Ryan's TED Talk Link: https://www.ted.com/talks/ryan_holladay_to_hear_this_music_you_have_to_be_there_literally
Some of the best ideas in the world take a lifetime to tell,
but it only took Ryan Holladay six minutes.
Holladay, a musician turned entrepreneur, has created an amazing
endeavor with his brother, that is combining technology with the art of
music. To begin, Holladay received his
inspiration from the Christo and Jean-Claude art piece that was temporally
placed within New York’s Central Park entitled, “The Gates.” Large orange
flag-like objects flowed through the park like a river of creativity and
inspired Holladay to create something of similar magnitude.
With this inspiration in hand, Holladay and his brother
decided to compose musical landscapes for specific locations in the world and
these pieces would be made available via a mobile app. On Memorial Day 2013, Holladay and his
brother released, “The National Mall,”
a musical composition that is mapped specifically for the National Mall
located in the heart of Washington D.C.
Users of the app are able to listen to a specific composition that is
created from the areas in which the individual walks. This creates an interactive experience with
the location by utilizing the art of music.
So, why is this so important? This type of thinking is critical when it
comes to the future of the music industry.
Innovation needs to be at the heart of every endeavor and industry
professionals need to start embracing technology. The “old
guard” of the music business world has always had a tendency to see
technology as the enemy, but in reality, it is keeping music alive. Think about what Holladay and his brother
just created, they created an app that translates the world around you into a
symphony of sounds. Think of what this
technology could do for the blind as they walk through the areas that have been
mapped with this engaging music. Not only are
they receiving a visceral experience, but an audible painting of the world
around them.
I love when music can be implemented into aspects of the
world you least expect. It speaks to
us in a universal language and is one of the few aspects that we all can relate
to as humans. That is why this specific
TED talk by Ryan Holladay has made such an impact on me, because he has proven
to me that the music world is becoming more prominent with technology like
this.
