The power of the pentatonic scale

3 MINUTES

How Bobby McFerrin draws out mesmerising music from any audience

In this video captured at the World Science Festival in New York City in 2009, the US musician Bobby McFerrin engages the crowd in a collective experiment in music-making. With very little cueing besides the introduction of a few notes corresponding to his body movements, McFerrin hops around the stage, prompting an entertaining – and even beautiful – off-the-cuff collaboration between artist and audience. Beyond the audiovisual delight of it all, the performance gestures toward a certain universality of music, even among those who may not consider themselves especially musical. The clip is excerpted from a longer panel discussion titled Notes and Neurons: In Search of the Common Chorus.

MUSIC COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGE THEATRE AND PERFORMANCE

Video by World Science Festival

Performer: Bobby McFerrin

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