TED Talks are all the rage nowadays, and you can find TED Talks covering practically every topic out there. Music in particular is one of the best topics to watch TED Talks on. There are countless talks available from musicians of all backgrounds, with some discussing how they find success in the music industry and others talking about music has evolved over the years or how it’s affected society or their lives. The fact of the matter is with so many TED Talks out there, you’ll probably want to pin down some of the best ones. Well, look no further. Here are some of the best TED Talks to check out as a musician.

How Architecture Helped Music Evolve – David Byrne

In this talk, Byrne talks about how architecture has helped shape the music industry, and how it’s influenced his own works. Byrne talks about the similarities between architecture and nature, using examples such as tanagers and sparrows and how they need to adjust their calls based on their environment. Byrne has similarly experienced this when it comes to writing music, and how performance hall can hold a lot of power over what a piece sounds like. He also discusses the various challenges that he’s faced throughout his career, and how he’s able to expand his observations to include the whole of music history.

Kids Transformed By Music – Jose Abreu

Even those who have never experienced or witnessed similar situations can still understand the therapeutic and redemptive power of music. For over 30 years, Jose has been leading the El Sistema Orchestra, which is a group of impoverished kids from Venezuela.

His work has been recognized by the likes of Harvard University and the Rockefeller Foundation, and he was given a 2009 TED Prize for his efforts in helping these kids succeed in school. Through his work, Jose has broken down various barriers in order to help these kids become better people.

Many of the El Sistema Orchestra’s alumni have gone on to become prominent musicians, but their passion and dedication still greatly improved their local communities.

Despite the success of his work, Jose believes that there are many people out there who can still benefit from the type of work he does. He hopes that by bringing music therapy and education to other marginalized groups, he can inspire even more people.

Engineering A Viral Music Video – Adam Sadowsky

The rise of social media and the increasing popularity of music has changed the face of the industry. Bands like OK Go have been able to capitalize on the power of the internet by creating viral videos.

In 2010, the music video “This Too Shall Pass” caught the attention of audiences around the world with its clever use of engineering principles inspired by the work of legendary inventor and former MIT professor, Rube Goldberg. In this talk, Adam Sadowsky, the man behind the project reveals the various steps involved in creating the incredible machinery that made the video a viral hit.