Last month I had an opportunity to share my passion of Armenian music to a new audience. I was invited to present at TEDx Detroit,.

Several years ago I presented at TEDx Oakland University, which was a fabulous experience and one that I thought was a once in a lifetime. However, I was given a second opportunity and was equally excited to do my TED talk.  

Some may thing this is a great way to self-promote for future music gigs, I really don’t look at it that way. This is such a wonderful moment to be able to share what I truly love doing – playing music and talking a bit about my culture. This experience allowed me to present my passion to a wider Detroit audience, most of which either knew little about Armenian history or my culture. 

What is unique about TEDx is the format. You are typically given twenty minutes, ten minutes or in my case four minutes to share your story. I was not only happy with getting four minutes, it challenged me to condense my thoughts into what I hoped would be powerful enough to get my message across to the audience. To me, this was ample amount of time to give folks a glimpse into my musical passion. 

What this is leading up to is – it is important to tell your story. Everyone has one, whether it is happy or sad, we each have a background that has some aspects which should be told to others. In my case, the story I wish to tell focuses on the connection between a Genocide and survival of music and its existence today. Part of this story wants others to realize what great lengths the music traveled in order to survive in a modern era and what needs to be done to preserve for the future. 

What’s your story?