Transform Yourself Into a Performer | Alpin Hong | TEDxLaSierraUniversity

From Mozart to Mario, Alpin Hong is using his love of music, education, humor, and even video games to change the way you think about the art of performance. Transform yourself into a performer in this series of simple steps and enjoy a hilarious look into the story of Hong's mashup masterpiece "Twinkle Twinkle Death Star."
Whirlwind American tours and performances across the globe have earned pianist Alpin Hong the reputation as a modern day Pied Piper. From Walt Disney Music Hall to the White House, his combination of stunning technique, emotional range, and rare humor continues to bring audiences young and old to their feet.
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

[@AlpinHong]

Thank you all for your comments everyone! This was my very first shot at a video lecture presentation--so glad you guys found it was entertaining as well as informative. By the way, the part where I talk about a performer projecting confidence while being terrified internally? That was me the whole freaking time.

[@Riodah]

+Alpin Hong ahahah we don't notice that, your smile was above all! Well done! :)

[@SPninetyfour]

You sir are amazing! All the best for you in life. This is my first comment for years on KZbin but I wanted to say that I loved the video! Thank you!

[@dippyplays6010]

I saw you at my school one time

[@The_AvGamer]

MAKE MORE VIDEOS!!!

[@emilythesongbird2306]

You did a magnificent job! You couldn't have been terrified while playing really? Any time I am terrified while playing, my hands freeze. Thank you so much for doing this talk and performance. I will definitely share this with my music students. Just did a gig on Friday night with a Star Wars montage. Thanks a million! You are a musical gem with a fantastic sense of humor!

[@mbunny04]

that quote is so intelligent. "there are no wrong notes. some are just more right than others."

[@HungryForWater]

Roopkatha B. "Accidentals"

[@windbreaker57]

Yes, and this other one, "We may not be able to control when mistakes arise, but we can control the impact of what it does to us."

[@PabloVestory]

Miles Davis said something similar: "It’s not the note you play that’s the wrong note. It’s the note you play afterwards that makes it right or wrong."

[@AquaFX]

rohan neelala well, thats complicated

[@anshuljain8515]

Quite similar to the Animal Farm quote "All animals are equal. Some are more equal than others"

[@gary8787]

One of the better speakers. He doesn't sound scripted like most speakers. His speech came from his heart, not words on a piece of paper. Great tip on building self-confidence for future performances.

[@acornhomestead3575]

I wonder if he practiced that backwards lol

[@destinsleutel5541]

Actually it did sound scripted

[@8oclockconcerts403]

HAHHAHAHAHAAH that was amazing! Imagine having the confidence to play star wars and super mario in a concert where the audience were expecting the Mozart variations...amazing hahhahahhaa

[@lilecai5956]

I performed at a piano recital yesterday, and made a lot of mistakes. I was very depressed because of this. But after watching this video, I feel so delighted at my performance: at least I have kept moving forward after the mistakes to finish the piece so as not to have this "train wreck":) thanks so much for making this video!

[@Aerochalklate]

Lile Cai lmao don’t get depressed over a little thing.. just practice more and have the passion to get better

[@johne2815]

You probably did amazing 😀👍

[@keithshowell6688]

Sometimes there are unscheduled stops along your train ride, Lile Cai. I was considered a pretty good drummer in my younger days, but I went through performance issues in college sports and quit playing baseball after my sophomore year to focus on the books. Raised my grades and decided to change schools so I could play ball again. That unscheduled stop was a blessing for me. The result? I was named to the All-America baseball team and became a top 50 draft pick even though I started that season sitting on the bench for the first time in my life! You can only lose when you fail to learn the lessons that prove to you that unscheduled train stops are not "train wrecks". Some people are good without 10,000 hour outlier work ethic, but I put the work in because I knew the next best player that I was always on the same field and I had to be better than I bekieved myself to be or my opponents. Sometimes the train is on the wrong track or heading in the wrong direction! I only got better when I stopped trying to be something and someone I was not training all of my life to become. I did not get rich, but I got close! I was EN-riched by the lessons I learned in the story I have shared with you today. Peace (and practice) be with you!

[@joy6085]

I believe the very best people give TEDx talks to inspire everyone else to be their best.

[@nylye9496]

This guy is so charming!

