretty inspiring. Once in a while, even studying music, I get this grim feeling within me that "no one cares." Sure some do care, but they are dying out. But really, it's how you look at it.

I was shocked at that statistic of 3% of public (is that US and/or Europe and/or all developed countries?) listens to classical music. I use to think it was much smaller, .6% or something like that.

What do you think of his ideas?


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## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

Thanks for sharing that video, the guy was a good speaker and I like what he had to say about conductors being an inspirational figure. I also enjoyed thinking about the technique of experiencing an aspect of your life while listening to music. For the Chopin, I couldn't quite decide on a person, but I found myself emotionally attentive to the piece. I found myself thinking, "people would enjoy entertaining and charismatic talkers like that playing short pieces as though they were a sermon, as opposed to merely a concert." Though since I know I like classical music, I don't need that kind of a talker to inspire me. I would personally enjoy having impassioning powers in my talking of classical music to others. Somehow I tend to make it my thing, rather than helping them to see that it could possibly be relevant to them.

It does seem a rather large number 3%. I think that talkclassical forum people and other people who go out of their way to talk about it as an obsession are even less than that.


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## Lunasong (Mar 15, 2011)

When the Zander firing story broke, I watched that video. I did like it, although upon repeated viewing it seems much more ... manipulative?? I have since bought his book "The Art of Possibility - Transforming Professional and Personal Life." So I know the man can sell.
As for a presentation that never fails to emotionally center for me what music can do, I like Karl Paulnack's address at Boston Conservatory, which I know has been previously posted on TC
Link to transcription.
And his presentation "How Music Works" which I've not yet found a transcription.
http://www.ascboston.org/downloads/podcast/080824.mp3


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

I think that's a great talk, I like how he's positive and inclusive. He's right, anybody can connect with and enjoy classical music.

The boundaries between classical and non-classical have been breaking down for ages. There are people out there who think they hate classical, until you point out to them that Astor Piazzolla - whose music a good deal of people like, not only classical fans - was a composer with classical training. In other words, yes,_ Libertango_, which gets played everywhere from concert halls to cafes, is classical music, you bet it is (but it's also popular music in a way, or drawn from that, the humble Argentinian tango).

I'm on a similar wavelength with Mr. Zander. Let's break down the barriers to enjoying classical music, or better still, think and say that THERE ARE NO BARRIERS!...


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## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

@Lunasong
I do have to say that my personal experience with speakers of the motivational and self help variety caused me to warily detect when the speaker guy started talking about shining eyes. He seems a little bit zealous. I did not hint in my last post that I was with any reservation, and usually the reservation is buried and subconscious as I see potential for a beneficial message. Nonetheless, I think that such skills would apply quite well to being a conductor.

I've personally given up thinking that everyone could really be moved by classical music. Whether that potential is inherent or not is neither here nor there, there are other legitimate things to be interested in. 

Nonetheless, I did like his story about the boy who cried after Chopin his first tears of grievance, it was pretty cool, and I think its an interesting technique, to coincided something personally relevant and emotional with your musical experience. Although if you consciously make the effort too hard, you've got to lay off and just listen.


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

I didn't like the way he played that piece at all...


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

I found only a few basic things he said worthwhile, re: how once larger increments are understood by the player, the music begins to 'sound' well.

Other than that, I found him about as attractive as any highly charismatic and highly manipulative snake-oil salesman, whether the product be religion, art, or pseudo remedies at gouging prices.

His urging people to think of a 'lost loved one' while listening to the Chopin Prelude No. 4 in E minor I found appalling, revoltingly egregious, as well as antithetical to all and everything Chopin stood for or intended. A super cheap shot, and cheaply manipulative, and seriously not in a good way.

I'm certain he is sincere. 

That doesn't seem to have prevented me from finding him, almost instantly -- Overall, Deeply Repulsive.


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## CypressWillow (Apr 2, 2013)

PetrB said:


> His urging people to think of a 'lost loved one' while listening to the Chopin Prelude No. 4 in E minor I found appalling, revoltingly egregious, as well as antithetical to all and everything Chopin stood for or intended.
> 
> I'm certain he is sincere.
> 
> That doesn't seem to have prevented me from finding him, almost instantly -- Overall, Deeply Repulsive.


Indeed. Chopin was fastidious, fine. He refrained from programmatic music/titles himself, and cherished his privacy, as examples. It may be that it 'helps' someone get into his music by imagining a lost loved one, or a delicious meal, or revenge upon an enemy, or the last person with whom they were intimate - whatever. But Chopin himself, I assert, would shudder with revulsion at such coaching. And, that being the case, I find it disrespectful and loathsome to advocate such a technique with regards to his music.
And yes, there are those who will instantly say that anything that draws someone into Classical music is good.....etc. Sure, and maybe smoking dope will make someone more open and receptive, too. Whatever works, eh? 
Whew! *gets back down off soapbox.*


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

CypressWillow said:


> Indeed. Chopin was fastidious, fine. He refrained from programmatic music/titles himself, and cherished his privacy, as examples. It may be that it 'helps' someone get into his music by imagining a lost loved one, or a delicious meal, or revenge upon an enemy, or the last person with whom they were intimate - whatever. But Chopin himself, I assert, would shudder with revulsion at such coaching. And, that being the case, I find it disrespectful and loathsome to advocate such a technique with regards to his music.
> And yes, there are those who will instantly say that anything that draws someone into Classical music is good.....etc. Sure, and maybe smoking dope will make someone more open and receptive, too. Whatever works, eh?
> Whew! *gets back down off soapbox.*


FANTASTIC! YAY! 'fastidious' YES.
At the least, because of your entire comment, I love you a little bit already  [Now down off soapbox and returned to normal decorum ~ Thank you, Ma'am. Thank you very much.]


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## starry (Jun 2, 2009)

I looked at some of this, but he seems more a comedian.


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## Feathers (Feb 18, 2013)

Ignoring the later parts about thinking about a lost loved one, his explanations of the tensions and resolutions in the music without getting too theoretical was quite interesting. I don't like how he skipped over the "excited" part and said "don't worry about it" though. It's a pretty important part!


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## niv (Apr 9, 2013)

I saw it a while ago. I didn't like it at all.

First and foremost, I like classical music, it's true. But it's not the only style of music in the whole world (even though it's less of an style and more of another world ). And not everybody wants to listen to music for the same reasons, so... I personally don't care that it isn't that popular. Some people just want to dance or headbang. Hell, even I like to dance from time to time.

Besides that... I think the talk was very unfocused, it tried to be entertaining instead of convincing. If I wanted to convince someone of giving a chance to classical music, I would let them listen to a few pieces instead of pointing them to this ted talk.


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## Unbennant (May 12, 2013)

I'm not sure what the aim of the lecture was. He managed to vaguely make the audience understand the tension in the prelude, but then went off numerous times on the kind of "inspiring" tangents the self-help snakeoil types like. He praised a communist pawn who regularly beat his wife, a convicted terrorist who has made an entire country unsafe for the very people who built it, and then attempted to make himself likeable by evoking the one thing every audience member has been taught is beyond moral reproach.

In the end, none of those people even know the name of the piece, much less will bother to sit through the rest of it, assuming they even know it's actually longer. Experiencing an emotional response to classical music is, of course, a good thing, and one assumes most listeners have the ability to feel. But tearjerker stories do not an educated listener make, and that is precisely what this music demands: someone who listens actively, with intent. The majority of the population are passive listeners, waiting the verse-chorus-verse of the latest radio hit to do the work for them.


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