eLean·alkLikeTED第八課講義（稿So,Ididn'talwaysmakemylivingfrommusic.Foraboutthefiveyearsaftergraduatingfromanupstandingliberalartsuniversity,thiswasmydayjob.Iwasaself-employedlivingstatuecalledtheEight-FootBride,andIlove lingpeopleIdidthisforajob,becauseeverybodyalwayswantstoknow,whoarethesefreaksinreallife. Ipaintedmyselfwhiteoneday,stoodonabox,putahatoracanatmyfeet,andwhensomeonecamebyanddroppedinmoney,Ihandedthemaflower--andsomeintenseeyecontact.Andiftheydidn'ttaketheflower,Ithrewinagestureofsadnessandlonging--astheywalkedaway.掃碼TalkLikeTedSoIhadthemostprofoundencounterswithpeople,especiallylonelypeoplewholookedliketheyhadn'ttalkedtoanyoneinweeks,andwewouldgetthisbeautifulmomentofprolongedeyecontactbeingallowedinacitystreet,andwewouldsortoffallinlovealittlebit.Andmyeyeswouldsay--"Thankyou.Iseeyou."Andtheireyeswouldsay--"Nobodyeverseesme.ThankIwouldgetharassedsometimes.Peoplewouldyellatmefromtheircars."Getajob!"(Laughing)AndI'dbe,like,"Thisismyjob."Butithurt,becauseitmademefearthatIwassomehowngsomethingun-joblikeandunfair,shameful.IhadnoideahowperfectarealeducationIwasgettingforthemusicbusinessonthisbox.Andfortheeconomistsoutthere,youmaybeinterestedtoknowIactuallymadeaprettypredictable e,whichwasshockingtome,givenIhadnoregularcustomers,butprettymuch60bucksonaTuesday,90bucksonaFriday.ItwasAndmeanwhile,Iwastouringlocallyandplayinginnightclubswithmyband,theDresdenDolls.Thiswasmeonpiano,ageniusdrummer.Iwrotethesongs,andeventuallywestartedmakingenoughmoneythatIcouldquitbeingastatue,andaswestartedtouring,Ireallydidn'twanttolosethissenseofdirectconnectionwithpeople,becauseIlovedit.Soafterallofourshows,wewouldsignautographsandhugfansandhangoutandtalktopeople,andwemadeanartoutofaskingpeopletohelpusandjoinus,andIwouldtrackdownlocalmusiciansandartistsandtheywouldsetupoutsideofourshows,andtheywouldpassthehat,andthentheywouldcomeinandjoinusonstage,sowehadthisrotatingsmorgasbordofweird,randomcircusguests.Andthencamealong,andmadethingsevenmoremagic,becauseIcouldaskinstantlyforanythinganywhere.SoIwouldneedapianotopracticeon,andanhourlaterIwouldbeatafan'shouse.ThisisinLondon.Peoplewouldbringhome-cookedfoodtousallovertheworldbackstageandfeedusandeatwithus.ThisisinSeattle.FanswhoworkedinmuseumsandstoresandanykindofpublicspacewouldwavetheirhandsifIwoulddecidetodoalast-minute,spontaneous,freegig.ThisisalibraryinAuckland.OnSaturdayItweetedforthiscrateandhat,becauseIdidnotwanttoschlepthemfromtheEastCoast,andtheyshowedupcareofthisdude,Chris,fromNewportBeach,whosayso.Ioncetweeted,"WhereinMelbournecanIbuyanetipot?"AndanursefromahospitaldroveonerightatthatmomenttothecafeIwasin,andIboughtherasmoothieandwesattheretalkingaboutnursinganddeath.AndIlovethiskindofrandomcloseness,whichislucky,becauseIdoalotofcouchsurfing.Inmansionswhereeveryoneinmycrewgetstheirownroombutthere'snowireless,andinpunksquats,everyoneonthefloorinoneroomwithnotoiletsbutwithwireless,clearlymakingitthebetteroption.MycrewoncepulledourvanuptoareallypoorMiamineighborhoodandwefoundoutthatourcouchsurfinghostforthenightwasan18-year-oldgirl,stilllivingathome,andherfamilywereall edimmigrantsfromHonduras.Andthatnight,herwholefamilytookthecouchesandsheslepttogetherwithhermomsothatwecouldtaketheirbeds.AndIlaytherethinking,thesepeoplehavesolittle.Isthisfair?Andinthemorning,hermomtaughtushowtotrytomaketortillasandwantedtogivemeaBible,andshetookmeasideandshesaidtomeinherbrokenEnglish,"Yourmusichashelpedmydaughtersomuch.Thankyouforstayinghere.We'reallsograteful."AndIthought,thisisfair.Thisisthis.Acoupleofmonthslater,IwasinManhattan,andItweetedforacrashpad,andatmidnight,I'montheLowerEastSide,anditoccurstomeI'veneveractuallydonethisalone.I'vealwaysbeenwithmybandormycrew.Isthiswhatstupidpeopledo?Isthishowstupidpeopledie?AndbeforeIcanchangemymind,thedoorbustsopen.She'sanartist.He'safinancialbloggerforReuters,andthey'repouringmeaglassofredwineandofferingmeabath,andIhavehadthousandsofnightslikethatandlikethat.SoIcouchsurfalot.Ialsocrowdsurfalot.Imaintaincouchsurfingandcrowdsurfingarebasicallythesamething.You'refallingintotheaudienceandyou'retrustingeachother.Ionceaskedanopeningbandofmineiftheywantedtogooutintothecrowdandpassthehattogetsomeextramoney,somethingthatIdidalot.Andasusual,thebandwaspsyched,buttherewasthisoneguyinthebandwhotoldmehejustcouldn'tbringhimselftogooutthere.Itfelttoomuchlikebeggingtostandtherewiththehat.AndIrecognizedhisfearof"Isthisfair?"and"Getajob."Andmeanwhile,mybandis ingbiggerandbigger.Wesignwithamajorlabel.Andourmusicisacrossbetweenpunkandcabaret.It'snotforeverybody.Well,maybeit'sforyou.Wesign,andthere'sallthishypeleadinguptoournextrecord.Anditcomesoutanditsellsabout25,000copiesinthefewweeks,andthelabelconsidersthisafailure.Iwaslike,"25,000,isn'tthatalot?"Theysaid,"No,thesalesaregoingdown.It'safailure."Andtheywalkoff.Rightatthissametime,I'msigningandhuggingafteragig,andaguycomesuptomeandhandsmea$10bill,andhesays,"I'msorry,IburnedyourCDfromafriend.""ButIreadyourblog,Iknowyouhateyourlabel.Ijustwantyoutohavethismoney."Andthisstartshappeningallthetime.I ethehataftermyowngigs,butIhavetophysicallystandthereandtakethehelpfrompeople,andunliketheguyintheopeningband,I'veactuallyhadalotofpracticestandingthere.Thankyou.AndthisisthemomentIdecideI'mjustgoingtogiveawaymymusicforfreeonlinewheneverpossible,soit'slikeMetallicaoverhere,Napster,bad;AmandaPalmeroverhere,andI'mgoingtoencouragetorrenting,downloading,sharing,butI'mgoingtoaskforhelp,becauseIsawitworkonthestreet.SoIfoughtmywayoffmylabel,andformynextprojectwithmynewband,theGrandTheftOrchestra,Iturnedtocrowdfunding.AndIfellintothosethousandsofconnectionsthatI'dmade,andIaskedmycrowdtocate.Andthegoalwas100,000dollars.Myfansbackedmeatnearly1.2million,whichwasthebiggestmusiccrowdfundingprojecttodate.Andyoucanseehowmanypeopleitis.It'sabout25,000people.Andthemedked,"Amanda,themusicbusinessisingandyouencouragepiracy.Howdidyoumakeallthesepeoplepayformusic?"Andtherealansweris,Ididn'tmakethem.Iaskedthem.Andthroughtheveryactofaskingpeople,I'dconnectedwiththem,andwhenyouconnectwiththem,peoplewanttohelpyou.It'skindofcounterintuitiveforalotofartists.Theydon'twanttoaskforthings.Butit'snoteasy.It'snoteasytoask.Andalotofartistshaveaproblemwiththis.Askingmakesyouvulnerable.AndIgotalotofcriticismonline,aftermyKickstarterwentbig,forcontinuingmycrazycrowdsourcingpractices,specificallyforaskingmusicianswhoarefansiftheywantedtojoinusonstageforafewsongsinexchangeforloveandticketsandbeer,andthiswasadoctoredimagethatwentupofmeonawebsite.Andthishurtinareallyfamiliarway.Andpeoplesaying,"You'renotallowedanymoretoaskforthatkindofhelp,"reallyremindedmeofthepeopleintheircarsyelling,"Getajob."Becausetheyweren'twithusonthesidewalk,andtheycouldn'tseetheexchangethatwashappeningbetweenmeandmycrowd,anexchangethatwasveryfairtousbutalientothem.Sothisisslightlynotsafeforwork.ThisismyKickstarterbackerpartyinBerlin.Atofthenight,Istrippedandleteveryonedrawonme.Nowletmelyou,ifyouwanttoexperiencethevisceralfeelingoftrustingstrangers– mendthis,especiallyifthosestrangersaredrunkGermanpeople.Thiswasaninjamaster-levelfanconnection,becausewhatIwasreallysayingherewas,Itrustyouthismuch.ShouldI?Showme.Formostofhumanhistory,musicians,artists,they'vebeenpartofthecommunity.Connectorsandopeners,notuntouchablestars.Celebrityisaboutalotofpeoplelovingyoufromadistance,buttheInternetandthecontentthatwe'refreelyabletoshareonitaretakingusback.It'saboutafewpeoplelovingyouupcloseandaboutthosepeoplebeingenough.Soa