How architecture helped music evolve - David Byrne

View full lesson: ed.ted.com/lessons/how-archite...
As his career grew, David Byrne went from playing CBGB to Carnegie Hall. He asks: Does the venue make the music? From outdoor drumming to Wagnerian operas to arena rock, he explores how context has pushed musical innovation.
Talk by David Byrne.

[@sh0cking21]

i love that he seems a little nervous. he's such a confident and absorbing performer, it's interesting to see hims sort of out of place as a lecturer.

[@sirfer6969]

Yeah agreed, but turns out he's a pretty good lecturer as well =P

[@BiggusDickus79]

He's tense and nervous, and he can't relax.

He’s got Asbergers. It’s not easy for him to do a talk like this. He didn’t find it comfortable but he did it anyway and he did it good!

[@BEDLAMITE-5280ft.]

Stop projecting on him. Weirdo

[@ValreeShoe]

I'm very much the same. With friends and other familiar faces, no problem. But when I start to articulate on my thoughts and beliefs I get a bit out there and somewhat defensive if I'm in a group that I don't know well or haven't been around much before. It's hard sometimes when we put ourselves out there. I think it's just part of the human condition.

[@obody-sl9np]

I love how David is talking about the evolution of musical technology and technology in general like it's a completely natural and obviously inevitable thing unlike other boomers that talk sht about it. Great musician, director and person

[@Kim_Miller]

Each time he said, "And I ask myself..." I was expecting "What is that beautiful house?" or "Where does that highway go?" All these years later and I've still got 'Once in a Lifetime' in my head.

[@aerozz8851]

Hahaha, if only you or I were in that audience. I wish I could've been there and shouted out on of the lyrics. Would be kind of rude to interrupt him and shout, but I think he would find it funny and endearing.

[@GenDischarges]

'Well, how did I get here'

[@jennywolff2120]

Hahaha...this is exactly what I thought! It even sounds very much like straight out of the song ❤.

[@simaoski5560]

i love how music always creeps in when he's not expecting

[@justinesedky8223]

i love that his little jokes and comments are straight out of his book

[@egorshamanin]

Byrne is one of my favorite person in this world. And Talking Heads live Stop Making Sense is my favorite of ever all.

[@TazManiac008]

Interesting lecture. It is quite fascinating when people recognize subtle too familiar patterns in behavior or anything else for that matter.

[@mentonerodominicano]

The U2 shade.

[@_keato]

shots fired.

[@nightreaper1824]

I was captivated. This was the most I'd learned about music in years.

[@nightreaper1824]

@David Byrne The pleasure is mine.

[@dstuart2918]

Mozart Junior. Been a fan for 42 years. Aren't we lucky to have him?

[@experimenteight4550]

12:08 ... How did I get here

[@keixoun]

2:08

[@starsstolen7558]

IMAGINE if David Byrne could have done a Ted talk in the 80s or 90s ;(((

[@lydiaorr6270]

We learnt about this at uni yesterday. Love you Bryne

[@oldstuff767]

I learned this in "school". very true. Dear venues: No Big Glass Windows Please.

[@brandonX360]

this in a very good talk thanks ted

[@basestereoclub]

Thank you david, you're the best human alive

[@AlbertBalbastreMorte]

I always suspected Hindu instruments have this metallic zing sound co-evolving with their temples, which seem to have more metallic interiors rather than hard stone.

[@jimreynolds2399]

Very interesting talk - much more than I thought it would be. Should've guessed because he was always different so should be no surprise that he sees things differently. I was amazed when I discovered that he's Scottish. He's from Dumbarton, on the Clyde estuary, which is near where I live.

[@kinglear5952]

I wonder how old he was when he moved to the U.S.

[@nancywelsh2837]

@@kinglear5952 He moved to Canada from Scotland at a very young age then to the US when he was 8

[@kinglear5952]

@@nancywelsh2837 Thank you Nancy. Have a nice life.

[@Tamar-sz8ox]

Everytime I listen to David Byrne, I feel like I’m smarter 😂❤ he’s known for having this effect on us

[@candaceharris5449]

I LOVE David Byrne ♥

[@DJG_Studios]

This is the greatest crossover of all time

[@franklyvulgar1]

this guy is a genius

[@toniigx8]

HIS LITTLE LISP IS THE CUTEST THING

[@hjancaitis]

Mr. Byrne shows the wrong theater when mentioning Wagner. He shows a different opera house in Bayreuth built about 125 years before Wagner's Festspielhaus.