[@CHEFZOOT]

-not just about the exact delivery -don't underestimate the power of a smile -make eye contact to draw audience in and make them invested in you -audience is on your side, they want you to have a successful, memorable performance -understand the framework of your performance so you can improvise

[@emilygervais3270]

my teacher showed us this in music once and i loved it so much. here i am, months later, listening to it in the middle of the night 😂

[@marcybrooks3425]

This is probably one of the most helpful TED talks I've seen so far! I am a performer and none of my former teachers ever talked about these elements. Thank you!

[@bennemann]

Tracklist with timestamps: 14:26: Mozart - Twinkle Twinkle Little Star 14:51: Mozart - variations on Twinkle Twinkle Little Star 16:43: Star Wars - Imperial March 17:09: Star Wars - The Force theme 17:41: Jeopardy theme 17:51: Imagine Dragons - Radioactive 18:13: Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven 18:30: Zelda theme 18:48: James Bond theme 19:13: Hedwig's Theme from Harry Potter 19:25: Carol Of The Bells 19:37: Game of Thrones theme 20:05: brief Carol Of The Bells transition 20:11: Star Wars main theme 20:40: Super Mario theme 21:03: Mario's victory theme (or whatever it is called) 21:07: Shave and a haircut (two cents)

[@jaynejacobs3160]

bennemann 16:17 is a minor key variation of Twinkle and 17:09 is Star Wars again. Princess Leia’s theme, I believe.

[@bennemann]

@@jaynejacobs3160 Thanks, but I listened to Leia's theme and that doesn't seem right. The other one doesn't sound like twinkle to me either.

[@bennemann]

@@jaynejacobs3160 found the second one, it's the Force theme

[@Kate-zl3zl]

Lucy in the Sky is in there

[@mailywong9612]

Incredible list , thanks so much

[@kucherlt]

"I don't always dance but, when I do, I dance with you" Awesome Quote Reminds me of dos equis beer commercial most interesting man Awesome Transitions in Twinkle Twinkle Deathstar

[@samw.546]

This guys came to my high school like 4-5 years ago, and he was the absolute best pianist that I had ever seen. He really is this funny and charismatic in person and not performing, as well as when performing.

[@reSUNator]

his face is priceless...

[@twentyonepointfour]

reSunator Chang Love his hair more

[@jordynbabywoods]

He starts playing piano at 14:15 if you're just coming back to this video for the awesome song haha

[@human_that_much3626]

Thank you so much for this!

[@cherrybaggins7675]

Improvisation is a very important skill, I wish my teacher had taught me that when I was learning piano years ago. It would have given me confidence and saved me from a paralyzing stage fright. So what, if I played a completely different thing if my memory failed, I would have a laugh, and so would the audience :D I think classical music teachers should allow more freedom and creativity, all students would benefit from that.

[@antfactor]

I FULLY agree. It's a lost skill that was actually inherent and expected in older repertoire. MANY of the great composers and performers learned and were expected(!) to improvise.

[@ashishthomas5562]

That changed after Beethoven began making don't improvise over his cadenzas.

[@hannahtherese8681]

you do not wait for someone to teach you. Best way to learn is just forcing yourself in front of an audience a bunch of times and just doing it

[@MattPark75]

As a dedicated piano instructor for over 25 years, I still give 300% of my energy to my students, to help them grow in every aspect possible in life. Reading this kind of unfair and misguided accusations makes my heart bleed. You imply that improvising is as simple as teaching/learning it. Believe me, it's not, if it was, everyone would be able to do it! Moreover, teachers are not here to open the doors for you, they're guides, they give you tools and motivation to grow, but where you go is your choice and no one will take you there, only YOU can do it. Instead of looking at what your teacher should have done, look at what you didn't do first. I didn't wait for my teacher to start playing by ear, rewriting tunes I heard and writing variations. I was still a kid back then and in a family who couldn't care less about piano! No one to push me to do anything. Probably your teacher's only mistake was not pushing you to take more initiatives. But I'm pretty sure this implies to everything in life. Sorry for the rant but it's too easy and unfair to always put the blame on teachers when a little initiative (and hard work ofc) is all you truly need.

[@mentalkinesthetics7668]

sensational combination of songs... very glad that was part of the talk

[@davewoychek4022]

I don't always comment on KZbin... but when I do...... Actually I never comment on KZbin but I felt this worth sharing. I've been a musician most of my life an when Mr. Hong got to the point about musicians practicing it really struck a chord (see what I did there?). I was watching this while sitting at my desk, where I have a Hammond keyboard right next to computer keyboard and put this video on the screen after playing the intro section to 3 different songs and thinking... "I should really learn the rest of that soon...."

