Added: 2 years ago
From: TEDtalksDirector
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  • HE IS THE BEST, full stop

  • amazing, absolutely amazing. This guys does wonders with the piano.

  • this man is brilliant

  • 1 Minute in, meh, unique, emotional, atonal, "i've seen freeform jazz before." 6 Minutes in, this is one of the most unique, interesting, challenging but pleasant pianists I've ever heard. I am impressed. Wow.

  • reminds me of a less organized milcho leviev!!!

  • I wanna play with this guy!

  • It doesn't really sound like a song. More like etudes, which hardly count as songs in my opinion. But that's not to make this sound any less difficult to play.

  • Sucks

  • Damn, every time I watch this, I love it more. I see something extra. The atonal falling at the end, ending with the F#'s, that gets me every time

  • his music scare me

  • hater haters haters. Salvador Dali wasnt good painter at all, but his uniqueness brang so much to art that witouth him were wouldnt be surrealism. so world needs these ppl who got pasion to find something new. just think about Van Gogh, picasso.

  • Try that with your Casio from Wal Mart

  • what are the chords for the left hand around the 5mins mark. it's incredibly catchy.

  • @xKurogashi that'd be a i VI III V in Bm... so Bm, G, D, A

  • This seems suspiciously close to the songs I played on the piano when I was eight.

  • what is that?

  • ok i cant describe its awesomeness without swearing, so yeah, HOLY MOTHERFUCKIN SON OF JESUS THAT WAS HORRIFYINGLY AWESOME

  • This man is ridiculous. After all of these years, he finally seems COMPLETELY happy with what he's doing, which is whatever he wants. He has truly reached the top state of musicianship

  • thanks i forgot how much i hated jass

  • Wow, that guy is crazy! Not in a bad way, but that is just some crazy stuff he gets out of that piano. You can certainly tell by his face that he's feeling the music, which I think is one of the most things about making it. On a different topic, I say comment, whether you like it or not. However, if you don't like it, don't say things like "God, that guy fing sucks!" And if you don't like comments like that, don't respond with "you're such a godam moron! You just have no taste." Not much better.

  • @walleeece We are too similar and bullheaded to be having this argument. We are both defending our opinions. I really said nothing to deserve the title of arrogant considering I made no self-important claim of musicianship but rather defended like you... ignorant was a cheap shot... but I used to turn a cheek to music like this too. Until I learned what the artist was putting behind it. You probably still disagree and that is fine, but don't put your musical knowledge above mine or anyone elses.

  • @Whooshification fair point. i apologise. i do get hot headed. life is to short to argue over opinions. good luck to you.

  • @walleeece Arrogance, sir, would be the man waving his 40+ years of experience and claiming to be better than the man he can only dream of scoffing about on youtube. This has nothing to do with MY intellect, or skill. ERIC, however, has done what you've done and backwards at the Manhattan School of Music and for a few years after. Now he wants to apply it elsewhere. It does not make him "wank" or "tripe" to take what he knows about tonality and chord structure and change it. Get over yourself.

  • @Whooshification at no point have i said i am better than him - i suggest you stop reading things that aren't there and read what is. you have your views i have mine. perhaps it is you who needs to get over yourself? i have not doubted his provenance or his ability i have said that this stuff is crap. as is my right. there is plenty that i like that you would say is crap and that would be your right. its called diversity.

  • If you look for answeres in music you alresdy have the wrong Questions. He may be taking simple pop tunes here and using any and all formats of playing style. You classically trained, can critique all you may . He's not trying to be anything , yet encompasses it artfully .Most of the pop tunes , sound alot more complete and Over The TOP, In Comparison.. HE, ONLY HAS A PIANO YET USES IT LIKE A FULL BAND etc.. Multi layers on both Hands. He, is Versatile .would'nt underrate Elew .

  • This, Man has got you all Fooled Hew is a Master at any craft He chooses and Long Beach Cakafony does'nt Deserve Talent like this... Rare .. Get off the Bus but not there...

  • man, this guy is AMAZING!

  • Rather than 100% aggression like most of his stuff, this piece really keeps me captivated with all the dynamics. What an incredible balance between chaos and melodious lines.

