ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Amanda Palmer - Musician, blogger
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.

Why you should listen

Amanda Palmer commands attention. The singer-songwriter-blogger-provocateur, known for pushing boundaries in both her art and her lifestyle, made international headlines this year when she raised nearly $1.2 million via Kickstarter (she’d asked for $100k) from nearly 25,000 fans who pre-ordered her new album, Theatre Is Evil.
 
But the former street performer, then Dresden Dolls frontwoman, now solo artist hit a bump the week her world tour kicked off. She revealed plans to crowdsource additional local backup musicians in each tour stop, offering to pay them in hugs, merchandise and beer per her custom. Bitter and angry criticism ensued (she eventually promised to pay her local collaborators in cash). And it's interesting to consider why. As Laurie Coots suggests: "The idea was heckled because we didn't understand the value exchange -- the whole idea of asking the crowd for what you need when you need it and not asking for more or less."

Summing up her business model, in which she views her recorded music as the digital equivalent of street performing, she says: “I firmly believe in music being as free as possible. Unlocked. Shared and spread. In order for artists to survive and create, their audiences need to step up and directly support them.”

Amanda's non-fiction book, The Art of Asking, digs deeply into the topics she addressed in her TED Talk. 

More profile about the speaker
Amanda Palmer | Speaker | TED.com
Jherek Bischoff - Composer, musician
Jherek Bischoff is a Los Angeles-based composer, arranger, producer and multi-instrumental performer.

Why you should listen

Jherek Bischoff has collaborated with the likes of Kronos Quartet, Bang on a Can, David Byrne and Neil Gaiman, and he has performed in venues and festivals around the globe including Royal Albert Hall for BBC Proms, Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall, Adelaide Festival and Tasmania's MONA FOMA. His work as a composer has garnered commissions from Kronos Quartet, Lincoln Center, and St Ann's Warehouse and has been performed by Seattle Symphony, Adelaide Art Orchestra, Wordless Music, Stargaze and yMusic.

His critically-acclaimed releases include 2016's Cistern, 2012's Composed, and a co-release in 2016 with Amanda Palmer, Strung Out In Heaven: A Bowie String Quartet Tribute. He has been interviewed by Terry Gross on "Fresh Air" and by Jonathan Ross for BBC Radio 2's "Arts Show". In 2014, Bischoff made his musical scoring debut with Johnny Breitwieser at Vienna's Schauspielhaus; in 2015, Bischoff ventured into television, contributing work to Starz' "Blunt Talk" and Netflix's "Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp."

Bischoff was the artist in residence for the month of August for Times Square's Midnight Moment, where his video for "Cistern" was broadcast every night on Times Square's electronic billboards, culminating in two live performances in the middle of Times Square. He is currently working on his next musical score for Theater Basel's production of "Das Fliegende Klassenzimmer," which premieres in December, and a collaborative album with Kronos Quartet.

More profile about the speaker
Jherek Bischoff | Speaker | TED.com
Usman Riaz - Artist, composer
TED Senior Fellow Usman Riaz is an artist and composer.

Why you should listen

Usman Riaz is the founder of Mano Animation Studios -- Pakistans first hand-drawn animation studio. Their first project, The Glassworker (شیشہ گر), was created by a team of creatives from Pakistan, Malaysia, Canada, South Africa, the US and the UK. 

More profile about the speaker
Usman Riaz | Speaker | TED.com
TED2016

Amanda Palmer, Jherek Bischoff, Usman Riaz: "Space Oddity"

