Blog post: In your blog post this week highlight 3 TED Talks that you find really interesting and engaging. Describe 1) why is each talk interesting to you? 2) How is each talk engaging? (vivid slides? audience interaction?)

Benjamin Zander on Music and Passion:
Benjamin Zander was a name I had previously heard from the context of my Music History class I am currently taking, so when I saw he was a top rated I was sure to click this. Once his talk began it was clear that he was very engaging. He was constantly moving onto the stage and then down to the crowd, being very interactive. He also used the piano to demonstrate his purpose which goes as follows: Most people will say that classical music is a dying art, but this is not the case. Instead, everyone can find meaning and joy in classical music, you just have to listen.

Zander believes that no one is tone deaf because we all can pick up emotions on the other end of the phone. Instead you must try and relate it to your life. He does this by asking the crowd to envision someone who has passed away while listening to a piece of Chopin. Every single person seemed to be moved, therefore displaying that classical music is something everyone can enjoy.

Jonathan Harris: The Web's Secret Stories:

This TED talk by Jonathan Harris takes the concept of how expression has evolved onto the internet and displays how.  Some examples of this are diaries and editorials that are now posted online via newspaper websites and blogs.  He displays how people are constantly using different websites to post how they feel now via the We Feel Fine Study.  This study pulls any statement that starts with I feel/We feel and places them into a database, which increases by 15,000-20,000 per day, and places them by age, geographic location, weather, etc.  People are able to go to this website and read random status' from all over the world and have the ability to connect with the person.  It also is able to show data for those recent hours.  For example, right now: 2.2 times the normal level are feeling comfortable, whereas 1.3 times the normal level feel right.  IT is pretty awesome!!  He is able to engage with the audience by displaying what people are saying right at the exact moment and going through the different features (such as pictures, climate, age, etc.)  Some of the examples he uses are comical therefore engaging the audience.  Also, the display of what the most felt emotion at that moment was pretty interesting. 

The LXD: In the Internet Age, Dance Evolves:

This was by far the most interesting talk that I watched.  It began by dancers doing extreme dance moves including flips and spins.  Then the director, John Chu, a film maker discusses how after directing Step Up to the Streets he created this group "The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers."  He feels that the internet has helped develop and advanced dancers across the universe.  He uses the example of a dance that was posted onto YouTube, which kids in Japan develop even further, and then kids in the US develop into a new dance technique.  These examples are inspiration for others.  John Chu's speech was short and too the point and followed up by individuals doing dance moves such as MADD CHADD who is known for being a master of mechanical movement.  Then for the finale -- a big dance number is done full of more moves I could never do in a million years.