  • Simply brilliant !

  • The transition of playing that is his style has the same concept as bands in the mid 1900s, where they would up the distortion of their guitars to bring us sweet rock n roll and eventually metal. You can say that this dude here is re-inventing the way you can play the piano in the same way early rockers did with the guitar. Now if only we can get people to open up to this innovation! We can see the next big change in the music world.

  • Opening act for Josh Groban Straight to You Tour - heard wonderful things about him!

  • anyone who dislikes this, doesn't understand jazz. there simply are NO RULES.

  • His fingers fall on the keys like rain

  • Avant-garde jazz piano?

  • Amazing

  • He's now taking his shot at America's Got Talent.

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  • The song he played was Going Under, and it indeed went under for me. This wasn't my cup of tea. He should've played Georgia On My Mind.

  • at like 3:50 my fav part starts

  • powersoftritone: did you mean to say 'Greatest painist' in the world? I a way, t's appropriate.

    Personally, I love it: brilliant.

    There was a wrong note at 7'22'' though but that didn't spoil the performance.

  • very good ambient music. its abstract and has a special voice

  • I don't get it. All he's doing is banging on the inside of the piano and on the keys. Then in-between he translates going under onto the piano. And he doesn't even perform it well. Where is the talent in that? Someone please explain!

  • @TheWindowsGamer

    Some people don't understand how God works through a man. Why don't you go home and try play what he just played.

  • 139 musically challenged clickers. This is genius.

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  • lol lets play every note at random who cares if it doent fit the melody after 6:00 um no just no

  • Sheet music = More black than white (Because of how many notes not his skin color, you racists)

  • Greatest painist ever

  • I saw him for the first time last night at the Josh Groban concert. He was simply amazing!! He was invited into our suite and watched part of the concert with us. What an awesome dude!

  • I think my cerebrum just had multiple orgasms..? ive listened to this 40 times and it is still amazing

  • This is actually very musical playing (from the beginning to the end) I bet no-one can deny that

  • Awesome. Though I can imagine that people who haven't got a chance to study music don't appreciate

  • You guys are talking about a piano player that won the Monk Competition at a young age, his technique is amazing, so is his concept of phrasing and improvisation...He comes highly regarded from people like Wynton Marsalis. I dare any of his haters to come up with a unique contribution to the music world....lol If it's not your cup of tea then shut your mouth and listen to something else. If you like it then listen and enjoy!

  • @DrkTide7 so if you dont like it you are not entitled to an opinion? where would be the balance in that?

  • He could be the next Silent Hill composer!!

  • he molested the piano like a japanese doctor molests a highschool girl.

  • i think i accidentally wrote the beginning of this arrangement when i was seven.

  • I think this guy is pretty good...He has the right mindset. But it needs way more refinement...on one end of the spectrum, you have Boulez's serialist-era compositions, which are purely rational, very little expressive power, while on the other end you have people like this guy who is almost pure emotion. Everyone needs to move a bit to the middle. Striking tone clusters in a completely random though emotional manner doesn't make you a great artist.

  • 6:10

    I sat down and tried really hard to make this kind of sound by hitting each key individually, and I couldn't. It suggests there is at least skill involved and some child couldn't just do it.

    7:48

    Utter shit. Not all atonal music is "art."

    9:30

    I found this build up to be extremely effective despite the atonality.

    9:54

    Favorite part for me. It shows the atonality and chaos that finally ends nicely on those F#s.

    There was SOME redeeming art in the chaos, I believe

  • he looks like retarted, no offense

  • This man is an artist. FUCK ANYONE who says otherwise. This is music, and there is no such thing as bad music.

  • Stunning, every time.

  • just listened again. richard clayderman meets les dawson meets edward scissorhands

  • dear whooshification - i dont seek fame for one and in a democratic society i am entitled to voice my opinion. nothing superior in that but you are obviously not equipped to see that. one thing i am is a piano player for some 40 years and i can smell pretentious wank a mile off. his touch is clumsy, his musicality is very basic and his composition a cross between play school and monty python. and at no point did i mention the male offspring of a cow. over to you to hurl abuse at me no doubt.

