ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Robert Gupta - Violinist
Violinist Robert Gupta joined the LA Philharmonic at the age of 19 -- and maintains a passionate parallel interest in neurobiology and mental health issues. He's a TED Senior Fellow.

Why you should listen

Violinist Robert Vijay Gupta joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the age of 19. He made his solo debut, at age 11, with the Israel Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta. He has a Master's in music from Yale. But his undergraduate degree? Pre-med. As an undergrad, Gupta was part of several research projects in neuro- and neurodegenerative biology. He held Research Assistant positions at CUNY Hunter College in New York City, where he worked on spinal cord neuronal regeneration, and at the Harvard Institutes of Medicine Center for Neurologic Diseases, where he studied the biochemical pathology of Parkinson's disease.

Gupta is passionate about education and outreach, both as a musician and as an activist for mental health issues. He has the privilege of working with Nathaniel Ayers, the brilliant, schizophrenic musician featured in "The Soloist," as his violin teacher.

More profile about the speaker
Robert Gupta | Speaker | TED.com
TED2010

Robert Gupta: Music is medicine, music is sanity

Robert Gupta: Muzika je lek, muzika je zdrav um

Filmed:
1,333,855 views

Robert Gupta, violinista losanđeleskog filharmonijskog orkestra, govori o časovima violine koje je držao brilijantnom i šizofrenom muzičaru – i o tome šta je sam naučio. Kada su ga nakon govora ponovo pozvali na pozornicu, izveo je svoju adaptaciju preludijuma iz Bahove svite za čelo br. 1.
- Violinist
Violinist Robert Gupta joined the LA Philharmonic at the age of 19 -- and maintains a passionate parallel interest in neurobiology and mental health issues. He's a TED Senior Fellow. Full bio

