TEDx Aldeburgh

[Apopheniac]

I just got back from Aldeburgh.

You know those "peak experience" days you know you'll remember for the rest of your life? Those days when you get to hang out with a bunch of some of the most creative, positive, friendly and just downright cool people on the planet?

That was my day today.


TEDx at Snape Maltings by Head_First_Only, on Flickr

best,
Chris H

[Apopheniac]

TMDR interviewed William Orbit, who had arrived from LA via New York with almost no voice...


William Orbit explains the attractions of the Shure SM58 microphone by Head_First_Only, on Flickr

[Apopheniac]

Imogen Heap talked about yesterdays Royal Albert Hall gig and HD simulcast over the web (which got nearly half a million viewers!)


Imogen Heap talks about the November 5th concert at the Royal Albert Hall by Head_First_Only, on Flickr

There were loads of other fascinating talks - I've put more photos up in the Flickr set. But I was up at 4:30am this morning and it's now well past midnight, so I'm off to bed.

Thanks to everyone who helped put the day together, I had a blast. And I even got to say "bravo!" to our patron and shake his hand. Like I said - one of those days I'm going to remember for the rest of my life.

best,
Chris H

[demona dragon]

That is just way too cool for words! I look forward to more pix when you recover.

[Apopheniac]

OK, a few more:

Thomas explained that his family have a lot of history to do with Snape Maltings, where the event was held. His great-great-grandfather helped build the place!


Thomas introducing Tim by Head_First_Only, on Flickr

He also described watching the flames as a child in the 1960s when the roof of the place burnt down.

(If you're unfamiliar with the place, it was built in the 19th Century for malting barley (which turns the starch it contains into sugar, making it perfect for brewing beer). By 1967 the building had fallen into disuse when Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears raised the money to turn it into a world-class concert hall, and it's now the focal point of the Aldeburgh Music Festival. I can remember visiting the place as a child and getting very excited when I discovered that Tom Baker had just filmed an episode of Doctor Who there!)

(Edit - okay, my memory's not what it used to be. It was Tom Baker, not Jon Pertwee. Turns out the episode I thought I remembered was filmed in Tillingham Marshes, down the road in Essex....)

best,
Chris H

[Apopheniac]

Tim Exile:


Tim Exile by Head_First_Only, on Flickr

Tim Exile's the man behind the music software The Finger. He told us about his new software coming soon called The Mouth. He gave us a demo, and my jaw dropped to the floor. Want!

For his performance, he passed the mic around the audience and worked the sounds and phrases people contributed into an extraordinary wall of music. All done on the fly with no safety net whatsoever. So, so cool.

best,
Chris H

[Apopheniac]

Sarah Nicolls told us about her inside-out piano, and gave a performance on it:


Sarah Nicolls and the inside-out piano

She was getting sounds out of it that reminded me of everything from whale song to Stockhausen. And yes, that's a Wii controller on the bicycle wheel, used to alter the parameters of the electronic processing going on. The geek in me was fascinated, not least because I could see one mysterious box flashing red-green-green-green in 4/4 time...

You can find the rest of my photos from yesterday here.

best,
Chris H

[BeechwoodAve]

Thanks for giving us all a peek at what went down at TEDx. Looks like it was yet another fascinating event!

Beech

[Apopheniac]

On Saturday I was back at Aldeburgh for TEDx 2011...



(I've posted a set of pics on Flickr.)

It was another great day - I had a great time. Many thanks to Thomas for curating another eclectic collection of presentations!

[toadie]

Great pics, was lucky enough to be on second row this year. It was a truly inspirational day. Hope next year is just as great.

[Apopheniac]

I think the big challenge next year will be for Thomas to come up with another art project involving the innards of an upright piano suspended on a steel frame. Can he make it three years in a row?

Cheers
Chris