  • @walleeece You missed the point bud. I didn't hurl abuse nor do I plan to... I simply aim to open your mind. Obviously people like what Eric does... part of the whole pretentious wank statement would mean that he is trying to be something that he is not, and express self-importance... people obviously paid him for this. If he does indeed think he is important... he's not the only one. Eric Lewis is indeed a talented man.

  • @walleeece Check out his composition "Thanksgiving" it should be an NPR recording.. you might actually dig it. If you don't, then I guess I'll just leave you to being a crabby old man.

  • @Whooshification cheap comment. i am sure you have the tools to do better than resorting to tired old cliches. i am neither crabby or old. but i am opinionated which is no bad thing when i come across dross like this guy.

  • @Whooshification There's a fine fine line between opinion and ignorance. Stop BEING the cliche and I won't point it out.

  • @Whooshification there is no fine line between opinion and ignorance. ignorance is born out of lack of knowledge - after 40 years+ of playing and performing clearly i am not ignorant. opinion has no grounding in knowledge. therefore they are poles apart. i will repeat it as you are obviously a bit simple as well as arrogant - my view is this guy is tripe. plenty of people think he is brilliant. thats fine. that is their OPINION which they are more than entitled to. my OPINION is different.

  • I heard a cover version of this once. Someone had accidently left the piano open at our local church hall during a meeting of the mother and toddler group. They were bashing the strings and jumping on the keys. It sounded just the same as this. If I had known some Americans think this is "Pure Genious", I would have recorded it and launched it as a CD and made a fortune. I have listened to some more of this chaps performances. I suppose it makes work for us piano tuners so its not all bad.

  • what a load of pretentious wank. underneath all the posturing and 'wild eyed look of despair' is an extraordinarily average piano player. what a surprise the yanks fall for this bollocks. no he isnt talented but hey - well done for making money out of making fools of the stupid public

  • @walleeece -- Right on! I totally agree!

  • @walleeece ...and what have you created for the world? If you're so smart with your "wank" and "bullocks" how come you're not famous to "the yanks". Yes he is talented. Cut the superiority complex... you do not set the bar for musical taste. Eric Lewis isn't trying to be famous... he's playing music the way he likes it... the way he feels it... review the video, too call ANY of that average would be extremely uninformed and ignorant. Why does everyone always have to be so negative on youtube?

  • like all abstract music it is hard to appreciate but this is just genious, pure genious

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  • wtf lol im not sure to say he is good or realy bad lol

  • Light hearted thriller. Ice and fire

  • I think the idea of this song is based on the idea that beauty is relative, a sunny day is only truely appreciated after months of drudging through endless rain and constant snow. If you can't see beyond the rudimentary there is nothing wrong with that, but just think how strong it is 'feels' when he breaks into a simple harmony

  • 4:53からすきだー

  • I'm going to play this for my Juilliard audition.... hahahahahahahahahahahahahahhah­ahahahaha

  • cool

  • This thing that Lewis has created... It moves me to tears. I often think of it as a musical telling of the story of the universe--from chaotic origin to beautiful and terrible organization, and finally, returning to oblivion. Also, I love to see the joy Lewis takes in his creation. It's like seeing into his soul when he's playing.

  • omgz, its not like the traditional musical values I was raised on! It sounds so different so it must be bad and wrong! Where is my security blanket while I coax myself into a false reality based on safeness and sameness. Phew, that was close I almost felt an emotion and used a new brain cell there for a second. /s

  • Was that what we called playing a piano?

  • esto es sorprendente, toca el piano con mucho sentimiento

    I don't if there is someone who can understand me, but he is awesome, he is very talented, I'd like to play the piano as well as him

  • These kind are a dying breed, and amazing screw of talent, speed and sure fire creativity!

  • A musical genius.

    

  • After about 2 mins, my ?? is, what did the piano do to you? Its value of being a beautiful instrument meant nothing to you, it just depreciated for this violence you imparted on it! Your face shows attitude. This isnt entertainment. ANGER MANAGEMENT!!!

  • @pezmony No, it's not entertainment. It's music.