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

00:15
One day, LosLos AngelesAngelesu TimesPuta columnistkolumnista
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Jednog dana kolumnista Los Anđeles Tajmsa
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SteveSteve LopezLopez was walkingХодање alongзаједно
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Stiv Lopez je šetajući se
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the streetsулице of downtownЦентар града LosLos AngelesAngelesu
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ulicama u centru Los Anđelesa
00:22
when he heardслушао beautifulЛепа musicмузика.
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začuo predivnu muziku.
00:25
And the sourceизвор was a man,
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Zvuke muzike proizvodio je
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an African-AmericanAfro-Amerikanac man,
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jedan Afroamerikanac,
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charmingšarmantan, ruggedotrcane, homelessbez krova nad glavom,
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šarmantan, krševit beskućnik,
00:33
playingиграње a violinвиолина that only had two stringsструне.
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i to na violini sa samo dve žice.
00:36
And I'm tellingговорећи a storyприча that manyмноги of you know,
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Pričam vam priču koju mnogi od vas znaju,
00:38
because Steve'sSteve's columnskolone becameпостао the basisоснове
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jer su Stivove kolumne bile osnova
00:41
for a bookкњига, whichкоја was turnedокренуо се into a movieфилм,
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za knjigu, po kojoj je snimljen film
00:44
with RobertRobert DowneyDowney JrJr. actingглума as SteveSteve LopezLopez,
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u kom Robert Dauni Džunior ima ulogu Stiva Lopeza,
00:46
and JamieJamie FoxxFoks as NathanielNathaniel AnthonyAnthony AyersAyers,
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a Džejmi Foks glumi Natanijela Antoni Ajersa,
00:49
the Juilliard-trainedDa li je trenirao Juilliard doubleдвоструко bassistbasista
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kontrabasista njujorškog konzervatorijuma Džulijard,
00:51
whoseчије promisingобећавајуће careerкаријера was cutрез shortкратак
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čiju je obećavajuću karijeru tragično zaustavio
00:54
by a tragicтрагичан afflictionnapast with paranoidparanoja schizophreniaсхизофренија.
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nastup paranoidne šizofrenije.
00:58
NathanielNathaniel droppedпао out of JuilliardJuilliard, he sufferedпретрпео a completeкомплетан breakdownslom,
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Natanijel se ispisao sa Džulijarda, preživeo potpuni nervni slom,
01:00
and 30 yearsгодине laterкасније he was livingживи homelessbez krova nad glavom
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a 30 godina kasnije živeo je kao beskućnik
01:02
on the streetsулице of SkidKočenja RowRed in downtownЦентар града LosLos AngelesAngelesu.
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na ulicama zapuštenog naselja Skid Rou u centru Los Anđelesa.
01:06
I encourageохрабрити all of you to readчитати Steve'sSteve's bookкњига or to watch the movieфилм
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Želim da vas podstaknem da pročitate Stivovu knjigu, ili pogledate film,
01:09
to understandРазумем not only the beautifulЛепа bondвеза
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da biste razumeli ne samo prelepu povezanost
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that formedформирана betweenизмеђу these two menмушкарци,
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koja je nastala između ova dva čoveka,
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but how musicмузика helpedпомогао shapeоблик that bondвеза,
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već i kako je muzika uticala na stvaranje te veze
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and ultimatelyна крају was instrumentalinstrumentalna muzika -- if you'llти ћеш pardonpomilovanje the punигра речи --
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i na kraju bila zaslužna za - oprostite na izrazu -
01:20
in helpingпомажући NathanielNathaniel get off the streetsулице.
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to da Natanijela sklonimo sa ulice.
01:24
I metиспуњен MrG.. AyersAyers in 2008,
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Gospodina Ajersa sam upoznao 2008,
01:26
two yearsгодине agoпре, at WaltVolt DisneyDisney ConcertKoncert HallDvorana.
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pre dve godine, u Volt Diznijevoj koncertnoj dvorani.
01:28
He had just heardслушао a performanceперформансе of Beethoven'sBeethovenov First and FourthČetvrti symphoniessimfonije,
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Upravo je čuo izvođenje Betovenove prve i četvrte simfonije,
01:31
and cameДошао backstageиза бине and introducedпредставио himselfсам.
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i došao je iza pozornice da se predstavi.
01:33
He was speakingговорећи in a very jovialveseli and gregarioustendencije way
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Sa radošću i druželjubivo je pričao
01:36
about Yo-YoJo-Jo MaMama and HillaryHillary ClintonClinton
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o čembalisti Jo-Jo Mau i Hilari Klinton,
01:39
and how the DodgersDodgersi were never going to make the WorldSvet SeriesSerija,
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i kako Dodžersi nikada neće ući u finale američkog bejzbola,
01:41
all because of the treacherouspodmukli first violinвиолина passageпролаз work
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i sve to zbog nesigurnog prvog odlomka violine
01:44
in the last movementпокрет of Beethoven'sBeethovenov FourthČetvrti SymphonySimfonija.
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u zadnjem stavu Betovenove četvrte simfonije.
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And we got talkingпричају about musicмузика, and I got an emailемаил from SteveSteve a fewнеколико daysдана laterкасније
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Započeli smo priču o muzici. Par dana kasnije dobio sam mejl od Stiva
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sayingговорећи that NathanielNathaniel was interestedзаинтересован in a violinвиолина lessonлекцију with me.
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u kom kaže da Natanijel želi da mu držim časove violine.
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Now, I should mentionпомени that NathanielNathaniel refusesodbija treatmentтретман
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Trebao bih da napomenem da Natanijel odbija lečenje
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because when he was treatedтретирани it was with shockшок therapyтерапија
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jer su ga lečili šok terapijom,
02:02
and ThorazineTorazin and handcuffslisice,
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torazinom i lisicama,
02:04
and that scarožiljak has stayedостао with him for his entireцео life.
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i to sećanje mu je ostalo za ceo život.
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But as a resultрезултат now, he is proneсклон to
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Ali kao rezultat toga, sada je sklon
02:10
