You know this song (but the orchestra doesn't) | Jacob Collier and VSO School of Music Orchestra
TED Talks Daily
TED
4.1 • 12.1K Ratings
🗓️ 29 June 2026
⏱️ 16 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Jacob Collier walks onstage to conduct an orchestra ... but none of the musicians know what song they're about to play. In a joyful experiment in live music-making, Collier pieces together an iconic song with the VSO School of Music Orchestra (and a little help from the audience in the TED Theater). Turns out, all you need is some improvisational magic.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | You're listening to TED Talks Daily, where we bring you new ideas to spark your curiosity every day. |
| 0:09.1 | I'm your host, Elise Hew. |
| 0:10.7 | What I'm about to do with the musicians on stage is to create a piece of music for which we have had no rehearsal. |
| 0:16.2 | There is no sheet music. |
| 0:17.7 | We have had no plan or pride discussion of any kind. |
| 0:20.2 | So none of you know what's |
| 0:21.4 | about to happen. None of you have any of what's about to happen. That's Jacob Collier, seven-time |
| 0:26.3 | Grammy winner, multi-instrumentalist and a hugely joyful force in music today. He's known for finding |
| 0:32.0 | music in places most people wouldn't think to look and forgetting everyone who's in the room |
| 0:36.0 | with him to participate in |
| 0:37.7 | collective music making. What you just heard isn't a description of a concept. It's actually what |
| 0:42.9 | happened live on the TED stage with the VSO School of Music Orchestra. Collier is known for walking |
| 0:49.1 | into a theater full of strangers and with a little conducting, making them sound like they've |
| 0:53.3 | always been part of the same choir. |
| 0:55.6 | He's done it with audiences of thousands. |
| 0:57.9 | He's done it in concert halls around the world. |
| 1:00.5 | And somehow, every time, it works. |
| 1:03.0 | This is one of those times. |
| 1:05.0 | Are you ready? |
| 1:07.0 | Are you ready? |
| 1:12.6 | It's the correct answer. It's coming up right after a short break. |
| 1:15.6 | What I'm about to do with the musicians on stage |
... |
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