[@patricwr]

A very david byrne moment when he says simply the word “africa” and it hard cuts to african music

[@giuseppelogiurato5718]

I'm surprised he didn't mention Reggae/Dub in the section about soundsystems

[@ryanisfun123]

in the middle of his book 'how music works'. he covers this in early chapters. I think this may be a sub-promo talk to introduce perspective buyers to said books. it's a book talk innit?

[@garygoldie9678]

Very very clever man! Very interesting

[@tkcyb]

This should have more commentaries

[@tonytuthill]

Thank you

[@Tamar-sz8ox]

DB - good point , We’ve all seen shows , but the venue / acoustics were off ( not the singers/ musicians ) Wasn’t a good fit.

[@usernamerist9621]

So true bestie!

[@perssonL]

is that Tim Armstrong in the cbgb photo?

[@pedropabloperezpeniche1428]

List of songs please!

[@Bevanmusiq]

And you may find yourself lecturing in Carnegie Hall...😂😂

[@Spaceisprettybig]

List the music!!!

[@GenDischarges]

Brilliant

[@macrosense]

Thomas Frank shout out!

[@roundchaos]

bloody genius

[@Miauwen_]

this guy knows his stuff

[@videobrooke54]

Interesting

[@mariapatriciabolan244]

Can I find the transcript of this talk somewhere?

[@alanjonathanvazquezrojas7330]

he has a book "how music works" . In chapter one he says the same than here

[@aly.campos]

transcript is here if you’re still looking for it :) www.ted.com/talks/david_byrne_how_architecture_helped_music_evolve/transcript

[@dannordquist]

what's the song playing at 3:14??????? need to know

[@fish5215]

Spem In Alium by Thomas Tallis.

[@nancywelsh2837]

@@fish5215 Love how your answer is followed by Translate to English

[@nomoreliesandy2302]

LOVE YOUR esthetic, VIEWPOINT, ART AND WORK AND YOU. COME SEE US LOVE and have some laughs and such joy...WHEN YOU ARE IN NASHVILLE., KANSAS CITY, OR IN THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTH CARLOINA. Much Theta ML keep creating, it is so you, so very well done. : )

[@NewWaveEnthusiast]

Aww he seems a bit nervous haha, I'd be nervous too!

[@jessicaheartland9130]

sooooooo marx?

[@thelovehandles1985]

It's just gregorian chant. I don't know the song in particular, but the genre is gregorian chant

[@AleksPirok]

But isn't it that you can actually listen any time of music on your headphones, without any restrains? I mean that's why they where invented, besides isolation of surrounding sounds

[@LOCKEYJ]

dogslowe headphone space is a space that affects the music as much as room.

[@proideot]

As a matter of fact, it does fundamentally change how music is designed. The music of today is much more textural than tonal because some earbuds are bad at conveying bass.

[@DavidGomez-xm3uj]

Las imagenes XD

[@tzvrchka]

Talking Head :)

[@oliveralvarezharold1295]

13:16. Shpeshies

[@oliveralvarezharold1295]

13:15

[@christopherkettler8727]

He is brilliant but i wish he braught it home a little better

[@quinnzykir]

He’ll tell you later

[@darthnatus]

Yeah I know it's like he locked his neck.

[@spacefrog2025]

A old friend of mine took acid with this guy in New Zealand in the 80s . Not very interesting, he sounds like a real nice guy.

[@pixelking2000]

at 14:45 he explains why trump is president In 2013 Damn.........

[@ayle1312]

The video says 2010

[@rogeriojudo23]

I think it would be better that David Byrne returned with his celebrated band: "Talking Heads"!!!!

[@vaishnavsirsat2160]

As an Architect and Musician , i can definetely say that this was the most boring lecture on both 😪

[@laplandJJ]

The idea was good, but the presentation...not so much.

[@oofym353]

What do you mean?

[@dylannewnham8522]

@@oofym353 They're getting at Byrnes social awkwardness, which did not hinder the presentation whatsoever. They're just nitpicking something Byrne is unable to help.

[@guttergazer]

Seemed fine to me...