[@andycordy5190]

Clearly, this is not about the desire to perform but how to put that desire into practice. I loved it. Thank you.

[@Snow__]

I stumbled upon this video as I searched for best practices on improving my presence. I very much enjoyed this video. You are very talented. Thanks for sharing.

[@BrettVano]

This guy's playing made me smile! Nice presentation too.

[@OktoberFilms]

Stumbled upon this at the end of an evening binge watching TED talks. This one was the best. A charming and funny performer at the top of his game. I've seen a fair share of concerts in my life, and a few mistakes being made. How a performer handles the mistakes makes all the difference. He or she can allow it to ruin a good concert, or laugh it off, loosening up the atmosphere and enhancing the experience for everyone. Thanks Apin! This was perfect.

[@euphemism63]

Thank you, Alpin, for deploying those numerous "classes" from the late V. Borge. :) Absolutely epic - best thing I've heard all night.

[@sussanalee430]

Ecstatic music! My ears loved it, and I am sure, so did my DNA, and my mouth did too. It smiled. and my heart dances with you. I learned a lot about connecting with anyone anything. What a priceless gift you have given us! Gratitude!

[@breanna4360]

There are no words for the amount of excellence he is. What a talent. His hard work certainly paid off.

[@Son0fHobs]

The best part about his playing was his charisma and how he embodied the music as he played it.

[@tylerlordhamilton252]

Mr. Alpin Hong is adorable, funny and genius. I was able to follow his mind in his great speech. Thank you for sharing him with us. Best, Tyler Lord Hamilton

[@JLew-ch8yu]

A very creative venture from many years of hard work. Congratulations and thanks for sharing!

[@TheSubwaysurfer]

It’s been my great pleasure over the course of my life they have done a lot of public speaking and believe me the audience does not know that you were making mistakes or that you’re even nervous unless you do something crazy like apologize excuse yourself or tell them how nervous you are or if you even made a mistake. I found if you keep going the audience doesn’t know a thing and if they catch youMake a mistake and not flinching they think it’s all part of the act. One of the greatest things that I’ve learned as a public speaker is that more people in the audience want you to succeed then people who want you to fail

[@musicgetsmehigh1989]

Inspirational. Thank you so much for that. (Teary eyed smile)

[@stevetornovish6632]

This was fantastic from start to finish! Thanks so much!

[@ysamilk]

This guy is awesome and very charismatic! Loved the talk and the final performance! So inspiring :)

[@teemolee313]

''I don't always dance, but when I do, I dance with you'' *mic drops*

[@ReVoLynx]

Oh hey, it's that guy from Wired's Jacob Collier video.

[@joshc4983]

Oh my goodness! that's where I've seen him, haha! good catch!

[@RogerBarraud]

Thanks for the lead! Jacob's always fun. Both of them together oughtta be something else! :-)

[@mjrubio410]

This guy is so fascinating to watch! That medley of songs he played was SO MUCH FUN and impressive!! Really happy this appeared on my recommendations!!!

[@Ramvittal]

Wow. This has to be one of the most inspirational speeches and put into action immediately. Truly Amazing!!

[@ricardogarnier6639]

wow tears in my eyes

[@Highcastle_of_Tone]

Love the talk and especially loved Twinkle Twinkle Death Star!

[@josephfernando4867]

That sudden shift of camera angle to behind the speaker really jolted me...great work...

[@simonafullinfaw9730]

So much to learn and admire from this amazing human being🤗

[@andersoncosta4770]

One of the best moments of my life! You're awesome.

[@mustafakaderi6311]

Absolutely loved this video. I stumbled upon it on my drive back home from the gym this morning! What a great way to start my day! Loved the performance and you have such a great smile :) thank you sir!

[@tremichael8202]

You are delightful! Such amazing advice and truly wonderful performance. Thank you for sharing your gifts with us.

[@justanothersherlockian7058]

OMG THAT WAS INCREDIBLE!!! As an amateur pianist, this is so mind-blowing! That was so cool!!!

[@lucyannmcwilliams3889]

Very AWESOME

[@carolshannon6449]

I wasn't fortunate enough to see and hear your performance in Kent WA this past weekend, but I heard all about it, and how you have helped some young people. My friends were still emotional about your amazing playing, and that you came to a place that isn't the biggest city in the area and were so kind to some young people here. Thank you!

[@akkyiscool]

The most beautiful piano composition I will ever hear! Thank you!

