TEDx launches online music festival in Melbourne

At the tail end of this extraordinary year, TEDxMelbourne presents a unique take on an online music gig by combining music performance and interviews. ABC broadcaster, radio and podcast host Lisa Leong and our own curation team chat with artists Philly, Little Green, Kaitlyn Hova and Uncanny Valley delving into the ideas that inspire them to create music.

Get tickets to TEDxMelbourne United Music Salon

Melbourne’s thriving and diverse arts and music industry has been hard hit by a prolonged lockdown which has seen much-loved venues temporarily close their doors and artists’ touring schedules cancelled.

During this time the industry has shown incredible resilience, creativity and strength. The lockdown has ushered in a new era of virtual, live-streamed gigs, utilising new and existing technology as a conduit to connect more audiences than ever before with live music, no longer constrained by physical location.

As Melbourne starts to open up its doors once again, before returning at dizzying speed to a ‘COVID normal’, ‘United’ provides a platform for artists to perform, talk about their creative process and discuss the importance of a strong and resilient arts industry both in Australia and across the globe.

Showcasing a diverse and exciting line-up of talented musicians and interdisciplinary artists, we will hear from:

Philly – Melbourne-based award-winning Indigenous Hip Hop artist who uses his voice to inspire change and works with powerhouse rapper Briggs at Bad Apples Music, an all Indigenous record label.

Little Green – Singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer. We catch up with her the day before the release of her new record ‘The Night’ created during the 2019-20 bushfire season, sharing an intimate and profound perspective on the devastation that natural disaster has had on local communities.  

Kaitlyn Hova – beaming in from San-Francisco, we speak with multi talented violinist, software engineer and neuroscientist as she illustrates her experience of Synesthesia, a neurological phenomenon which means the stimulation of one senses triggers an instantaneous and involuntary experience in another, which in Hova’s case means she sees sounds as colours.

Uncanny Valley – Sydney-based music-tech collective and winners of Eurovision AI Song Contest 2020, whose winning song ‘Beautiful The World’ sampled Koalas and Kookaburras and was created in response to the devastating bushfire season of 2019-20.

To bring this all to life we have partnered with Empire Studios in South Melbourne, one of the first studios to pivot to the hybrid event format. Empire Studios have shared their state-of-the-art virtual event setup with us allowing multiple camera angles, lighting and screens to capture the event, providing high-quality production for you to experience from the comfort of home.  

Don’t miss United.  Listen. Think. Share.  

Secure your tickets here