How learning the violin brought meaning to my life | Charlie Siem | TEDxUniversityofStAndrews

How can learning an instrument bring meaning to your life? Using his experiences as a world-class violinist, stories from musical history and a quick performance, Charlie puts forward the case that learning an instrument has many parallels with being successful in everyday life.
Charlie Siem is one of today’s foremost young violinists. Siem has appeared with many of the world’s nest orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra.
Passionate about bringing classical music to new audiences around the world, in addition to his classical performance career Siem has revived the age-old violinistic tradition
of composing virtuosic variations of popular themes, which he has done alongside artists including Bryan Adams, Jamie Cullum and The Who.
In 2014 he wrote his rst composition which was commissioned by US television station CBS Watch!, and recorded with the English Chamber Orchestra. Siem has also had numerous collaborations with fashion brands including Dunhill, Armani, Boss, and Dior.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx

[@djsiladie]

You speak with eloquence and polished brilliance. Thank you for continuing to set the highest standards for other musicians!

[@nicollejansen4830]

Thx, this really spoke to me. I also believe that deep down my fear of failure is fueled by the fear of death and the unknown. But I agree that taking that step - risking failure - will give you boldness and confidence to pursue the things that make you happy, and to never give up on your dreams.

[@deperonnet]

At a basic level studying violin wen i was a boy urged me to discipline and long lasting study and work. i think it is the same as for every sport , because violin is also a sport and even a team sport. A sport with addition of intellectual music theory and history. So i could be prepared to medicine studies and specialty. I let my violin sleep during 50 years. And when retired i was so delighted to study again music theory and violin in the frame of a music conservatory with teachers, colleagues students, playing in orchestra and Chambre orchestra. This addition of theory and practice let me remember the medicine in surgical team and allow me to quit the medicine network to a musical network. Parents urge your children to learn music and instrument !! even if they are not full gifted and if they won"t become a virtuose: they will listen to music with accurate sensibility and interest. My hero was not Jasha Heifetz, but Zino Francescati loved his sound when i was 9 years old when he played the Beethoven violin concerto ;-)

[@jesslee5552]

This was so wonderful and eloquent. Love you Charlie ❤️

[@MKpixelfan]

Love Charlie, got him on my Instagram and it's joy to listen to him, watch him in play in so many exotic places. Not enough of smart, beautiful people who work hard, are discipline and yet make it all look so darn effortless.

[@asherwade]

From my readings over my many years, I read two astounding things regarding Heifetz; (a) that 'fright' which Charlie Siem spoke about, was by Heifetz 'not' stage-fright, rather Heifetz said he was "blazingly nervous" just before walking on stage only because he was afraid of the one thing he *couldn't* control; i.e. his violin. He said he was always afraid that during a performance a string might break, or one of the strings' pegs might decide to come loose, or the horse-hair in his bow might shred, etc., ...me, I had prepared "myself", but, unlike my violin, I wasn't 275 years old-!!! (b) Secondly, Heifetz, who was quite bitter {personally} in his latter years, once commented that "had anybody asked *me*, back when I was a young boy, ...I would have preferred to have played the piano-!!!"

[@sarahwiggle724]

Thank you for sharing, Mr. Wade. I have a question concerning point (a). If Heifetz's nervousness was, indeed, about his violin being "out of control", how would fully dressed for the performance six hours before he was actually on the stage help? In this instance, I would agree that Heifetz was talking about stage-fright as Mr. Siem pointed out.

[@skripach69]

Dear Mr Siem, my sincere thanks for such an insipring talk.🙏 One does not have an every day opportunity to hear such wise, true and modest confession (-may I say?) at the same time. My deep respect and congratulations for Your personal/spiritual/instrumental😊 achievements.

[@caraf8727]

Thank you so much! I loved hearing this.

[@PlayList93033]

His message is VERY good! Insightful.

[@TannerHoytFooty]

Damn coughers started when we starts playing ysaye -.-

[@branflakes2600]

Tanner Hoyt that's how you know when it's classical music; coughing. You just can't stop it from happening!

[@firstfiddle1]

Well, everything's beyond excellent

[@WarrenAkerman]

Very inspiring, Thank you

[@TanithCarey]

Thanks - wonderful messages here..

[@richardsagala3186]

Brilliant talk and brilliant playing, Good Job!

[@LarissaBrooks]

Thank you so much for your thoughts on this topic!

[@lehanh6488]

so inspring

[@michaelkamerer9999]

I can relate. I put my hands on the piano and immediately get parkinsons

[@CRFSUIGENERIS]

Me too! haha Solo I'm fine, but in front of people my hands tremble like a leaf.

[@Jenauxn]

I really want to hear this but the audio quality is too distracting. :(

[@masintec]

totally agree, good musicians deserve good audio recording

[@DisabledPsychedelica]

This is a living breathing relic, he speaks like an old posh man who should have tea to sip occasionally and a pipe to smoke from.

[@AlexRiversMusic]

Class

[@chriss6356]

Heifetz wasn’t Russian , he was Lithuanian

[@owen261]

Physics Only Lithuania = Russia in heifetzs time

[@blueblood6178]

Belle

[@timothylee6859]

Thelonious Monk took your idea a step further.

[@arashraassi]

🖤🎻💐

[@tabernz211]

#Deep by bo burnham

[@amelaalic9037]

After wanting for ages to learn the violin I came across Ajana music lessons and this appears to be the best online system (google it if you are interested)

[@andymerino8642]

what is the name of the piece?

[@guillermorochabrun3456]

Sonate "Ballade" for solo violin by Eugene Ysaye, a Belgium composer and violinist. This is a quite difficult piece. This versión is not very good. But if you are not familiar with classical music it is not so important at this moment.

[@andymerino8642]

Guillermo Rochabrun yea im agree i just find other records by other violinist of this piece and them are better

[@skripach69]

You two just did not get what’s it all about...imagine playing Ysaye in front of such audience (TED!!!), not being warmed up, just before You have finished such a wise, wonderful, personal and touching talk..This is what it is about!! This Ysaye is just perfect the way it is.

[@francisfernandbelen2901]

why are they coughing ysaye its literally the most vurtioustic piece in the violin repituar?

[@edwardmorris3453]

The x needs a thouch-up on the bottom right.

[@AndBigJuicy]

thought this video was a lot of stories that barely had any meaning to them. Could somone elaborate for me ?

[@GUPRPEET-Singh]

He looks like Asim Riaz.

[@MiLaDoB]

Poor audio

[@emilycox1583]

Why does this sound like it was recorded on a potato

[@user-gj9lc3hx8t]

I play at least 19 - 21 instruments . so yep. most of them are woodwind section . so yep . bye !🙂

[@alyssah2932]

am I on crack or was his violin ~completely~ out of tune?? wondering if he tuned it a certain way for the piece on purpose

[@CosimaBodien]

Yes... to me it sounds like the violin got a set of new strings right before the performance. Great playing anyways =)

[@rroohhaann123ful]

Horrible sound quality

[@lacoon7272]

Stop coughing wtf

[@andymerino8642]

he is out of tune

[@dominoplay3712]

man opens his soul to help others and all you can say he is outta tune? yeah right gym bro