[@nikiarrowsmith]

He is so sweet!!!!!!! It's clear he was nervous during the speech part but on the keys, wham, bam, thank you ma'am! And that's all that was needed for his message to keep the arts in our lives...and how valuable the ability to perform is! Alpin Hong, you have a new fan.

[@CurlieNikki]

What an enjoyable video from a very likeable person. I watched this video by "accident" and enjoyed every moment. He is so funny and authentic.

[@billhebb416]

Valuable insight. I’m 70 and am an intermediate player with awful stage fright. Very valuable. Thank you.

[@titilili88]

Wow.What a gift you've given us. I'm performing in front of my family at my mom's 80th birthday and I've been working on learning a piece. This will help me a lot! Thanks so much. This was brilliant!😊

[@tomokomiyazono8040]

Such a fun talk! Congratulations on the assertive points and make it fun!

[@brianstark1527]

Inspirational talk and impressive performance. Thank you!

[@azelarabyaggour361]

This man is simply indescribably awesome!

[@lockjiang]

I fell in love with him when the Mario theme came up.

[@WizardOfMinecraftia]

I clapped at my computer

[@EK-md2jt]

dog dumplings same😄 and i smiled like an idiot

[@IzichiUchiha]

Elena K. 😂😂😂👏

[@mikejay8987]

@Elena K. lol :D

[@phatastube]

I laughed at my iPad

[@Ramvittal]

Honestly me too

[@youngartistsconservatoryof7526]

This is wonderful and encompasses the main points of my performance readiness pedagogy. I would however say that performance doesn't start the moment you walk out on stage, but begins at the first note practiced, and every lesson and rehearsal experience.. we are building a story our brain expects.. and our performance will be an expression of the story our brain has been trained to expect.. The arts truly transform us to be engaged, resilient, and authentically present!

[@SingularForce]

Young Artists Conservatory of Music Thank you.

[@Lilaliba88]

Young Artists Conservatory of Music I agree with you however in this context of a performers stage presence it was meant from the perspective of the audience. That way the performance is really starting the moment you enter and ends when you bow and walk out.

[@shiuandai0426]

Wow! I felt impressive . This guy deserves standing ovations.

[@kpvdnber]

While not as informing as could be, I thoroughly enjoyed and wish the best for mr Hong. Which precisely proves his points.

[@jasonandrews9058]

Wow Wow Wow super awesome. I felt like you spoke directly to me Alpin. Being terrified and put on the spot is what seems to happen to me right now in my music experience. Preparation is a huge part of it but having those nerves under control is true talent also. You have done extremely well thank you for this. :)

[@Bellinissima]

I haven't smiled so much listening to a musical performance in a while :)

[@DrQuizzler]

That was a lot of fun to hear his point of view on performing, and to see how he winged it through an onstage memory slip, turning it into a masterful medley of pop tunes. Clearly he knew a bunch of theory, to be able to connect all of them on the fly during the performance he described. As for the playing, he's truly a cross-over artist. Great fun!!

[@dcllaw677]

I admire people like this fellow.

[@vaporizzzer]

That was an outstanding performance in all aspects!

[@jochong1204]

He is really awesome!! ...his talk as well as his performance..

[@lucyannmcwilliams3889]

You are a Very Good Teacher of Music. Clear and Precise. . Thank You

[@Alpha-Andromeda]

Fabulous!! Funny, witty, informative and with a performance. Great ending. Top notch! Yayyy And thank you for not making Ted talks a hard luck story place. But rather an inspirational and informative arena. Thanks for the laughs!!!

[@littlecarol2018]

I LOVE this video! Thank you so much.

[@alwaysontop4]

Thank you for a very insperational speech!

[@shawndamott6169]

Such great speakers and performers I really enjoy these so much thank you!!!

[@Psyobarn]

I am completing my final exam for Trinity College in Clarinet in December. I have made so many mistakes in my performances through out my clarinet exams. After each performance I was a bit disappointed that i wasn't able to perform it 100% correct. This talk has allowed me to view mistakes in a more positive light and to say to myself at the next exam that the examiner really wants me to succeed. I think this will be a better attitude to take to my next exam. Thanks so much for the excellent talk!

[@bluesrockchannel6293]

Thank you so much, I enjoyed your presentation immensely, It is by far the best Ted Talk Ive seen to date and Ive watched quite a lot, so thank you again, it was wonderful :)

[@annemeson7820]

Thanks Alpin for your speech... I have an audition in a few days...and when I start playing piano my right leg start to tremble no matter what...That's why I looked at your video...probably because I'm terrified internally and in order to save the hands from shaking, then the leg start to tremble which is REALLY annoying...but then confidence is the secret...

