Are There Mistakes In Jazz?

by NPR/TED STAFF

March 30, 2013 3:00 PM

More From This Episode

We're raised to always strive for the right answer. But can we learn more from the wrong answer?

Making Mistakes

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"It's about being here in the moment, accepting one another and allowing creativity to flow." - Stefon Harris

Alan Klein/TED

Part 3 of the TED Radio Hour episode Making Mistakes.

About Stefon Harris' TEDTalk

What is a mistake? By going through examples with his improvisational jazz quartet, Stefon Harris gets to a profound truth: many actions are perceived as mistakes only because we don't react to them appropriately.

About Stefon Harris

Stefon Harris' passionate artistry, energetic stage presence and astonishing virtuosity have propelled him into the forefront of the current jazz scene. Widely recognized and lauded by both his peers and jazz critics, Harris is committed to exploring the rich potential of jazz composition and blazing trails on the vibraphone. He tours with his band Blackout and the San Francisco Jazz Collective, and he teaches at New York University. His TEDTalk was performed with Jamire Williams on drums, Burniss Travis on bass and Christian Sands on piano.

http://www.npr.org/2013/03/29/174035745/are-there-mistakes-in-jazz