I was charmed yesterday over dinner outside when a piano painted over from local artist had a sign that said “Play me, I’m Yours”, and within minutes a variety of pianist, singers, and groups formed around making music to everyones ears. The Street Piano Project is pretty simple. Touring pianos placed in public spaces inviting anyone to play as long, or short, and whatever they would like. Several videos are recorded and put on their site. Pretty amazing. Boston has the 1,000th placed piano though pianos have been placed globally over the past few years. Check it out, and see if a piano is visiting your city soon.
Street Piano Project
Videos from around the world. FInd your city and look at the videos.
By far one of my favorite talks this year at TED. Very truthful, deep, and well spoken…and illustrated! A must watch!!
“By turn hilarious and haunting, poet Shane Koyczan puts his finger on the pulse of what it’s like to be young and … different. “To This Day,” his spoken-word poem about bullying, captivated millions as a viral video (created, crowd-source style, by 80 animators). Here, he gives a glorious, live reprise with backstory and violin accompaniment by Hannah Epperson.
Shane Koyczan makes spoken-word poetry and music. His poem “To This Day” is a powerful story of bullying and survival, illustrated by animators from around the world.”
A very inspirational outgoing talk by Amanda Palmer at TED this year! Simply Awesome lady.
“Don’t make people pay for music, says Amanda Palmer: Let them. In a passionate talk that begins in her days as a street performer (drop a dollar in the hat for the Eight-Foot Bride!), she examines the new relationship between artist and fan.
Alt-rock icon Amanda Fucking Palmer believes we shouldn’t fight the fact that digital content is freely shareable — and suggests that artists can and should be directly supported by fans”
via TED
This might be the best Marriage Proposal that I have seen in some time. It’s a mix of surprise, Broadway musical, roller coaster/amusement park ride, co-ordination, and a whole bunch of people! Anyhow, watch it and think how to top that and be original!
My favorite gathering is happening in beautiful Monterey CA next week at a magical gathering known as The EG Conference April 12-14.
If you take a peek at past and this years eclectic presenters, you’ll be as amused and curious as I am every year to attend this brain safari of wonder.
If your attending, please let me know, or pass this post around to friends that might be interested.
As a special extension to EG this year, they are offering the entire live web-stream of the event for $200, but they are also offering me a special link for friends at half price! Yup, $100 for a few days of live, provoking, entertaining, talks.
To get a hold of this special gift, go here and learn more about EG Everywhere! You get to see all the spectacular talks live for $100 vs the $4000 ticket price! Sign up, call your friends up, have a 2-3 day Salon at your house with food and drinks, and get inspired! Then perhaps decide if you can attend the actual conference to experience the rest of the magic!
My favorite conference (which is from a list of many) is coming up again April 12-14 2012. This breath-taking conference is the EG Conference (Entertainment Gathering) that gathers in beautiful Monterey CA. I’d be able to write a entire book about why this is the most fascinating gathering I have been to in 10 years, but in simple words, come experience an eclectic gathering filled with mystery, surprise, emotion, connections, and entertainment for a few days in beautiful Monterey…. you will leave imagining the entire world differently, with a different perspective, and a twinkle in your eye again for curiosity, to perhaps create magic.
Come join, this year will be my 4th in a row. Let me know if you can make it and I’ll be sure to connect. Tickets are almost sold out.
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For those unfamiliar with SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act), you must read and dig into this crazy Act that can and will pretty much screw up any freedom and innovation like Google, Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, Reddit, etc if it happens. Please sign up to petition against it HERE. Learn more about it from the video above from Chris Hayes.
awesome!
“This making of the “Evolution of Games” is an impressive, coordinated and directed masterpiece, and proof that not everything is done inside of a computer.
It’s fun to see the piece come to life while watching the finished piece in the same window. Hooray for handiwork. ”
I’m heading out to SF towards Sebastopol for a new unconference that I have never been to but was incredibly excited to be invited to FooCamp (Friends of O’Reiley) which is an invitational camp, where 250 awesome people, hackers, designers, creators, makers, and questioners gather to come up with whatever is on their mind and have great discussions with people from all over the world from different fields to boggle your mind! I’ve had quite a few friends attend and everyone seems to be energized full of ideas and disruptive ones when they return from this 3 day backyard camp gathering. There is not much online about it, but here is a write up from our friends Andrew on his experience a few years ago! I’ll be back next week with lots to write up about, and keep secret at times. Let me know if your in SF. I’m out there right before Foocamp this week.
(picture from laughingsquid)
I’ve been waiting to visit Jay Walkers incredible “Library of Imagination” for several years now and in about 12 hours I’ll be inside pondering, wondering, imagining, and wishing I could take everyone along. I’d write more about it, but the 2008 TED video above or the Wired article will explain it best until after I return, though I’ll have no photos as this is not allowed during my visit. I’ll have to thank TEDmed for arranging this visit, which is also a must go to conference I highly recommend.
One of the amazing highlights at this years Entertainment Gathering was the duo Jake Shimabukuro and Charles Yang who met the day before and magically performed this amazing composition of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”. Anyhow, if you have 5 minutes, turn up your speakers and be ready to be wowed! Charles played several more impromptu times at the Aquarium party and in the hotel lobby.