[@mandocast9731]

Truely an amazing performance...just amazing 👏

[@mayumi.-.8469]

That was so inspiring and helps me a lot!! I also loooove 'Twinkle Twinkle Death Star' ;) Thank you!!!

[@user-uj5fl1eb5c]

Hands down the *BEST* Ted talk EVER🤣

[@mikaelaqistina]

Very inspiring and entertaining. I feel happy and inspired. Thank you for this.

[@joycesutherland6429]

Thank you. I enjoyed your presentation. It was very helpful and entertaining!!

[@patricioeb]

9:15 - It reminds me when someone told me: "I've read the bible backwards and it has a happy ending..." 😄Thanks & greets from Tenerife (Canary Islands) 🙌🙏

[@Steph-cj1mc]

Watching this November 29 2016,he was teaching my school music when i was in 5th grade then now im 6th grade :)

[@mufudzimaposa]

Quite a mashup there, amazing advice and performance

[@manuelahe_]

The canon of humanity, brilliant!

[@eevee2joltyon]

just saw him today at my school! amazing talent! His trigger finger is Hella fast

[@kenschaefer9293]

Thank you so much, I definitely am going to pass this information and your ideas and approach to my students. God bless

[@rashifarsya]

I wish I watched this kind of video when I was a kid, I played classical piano and had some recitals, and none of them left a good memory. “We may not be able to control when mistake arise but we can control the impact of what it does to us.” Yes! And unfortunately I let those memory ruined me, I stopped playing for years but I just started again in the beginning of 2019. I won’t let mistakes and ‘not very good’ memories stop me from playing classical music again.

[@ReganKeely]

Wow... so thankful for this beautiful man.. really helped me!!!

[@The22on]

As a piano teacher and composer, I am in awe of your improvisation, performance, and technique. I LOVED the piano piece. Because it changes so often, one never gets 'bored'. The transitions and modulations were natural sounding. Thanks for inspiring me to try some of the same! By the way, this is before your time, but the first Tonight Show was with Jack Paar. His bandleader was Jose Melis, a Cuban classically trained pianist. Jose used to do a skit where he deliberately hit a horrible note. To cover up the 'mistake' he then played every chord change with that wrong note. For instance, it he hit the tritone F# against a C chord, he hit a B against an F chord and a C# against the G chord. After a few seconds of this, the mistake began to sound like it was part of the improvisation!I searched for a video on youtube but can't find it. Can anyone find it online?

[@MultiCII]

One of the best ever!

[@lucyannmcwilliams3889]

EXCUSE ME. . . 🥰💜 THE SHARING, THAT CONCERT WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING 🌠🌌

[@itdetective]

just amazing!!

[@patfinnegan467]

Outstanding! Thank you.

[@zackberger3779]

Powerful. Thank you thank you!

[@SBKtvMUSIC]

A great talk. You should repeat it at school parents evenings - as many as possible!

[@babyangtuaco7113]

Bravo! I love this!

[@innerintelmarylroberts7432]

Insightful and amazing!!!💕🌹💕

[@rohu1000]

Thank u Mr Alpin Hong and Tedx

[@tokio47193058]

Dear Mr Hong, this was fantastic very fun speech., I hope to have you on Miami any time soon so I can take my son to see you, him got a great talent at classic piano but stop practicing cuz Stage Fright |

[@emilydickinson-songsproject]

Great, very entertaining, flowing from start to finish.

[@jocinda]

absolutely love !

[@mcdonsterofficial8808]

Inspiring i love this performance

[@kabuwanqin9]

My music lecturer sent us a set of six videos for my module assignment and this vid is one of them~ Alpin's just excellent omggg 🤩 I don't even think I can improvise like that!!! And there's many key points like projecting confidence, adequate preparation, don't expect for perfection, working from backwards when practicing and the most important thing is to improvise if one forgets a section of the piece!! I have learnt so much in tis vid n listened to such a wonderful performance 🤩 Alpin was sooo into the music that he improvised ahahah 😆 Well done!!! It actually inspired me to work on myself like my confidence and other factors that I've mentioned as well ☺️ I'm definitely going to choose this video for my assignment, as my lecturer told me to choose two videos from the six videos I have~