  • Wow

  • This is a masterpiece...very impressive

  • @thatchdawg10 youtube.com/watch?v=kjGcehoUEa­A !!

  • When I get the opportunity to play a Steinway like that, believe me, I won't dare play it so violently.

    (unless no one is there to see)

  • creepy horror movie:D

  • Just because u don't like it doesn't make it bad. Just makes it not for everyone. Chocolate Vanilla. 5 stars. Break the norm.

  • the melodic parts kinna remind me of goin under by evanesence

  • @kokolupo lol

  • The chaos and experimentation makes the beauty of the song even more poignant. I love his style. Everything on a piano (or any instrument for that matter) can be used to make sound.

  • Culturally degenerate

  • Choose the style you're going to play in and stick with it! Would've liked it better had he remained contemporary or began and ended with sappy emotional piano...

  • The first couple minutes are pure garbage. Like soooo fucking baddd. If you close your eyes, it sounds like all sorts of zoo animals took turns jumping on the piano

  • His musicality is beyond me, I couldn't understand his music (a politically correct way to say I think it's pretty awful). Still there must be a reason why he's up there performing for an audience of that capacity. His showmanship is a little... eccentric 0_0

  • Funky but the way he plays is too fake.....

  • it looks like the style of mehldau

  • sorry, sounds like he's totally bsing. uses just simple chords and then adds random notes. doesn't feel like music at all to me.

  • wtf sometimes.

  • Brilliant... Chaotic Avante Garde at its Nexus!!!

  • this is what jesus plays piano like

  • That can't be good for the strings.

  • So amazing! The control he brings is just incredible!

  • man, this dude is a bit of a wanker! Look at his face, it's actually like he's jerking himself off!

    penderecki is way cooler than this. His harmony is either philip glass / pachelbel simplistic cheese or totally atonally mashed gong dischord. He's got nothing in between, either consonance or total dissonance. Go listen to some bach or beethoven.

    A composer he isn't. Paganini he isn't. A virtuoso, quite possibly. The guy can play anything in his head, but there's not a lot in there!!

  • check out xenakis yall

  • pure noise, dude

    maybe my ear hasn't matured enough as a musician or something, but theoretically there's no harmony of any kind in Xenakis' stuff..

  • It is disgusting to see this abuse of a fine musical instrurment. He thinks he is a genius but he is really on the wrong instrument-he should play drums like Billy Cobham! He is fired!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Check out my tunes!

  • incredible musician!..

  • @pbandja10 haha

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  • Just not my cup of tea I suppose. I like certain parts of it, but the abstract parts just confuse my ears and really make me feel like i'm listening to a bunch of kids all playing on the same piano. I mean, i'm not bashing the guy... it is abstract after all, but this doesn't sync up at all with any part of me. There are parts that I did enjoy but they were only a few seconds here and there. I find it hard to use the term genius for him as many people have. different... absolutely.

  • @MST4Killa

    Interesting opinion.

    You should check out a band called 'autechre'.

    Let me know what you think I would be really interested.

  • Genialisk Galenskap/ Folie Génial.

  • I love this.

  • as the whole thing starts falling apart in i believe the 6 minute area its just... so sad. like trying to hold onto something while everything is falling apart.

  • going under

  • @Vomitorator Yes!! That's exactly what I got from it.

    Before the melody began, it felt so ugly and angry before eventually evolving into something genuine and passionate. You can almost feel the point where he grabs on to the feeling, forcing it before it ultimately slips away. The Frustration and desperation at that point is heart breaking.

    The word amazing simply does it no justice.

  • holy shit. starting at 2:40. absolutely genius

  • i don't find the word to ex prime just great

  • jesus learn how to appreciate abstract music you closed minded hooligans

  • @trec1080 it's actually not even that abstract. it's basically "going under" by evanescence

  • yeah pookie you prob suck so he would never come over your house

  • Top pianist- everything you hear is exactly how he imagines it. Its easy to play chaos, but its hard to organize it into something that reaches out and grabs you from the ears down.

  • i recommend you to see "four minutes", a german movie in whith the main character plays the piano in the same way lewis do, combining "ment to play" manners with "whole piano play" hits... it has an amazing end. really.

