A High-Tech Path To Carnegie Hall

(CBS)  On Wednesday night at New York City's world-renowned Carnegie Hall, the music of the ages was played with a modern twist.

CBS News correspondent Michelle Miller reports that in a first-of-its-kind concert, famed American conductor Michael Tilson Thomas offered a new answer to the old humorous question: "How do you get to Carnegie Hall?"

"Upload, upload, upload," is Thomas' response.

The YouTube Symphony Orchestra started with the click of a mouse.

Last December, 3,000 hopefuls began posting their auditions online. YouTube surfers helped determine which 96 musicians would make the final cut.

Among those selected were Owain Williams, a tympanist studying at London's Royal College of Music. He says, "To audition online, I mean that's completely new."

And violinist David France, a music teacher in Bermuda. "I needed a voice," France said on tape. "The violin was my voice."

The Musicians came to Carnegie Hall from more than 20 countries. The orchestra only had three days to rehearse.

During practice, violinist Hanah Stuart says, "I don't think we have it yet, but I think we're going to get there."

The musicians couldn't help but be nervous on the world's most legendary stage.

"It took me like the first of the whole half of the concert until I kind of settled down," says cellist Rachel Hsieh.

By the time the performance was over, it was downloaded on the World Wide Web.

Tympanist Williams says he'd "never done a concert with that many TV cameras, that much press."

As for worries this grand experiment would compromise the music, as Stuart said afterward, the musicians "nailed it."

Last night's live performance lives on, just a click away in the virtual world.

Watch the full concert below, and click here for the Symphony's site:



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[davidbthelen]

This story could be a thought to expand the use of You Tube for the following. We need to find new ideas for the many problems this country is facing. We should create monetary contests through perhaps You Tube to find these ideas?
Usually out of 200 ideas, there may be 2 that may transform this great nation. We need to encourage many ideas from people before we discover true winner(s).
Why can?t the small business administration offer a contest for the best ideas through You Tube to start and/or expand jobs? Why can?t cities offer a contest for the best ideas to rezone and rebuild closed malls and many foreclosed houses?
Why can?t the State Department offer a contest for reestablishing better ways to international relationships or better ways to keep our troops safe overseas? Why can?t the car companies offer a contest for ways to retool and restart car-manufacturing plants once again?
The more ideas submitted the better for solving the many major problems facing this great nation?then perhaps we may all win in more ways than one with such contests?