Filmed:
772,589 views

Zangeres Amanda Palmer brengt een eerbetoon aan de onnavolgbare David Bowie, met een cover van 'Space Oddity'. Ze wordt op het podium vergezeld door Jherek Bischoff, TED Fellow Usman Riaz en, nee je ogen bedriegen je niet, niemand anders dan voormalig vicepresident Al Gore.
- Musician, blogger
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. Full bio - Composer, musician
Jherek Bischoff is a Los Angeles-based composer, arranger, producer and multi-instrumental performer. Full bio - Artist, composer
TED Senior Fellow Usman Riaz is an artist and composer. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:13
(MusicMuziek)
0
1114
4458
(Muziek)
00:29
AmandaAmanda PalmerPalmer (singinghet zingen):
GroundGrond ControlControle to MajorGrote TomTom,
1
17229
3459
Amanda Palmer (zingt):
Vluchtleiding voor Majoor Tom,
00:36
GroundGrond ControlControle to MajorGrote TomTom,
2
24845
3018
Vluchtleiding voor Majoor Tom,
00:44
Take your proteineiwit pillspillen
and put your helmethelm on.
3
32415
5154
Neem je proteïnepillen
en zet je helm op.
00:53
AlAl GoreGore: TenTien, NineNegen, EightAcht, SevenZeven, SixZes ...
4
41535
3774
Al Gore: Tien, negen, acht, zeven, zes...
00:57
APAP: GroundGrond ControlControle to MajorGrote TomTom,
5
45333
4983
AP: Vluchtleiding voor Majoor Tom,
01:02
AGAG: FiveVijf, FourVier, ThreeDrie, Two, One ...
APAP: CommencingVanaf countdownCountdown, enginesmotoren on.
6
50340
5016
AG: Vijf, vier, drie, twee, een...
AP: Begin het aftellen, motoren aan.
01:10
CheckSelectievakje ignitionontsteking
7
58235
2374
Controleer de ontsteking
01:12
and maymei God'sGods love be with you.
8
60633
2523
en moge Gods liefde met je zijn.
01:15
AGAG: LiftoffLiftOff.
9
63180
1419
AG: Lancering.
01:30
APAP: This is GroundGrond ControlControle to MajorGrote TomTom,
10
78360
5294
AP: Dit is vluchtleiding voor Majoor Tom,
01:36
You've really madegemaakt the graderang
11
84392
3676
Je hebt het echt gemaakt
01:41
And the paperspapieren want to know
12
89346
3769
en de kranten willen weten
01:45
whosewaarvan shirtsshirts you wearslijtage.
13
93139
2508
wiens hemden je draagt.
01:49
Now it's time to leavehet verlof the capsulecapsule
14
97320
4714
Nu is het tijd om de capsule te verlaten
01:54
if you daredurven.
15
102058
2043
als je durft.
01:58
"This is MajorGrote TomTom to GroundGrond ControlControle,
16
106054
5025
"Dit is Majoor Tom voor vluchtleiding,
02:03
I'm steppingintensivering throughdoor the doordeur-
17
111103
3599
ik stap door de deur
02:08
And I'm floatingdrijvend in a mostmeest peculiareigenaardige way
18
116281
6176
en ik zweef op de
allereigenaardigste manier
02:15
And the starssterren look very differentverschillend todayvandaag.
19
123781
6734
en de sterren zien
er vandaag heel anders uit.
02:23
For here am I floatingdrijvend roundronde my tinTin can.
20
131847
6912
Want hier zweef ik rond mijn tinnen blik.
02:32
FarVeel abovebovenstaand the worldwereld-,
21
140070
6244
Ver boven de wereld
02:39
PlanetPlaneet EarthAarde is blueblauw
22
147981
3122
is planeet aarde blauw
02:43
and there's nothing I can do."
23
151127
5044
en er is niets dat ik kan doen."
02:49
(MusicMuziek)
24
157107
2000
(Muziek)
03:19
"ThoughHoewel I'm pastverleden 100,000 milesmijlen,
25
187985
6012
"Zelfs al ben ik
meer dan 100.000 km ver weg,
03:26
I'm feelinggevoel very still,
26
194021
3657
voel ik me heel rustig
03:31
and I think my spaceshipruimteschip knowsweet
whichwelke way to go.
27
199414
5666
en ik denk dat mijn ruimteschip
weet welke kant het op moet.
03:39
Tell my wifevrouw I love her very much
28
207384
4250
Zeg mijn vrouw
dat ik heel veel van haar houd,
03:43
she knowsweet."
29
211658
3141
dat weet ze."
03:48
GroundGrond ControlControle to MajorGrote TomTom,
30
216355
4042
Vluchtleiding voor Majoor Tom,
03:52
your circuit'scircuit van deaddood,
31
220421
2065
de verbinding is verbroken,
03:54
there's something wrongfout.
32
222510
1768
er is iets mis.
03:56
Can you hearhoren me, MajorGrote TomTom?
33
224302
3388
Kun je me horen, Majoor Tom?
04:00
Can you hearhoren me, MajorGrote TomTom?
34
228710
2903
Kun je me horen, Majoor Tom?
04:04
Can you hearhoren me, MajorGrote TomTom?
35
232611
3181
Kun je me horen, Majoor Tom?
04:08
Can you ...
36
236812
1151
Kun je...
04:09
"Here am I floatingdrijvend roundronde my tinTin can,
37
237987
6248
"Hier zweef ik rond mijn tinnen blik,
04:17
farver abovebovenstaand the MoonMaan.
38
245292
4783
ver boven de maan.
04:25
PlanetPlaneet EarthAarde is blueblauw
39
253277
3067
Planeet aarde is blauw
04:28
and there's nothing I can do.
40
256368
5225
en er is niets dat ik kan doen.
04:35
(MusicMuziek)
41
263030
2000
(Muziek)
05:29
["I'm not a prophetprofeet or a stone-agesteentijd man,
42
317238
4457
["Ik ben geen profeet
of een man uit de steentijd,
05:33
just a mortalsterfelijk with the potentialpotentieel
of a supermanSuperman ...
43
321719
3846
gewoon een sterveling
met het potentieel van een superman...
05:37
... I'm livingleven on."
DavidDavid BowieBowie, 1947-2016]
44
325579
3185
... ik leef voort."
David Bowie, 1947-2016]
05:40
(ApplauseApplaus)
45
328798
6553
(Applaus)
Translated by Fleur Bardoul
Reviewed by Peter Van de Ven