  • at 2.43 ....there starts the music

  • @pookiehohn superb! i would hold him down for you!!!!

  • parts of this were really cool, other parts sounded... terrible.

  • @KingIllski youtube.com/watch?v=kjGcehoUEa­A !! RRRROOOOAAARR!!!

  • why are people so quick to put people down who truly play with emotion and energy? people are scared of really connecting with others. let go of your egos.

  • I don't really care if he can play well like some of them said that he wasn't that good.

    The sound mixed in my ears, make me feel love, and something like tears.

    And that the only thing what tells, that it is good music for me.

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  • If you want to hear a really talented pianist do something beautiful and creative with a simple melody or chord progression, check out Brad Mehldau. He's a monster. He is a young, forward looking jazz-informed player who has an open mind, and is not scared to play something simple.

    He does what this guy is ACTING like he's doing... but for real. Nothing against this guy. Have fun. Enjoy. French cuffs, the whole thing. But if you want to do some real listening... check out my man Brad!!!

  • It's strange to me that you can hear Mehldau (or can you?) and not EL. They are both savants of the astral latitudes and supremely gifted. Nothing against this guy? But then you say he's ACTING? check yourself

  • i cant but feel hes takin the piss a bit at points, wacky cheese over drive!

  • De folie pure au celestiel.

    Magnifique!

  • Simply a genious!!

  • He decends into chaos and goes under and can't breathe...during the struggle you can hear him coming up for breathe a couple of times...then he climbs out of the madness and redeems himself, but you can hear that he's wounded from the experience.

    This song is gorgeous.

  • That's exactly how I interpreted it.

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  • @brodyr My god that's a pretentious thing to say.

  • don't think there was much actual jazz in this piece, apart from the odd chromatic asides, it was mainly a very cliched and done-to-death chord sequence done with a lot of 'oomph'. A tad pretentious.

  • Is he playing im going under by evanescence?

  • "- sets fire to the keys with his shattering rendition of Evanescence's chart-topper, "Going Under.""

  • sorry lol. I dont read video discriptions for the most part unless its about downloading something.

  • O_O (i am now scared of this guy. His playing/look looks insane.... )

  • This is an average musician pretending to be something special with a bunch of gimmickry and french cuffs. And he's very intentionally trying to remind you of Jimi Hendrix with his overall look btw.

    He may have talent as a showman but if he has any musical talent, he didn't bring it.

  • Can you do better? This is YouTube, which means that I'd like to see a video. This is a community, which means that I can say "bring it on".

  • Are YOU taking my comment personally?

    If you know six chords on a piano, and have some remedial ability, you could probably 'do better' than this.

    Read my comment again- I did not say that I was better than him. I don't know the guy and my critique even offered him the caveat that he might be better than he is showing. But, one doesn't have to be a virtuoso to spot a sensationalistic hack performance.

  • Thank you so much. Amen! :)

  • *yawn* this was pretty bad.

  • Damn, i just watched an hour long video on the AtGoogleTalks channel which also had a link here, this guy is truly amazing.

  • he may be ugly but he has a beautiful heart

  • I... hm. His slow stuff works. When he starts improvising faster, a lot of it starts to become a little random, for the sake of keeping a steady rhythmic texture. I still think the two best improvisers out there are Keith Jarrett and Gabriela Montero - their pieces - especially Montero's - are usually so phenomenal they hardly even sound improvised. At points, I can tell this guy's making it up as he goes.

  • Well the white keys on the piano on his website play a chromatic scale so maybe that explains something. Check it out.

  • WOW 3:40 and on is INCREDIBLE!!!! 8:15 is a bit too cheesy for me but I still do enjoy it. really incredible performance. it's very powerful.

  • WOW 6:03 on is TOO GOOD LOL. hahaha. I feel good that this is on TED talks, otherwise this would be a total guilty pleasure for me. I might be able to reach musical orgasm with this, something I havbe always dreamed of.

  • ha excellent!!!! very evocative/ emotional. it's striking!!!

  • The opening was...different. I expected him to play a whole song on the strings with an open ing like that LOL