Art TEDx

X marks the spot: This week’s musical TEDx Talks

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Each week, TEDx chooses four of our favorite talks, highlighting just a few of the enlightening speakers from the TEDx community and its diverse constellation of ideas worth spreading. Below, give this week’s talks — all about music — a listen.

Learn 100 songs in five minutes: Jordan Hume at TEDxMacquarieUniversity
The structure of music might seem complex and mysterious, but many songs adhere to a simple, timeless pattern, says Jordan Hume. In a five minute piano lesson, he demonstrates the pattern of over 100 different songs, which he says run the gamut from country to hard rock. (Filmed at TEDxMacquarie University)

The cello — remixed: Ben Sollee at TEDxSanDiego 2012
Ben Sollee grew up playing the cello — from classical pieces taught in school, to impromptu R&B and fiddle jams with his family. At TEDxSanDiego, he showcases his particular way of using the cello, which blends influences and techniques into a fresh contemporary style. (Filmed at TEDxSanDiego)

Wine glasses, snifters and Tchaikovsky: Glass Duo at TEDxBratislava
If you’ve ever performed the old trick of running your finger across a wine glass to make a sound, prepare to be astonished as musicians Anna and Arkadiusz Szafraniecky recreate complex classical pieces using just empty glasses. (Filmed at TEDxBratislava)

Classical beatboxing: Jonatan Lopez and Man Wei Che at TEDxYouth@BeaconStreet
Cultures collide as beatboxer Jonatan Lopez (JFlo) and Juilliard-trained bassist Man Wai Che fuse genres into a seamless performance that takes musical collaboration to a whole new level. (Filmed at TEDxYouth@BeaconStreet)

And below, some highlights from the TEDx blog this week: