Is our response to music hardwired or culturally determined? Is our reaction to rhythm and melody universal or influenced by environment? John Schaefer, Daniel Levitin, and Bobby McFerrin engage in live performances and cross-cultural demonstrations to illustrate music's noteworthy interaction with the brain and our emotions. This one is from a TED talk at the World Science Festival in June 2009.

Bobby demonstrates the music inside us all.

If you only know McFerrin from his No. 1 hit, "Don't Worry, Be Happy," you're missing out on scores of his brilliance. The 10-time Grammy winner and general jazz and pop savant is worlds more than that. You can see his genius far more acutely on display in this clip from the World Science Festival, in which McFerrin essentially plays the auditorium crowd like a piano, literally jumping from note to note as the crowd learns not only about the awesome power of the pentatonic scale but also how music is far more innate and unifying than we could possibly understand.

The Entire World Science Festival Session

You know, you can spend five days with Bobby McFerrin at Omega Circlesongs this summer.

It can be the most magical week of your year.

A Little More McFerrin Magic

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