these schizophrenicшизофренија episodesepizode,
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tim šizofrenim epizodama.
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the worstнајгоре of whichкоја can manifestманифестовати themselvesсами as
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Koje se u najgorem slučaju ispoljavaju tako što
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him explodingексплодира
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on pobesni,
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and then disappearingнестаје for daysдана,
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nestane na nekoliko dana,
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wanderingluta the streetsулице of SkidKočenja RowRed,
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lutajući ulicama Skid Roua,
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exposedизложено to its horrorsstrahota, with the tormentmuke of his ownвластити mindум
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predat svojim užasima, a njegovi unutrašnji demoni
02:24
unleashedoslobodila uponна him.
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ga muče.
02:26
And NathanielNathaniel was in suchтаква a stateдржава of agitationuzrujanost
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Natanijel je bio toliko uzbuđen
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when we startedпочела our first lessonлекцију at WaltVolt DisneyDisney ConcertKoncert HallDvorana --
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kada smo započeli prvi čas u Volt Diznijevoj koncertnoj dvorani
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he had a kindкинд of manicManić glintsjaj in his eyesочи,
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da je imao mahnit sjaj u očima,
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he was lostизгубљено.
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bio je izgubljen.
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And he was talkingпричају about
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Pričao je o
02:39
invisibleневидљив demonsdemoni and smokeдим,
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nevidljivim demonima i dimu,
02:41
and how someoneнеко was poisoningтровања him in his sleepспавај.
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i o tome kako ga neko truje u snu.
02:45
And I was afraidуплашен,
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Ja sam se plašio,
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not for myselfЈа сам, but I was afraidуплашен
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ne zbog sebe, već
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that I was going to loseизгубити him,
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da ću ga izgubiti,
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that he was going to sinkлавабо into one of his statesдржаве,
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da će zapasti u neko od njegovih raspoloženja,
02:54
and that I would ruinрушење his relationshipоднос with the violinвиолина
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i da ću ja da pokvarim njegov odnos prema violini
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if I startedпочела talkingпричају about scalesваге
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ako počnem da pričam o lestvicama
02:59
and arpeggiosarpedja! and other excitingузбудљиво formsобразаца of
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i arpeđima i drugim uzbudljivim oblicima
03:01
didacticдидактички violinвиолина pedagogypedagogija.
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didaktičke pedagogije violine.
03:03
(LaughterSmeh)
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(smeh)
03:04
So, I just startedпочела playingиграње.
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Zato sam počeo da sviram.
03:07
And I playedиграо the first movementпокрет of the BeethovenBeethoven ViolinViolina ConcertoKoncert.
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Svirao sam prvi stav Betovenovog koncerta za violinu.
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And as I playedиграо,
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I dok sam svirao
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I understoodпримљено к знању that there was a profoundдубок changeпромена
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shvatio sam da se desila duboka promena
03:16
occurringнаступајуће in Nathaniel'sNathanielov eyesочи.
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u Natanijelovim očima.
03:18
It was as if he was in the gripдршка of some invisibleневидљив pharmaceuticalфармацеутски,
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Delovalo je kao da se nalazi u stisku nekog nevidljivog leka,
03:21
a chemicalхемијски reactionреакција, for whichкоја my playingиграње the musicмузика
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hemijske reakcije, za koju je to što sam svirao
03:25
was its catalystкатализатор.
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bilo katalizator.
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And Nathaniel'sNathanielov manicManić rageбес
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Natanijelov mahniti bes
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was transformedтрансформисано into understandingразумевање,
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se pretvorio u razumevanje,
03:36
a quietтихо curiosityрадозналост and gracemilosti.
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tihu radoznalost, gracioznost.
03:41
And in a miracleчудо, he liftedподигнут his ownвластити violinвиолина
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I kao u čudu, on je podigao svoju violinu
03:44
and he startedпочела playingиграње, by earухо,
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i počeo da po sluhu svira
03:47
certainизвестан snippetsсниппетс of violinвиолина concertoskoncert
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određene isečke koncerata za violinu,
03:49
whichкоја he then askedпитао me to completeкомплетан -- MendelssohnMendelssohn,
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koje je tražio da dovršim, Mendelson,
03:51
TchaikovskyČajkovski, SibeliusSibelijusov.
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Čajkovski, Sibelius.
03:53
And we startedпочела talkingпричају about musicмузика, from BachBaha
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I tako smo počeli da pričamo o muzici, od Baha
03:55
to BeethovenBeethoven and BrahmsBrahms,
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preko Betovena, do Bramsa,
03:57
BrucknerBruckner, all the B'sB's,
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Bruknera, svim na slovo B,
03:59
from BartBartók, all the way up to Esa-PekkaESA-Pekka SalonenSalonen.
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od Bartoka, sve do Esa Peka Salonena.
04:01
And I understoodпримљено к знању that he not only
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Shvatio sam da on ne samo da je
04:03
had an encyclopedicenciklopedijski knowledgeзнање of musicмузика,
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imao enciklopedijsko znanje o muzici,
04:05
but he relatedповезан to this musicмузика at a personalлични levelниво.
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već i da je imao vrlo ličan odnos sa muzikom.
04:09
He spokeговорио је about it with the kindкинд of passionстраст
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Pričao je o muzici sa onom vrstom strasti
04:11
and understandingразумевање that I shareОбјави with my colleaguesколеге
