Music

Watch Amanda Palmer's TED Talk, "The Art of Asking"

by Tyler Munro

Amanda Palmer seems to be back in good graces after her iffy Kickstarter campaign with what attendees are calling a show stealing TED Talk this past Friday.

Called The Art of Asking, Palmer starts her talk off by recounting her days as a living statue and how it helped brace her for experiences in the music industry. She talks about how Twitter came around and allowed her to “ask for anything,” whether it’s finding guest musicians, a place to crash or a venue to play. She talks about being in Melbourne and asking where to buy a NetiPot only to have a nurse drive down to the café with one. She explains how she “became the hat,” telling the story of a fan who handed her $10 after a show admitting he’d burned her album off a friend and how it inspired her to get into crowdfunding.

Most importantly, she talks about the controversy surrounding her million-dollar-plus campaign. At just 13-minutes, the talk is worth watching whether you’re a fan, a skeptic or somewhere in between. The crowd gave Palmer a rousing ovation when she finished her speech — let us know in the comments if you think she deserved it.