▲Back to top

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Amanda Palmer - Musician, blogger
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.

Why you should listen

Amanda Palmer commands attention. The singer-songwriter-blogger-provocateur, known for pushing boundaries in both her art and her lifestyle, made international headlines this year when she raised nearly $1.2 million via Kickstarter (she’d asked for $100k) from nearly 25,000 fans who pre-ordered her new album, Theatre Is Evil.
 
But the former street performer, then Dresden Dolls frontwoman, now solo artist hit a bump the week her world tour kicked off. She revealed plans to crowdsource additional local backup musicians in each tour stop, offering to pay them in hugs, merchandise and beer per her custom. Bitter and angry criticism ensued (she eventually promised to pay her local collaborators in cash). And it's interesting to consider why. As Laurie Coots suggests: "The idea was heckled because we didn't understand the value exchange -- the whole idea of asking the crowd for what you need when you need it and not asking for more or less."

Summing up her business model, in which she views her recorded music as the digital equivalent of street performing, she says: “I firmly believe in music being as free as possible. Unlocked. Shared and spread. In order for artists to survive and create, their audiences need to step up and directly support them.”

Amanda's non-fiction book, The Art of Asking, digs deeply into the topics she addressed in her TED Talk. 

More profile about the speaker
Amanda Palmer | Speaker | TED.com
Jherek Bischoff - Composer, musician
Jherek Bischoff is a Los Angeles-based composer, arranger, producer and multi-instrumental performer.

Why you should listen

Jherek Bischoff has collaborated with the likes of Kronos Quartet, Bang on a Can, David Byrne and Neil Gaiman, and he has performed in venues and festivals around the globe including Royal Albert Hall for BBC Proms, Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall, Adelaide Festival and Tasmania's MONA FOMA. His work as a composer has garnered commissions from Kronos Quartet, Lincoln Center, and St Ann's Warehouse and has been performed by Seattle Symphony, Adelaide Art Orchestra, Wordless Music, Stargaze and yMusic.

His critically-acclaimed releases include 2016's Cistern, 2012's Composed, and a co-release in 2016 with Amanda Palmer, Strung Out In Heaven: A Bowie String Quartet Tribute. He has been interviewed by Terry Gross on "Fresh Air" and by Jonathan Ross for BBC Radio 2's "Arts Show". In 2014, Bischoff made his musical scoring debut with Johnny Breitwieser at Vienna's Schauspielhaus; in 2015, Bischoff ventured into television, contributing work to Starz' "Blunt Talk" and Netflix's "Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp."

Bischoff was the artist in residence for the month of August for Times Square's Midnight Moment, where his video for "Cistern" was broadcast every night on Times Square's electronic billboards, culminating in two live performances in the middle of Times Square. He is currently working on his next musical score for Theater Basel's production of "Das Fliegende Klassenzimmer," which premieres in December, and a collaborative album with Kronos Quartet.

More profile about the speaker
Jherek Bischoff | Speaker | TED.com
Usman Riaz - Artist, composer
TED Senior Fellow Usman Riaz is an artist and composer.

Why you should listen

Usman Riaz is the founder of Mano Animation Studios -- Pakistans first hand-drawn animation studio. Their first project, The Glassworker (شیشہ گر), was created by a team of creatives from Pakistan, Malaysia, Canada, South Africa, the US and the UK. 

More profile about the speaker
Usman Riaz | Speaker | TED.com