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i razumevanja koju imamo ja i moje kolege
04:13
in the LosLos AngelesAngelesu PhilharmonicFilharmonija.
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u losanđeleskoj filharmoniji.
04:16
And throughкроз playingиграње musicмузика and talkingпричају about musicмузика,
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I kroz sviranje i pričanje o muzici
04:19
this man had transformedтрансформисано
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on se od
04:21
from the paranoidparanoja, disturbeduznemirio man
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paranoičnog i poremećenog čoveka,
04:24
that had just come from walkingХодање the streetsулице
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koji je upravo došao sa ulica
04:26
of downtownЦентар града LosLos AngelesAngelesu
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centra Los Anđelesa,
04:28
to the charmingšarmantan, eruditeobrazovana,
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pretvorio u šarmantnog, obrazovanog,
04:30
brilliantбрилијантно, Juilliard-trainedDa li je trenirao Juilliard musicianмузичар.
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brilijantnog muzičara sa džulijardskim obrazovanjem.
04:34
MusicMuzika is medicineмедицина. MusicMuzika changesПромене us.
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Muzika je lek. Muzika nas menja.
04:39
And for NathanielNathaniel, musicмузика is sanityздрав разум.
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A za Natanijela, muzika je zdrav um.
04:43
Because musicмузика allowsомогућава him to take his thoughtsмисли
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Jer mu muzika omogućava da uhvati svoje misli
04:45
and delusionszablude and shapeоблик them
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i zablude, i sprovede ih
04:48
throughкроз his imaginationмашту and his creativityкреативност,
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svojom maštom i kreativnošću
04:50
into realityреалност.
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u stvarnost.
04:52
And that is an escapeпобјећи
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A to je izlaz
04:54
from his tormentedmukama stateдржава.
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iz njegovog mučnog stanja.
04:56
And I understoodпримљено к знању that this was the very essenceДуша of artуметност.
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Shvatio sam da je ovo sama bit umetnosti.
04:59
This was the very reasonразлог why we madeмаде musicмузика,
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To je bio suštinski razlog zbog kog pravimo muziku,
05:01
that we take something that existsпостоји withinу склопу all of us
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što uzimamo nešto što postoji u svima nama,
05:03
at our very fundamentalфундаментално coreјезгро,
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u samoj našoj srži,
05:05
our emotionsемоције,
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našim osećanjima,
05:07
and throughкроз our artisticуметнички lensобјектив,
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i kroz našu umetničku prizmu,
05:09
throughкроз our creativityкреативност, we're ableу могуцности to shapeоблик those emotionsемоције into realityреалност.
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kroz našu kreativnost, mi prelamamo naša osećanja u stvarnost.
05:14
And the realityреалност of that expressionизраз
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Stvarnost tog izraza
05:16
reachesдостигне all of us
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nas sve dotiče.
05:18
and movesпотезе us, inspiresnadahnjuje and unitesujedinjuje us.
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ganjava, inspiriše i ujedinjuje.
05:23
And for NathanielNathaniel,
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A za Natanijela
05:25
musicмузика broughtдоведен him back into a foldфолд of friendsпријатељи.
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je muzika bila povratak u krug prijatelja.
05:28
The redemptiveискусни powerмоћ of musicмузика broughtдоведен him back
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Iskupljujuća moć muzike ga je vratila
05:30
into a familyпородица of musiciansмузичари
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u porodicu muzičara
05:32
that understoodпримљено к знању him,
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koja ga je razumela,
05:34
that recognizedпризнат his talentsталенте
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koja je prepoznala njegov talenat
05:36
and respectedпоштован him.
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i poštovala ga.
05:39
And I will always make musicмузика with NathanielNathaniel,
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Ja ću uvek svirati sa Natanijelom,
05:42
whetherда ли је we're at WaltVolt DisneyDisney ConcertKoncert HallDvorana
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bilo da smo u Volt Diznijevoj koncertnoj dvorani
05:44
or on SkidKočenja RowRed, because he remindsподсећа me
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ili na Skid Rou, zato što me on podseća na to
05:46
why I becameпостао a musicianмузичар.
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zašto sam postao muzičar.
05:49
Thank you.
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Hvala.
05:51
(ApplauseAplauz)
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(aplauz)
05:58
BrunoBruno GiussaniGiussani: Thank you. ThanksHvala ti.
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Bruno Đuzani: Hvala vam. Hvala.
06:01
RobertRobert GuptaGupta.
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Robert Gupta.
06:03
(ApplauseAplauz)
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(aplauz)
06:22
RobertRobert GuptaGupta: I'm going to playигра something that I shamelesslybesramno stoleје украо from cellistsčelista.
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Robert Gupta: Želim da odsviram nešto što sam bestidno ukrao od čelista.
06:25
So, please forgiveопрости me.
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Molim da mi oprostite.
06:27
(LaughterSmeh)
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(smeh)
06:28
(MusicMuzika)
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(muzika)
09:13
(ApplauseAplauz)
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(aplauz)
Translated by Bojan Mijić
Reviewed by Sandra Gojic

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Robert Gupta - Violinist
Violinist Robert Gupta joined the LA Philharmonic at the age of 19 -- and maintains a passionate parallel interest in neurobiology and mental health issues. He's a TED Senior Fellow.

Why you should listen

Violinist Robert Vijay Gupta joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the age of 19. He made his solo debut, at age 11, with the Israel Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta. He has a Master's in music from Yale. But his undergraduate degree? Pre-med. As an undergrad, Gupta was part of several research projects in neuro- and neurodegenerative biology. He held Research Assistant positions at CUNY Hunter College in New York City, where he worked on spinal cord neuronal regeneration, and at the Harvard Institutes of Medicine Center for Neurologic Diseases, where he studied the biochemical pathology of Parkinson's disease.

Gupta is passionate about education and outreach, both as a musician and as an activist for mental health issues. He has the privilege of working with Nathaniel Ayers, the brilliant, schizophrenic musician featured in "The Soloist," as his violin teacher.

More profile about the speaker
Robert Gupta | Speaker | TED.com