Eric Hayes has performed on big stages, with big names like Gavin DeGraw and Martin Sexton and the Allman Brothers Band.
But the gig that makes him nervous is an intimate gathering on his home turf.
The singer is among eight featured speakers at the second TEDx Morristown conference, on Tuesday, March 28, 2017, at the Morris Museum’s Bickford Theatre in Morris Township.
“It was a bucket list item for me…just a dream I’ve always had: It would be cool to be a TED speaker. And then, out of the blue I get a call from this guy who said he was a TED organizer,” said Hayes, 34, of Morristown.
TED is short for “Technology, Entertainment, Design” — subjects near and dear to founder Richard Saul Wurman, an architect and graphic designer.
The first TED conference in 1984 showcased the Sony compact disc and the Apple Macintosh computer.
TED Conferences LLC, a nonprofit, licenses hundreds of global TEDx events to independent presenters like DePalma, to promote “ideas worth spreading” via online videos.
Rules are strict, from maximum crowd size (100) to maximum talk time (18 minutes). Eclectic conferences are de rigueur: No themes allowed.
Tuesday’s sponsors are WeFund Health, Oakleigh Interiors, Sustainable Morristown and DePalma’s Pensare LLC.
DePalma’s hand-picked roster includes fellow TEDx organizer Richie Etwaru, a digital entrepreneur who spoke in 2015 about luck. This time, he’ll explore how technology is reshaping trust.
Milind Kamkolkar, former chief data officer for Novartis, will delve into hacking. Journalist and innovation consultant Greg Satell will discuss what makes a successful revolution.
Jeff Stier, another highly regarded consultant, will talk about “What happens after Why?” Author Yvonne Bleam’s pet subject is encouraging leadership at an early age. Cancer researcher Andrei Gudkov is searching for the genomic Fountain of Youth.
Medical student Anthony Longo will deliver a sequel to a popular talk by his cousin, then-Morristown High School senior Domenico Randazzo, who gave a prescription for curing public education.
‘THAT’S A TED TALK!’
DePalma saw Hayes perform last year with blues guitarist Junior Mack at Morristown’s End of Elm restaurant, and later met with Hayes aiming to hire him to play at a TEDx reception.
But as Hayes casually laid out his life story–rebounding from a serious neck injury to juggle roles as a musician, music instructor, and manufacturer rep for the family heating and air conditioning business–DePalma thought, “That’s a TED talk!”
And so, for the last few months, Hayes has been honing a blend of words and music with a message of personal re-invention.
“I’m a chameleon,” he said.
Giving a biographical speech sounds simple for someone who recently hauled a piano up a frigid cliff for a video. Not so.
“I have no problem commanding an audience for two-and-a-half hours hours, but 15 minutes is something else,” said the William Paterson University graduate.
“I’m extremely comfortable behind a piano or a mic or a drum or guitar. But much less comfortable standing in front of room of strangers talking about my life…My challenge is to show the audience someone at the beginning, and at the end of the 15 minutes they’ll see someone else,” said Hayes, who opened the Morristown Music Academy last fall.
Trepidation is normal, said DePalma, 50.
“Abject terror is one of the Five Stages of a TED speaker,” he joked last week, while firming up preparations at the Bickford.
DePalma switched to the smaller venue–the Bickford seats 300, as opposed to about 800 at the high school–for a more intimate atmosphere, he said.
He also has eased attendance requirements, which formerly involved an application process. Now, anyone willing to pay $25 ($30 at the door) and stay for the entire session, from 1 pm to 6 pm, is welcome.
“It’s kind of self-selecting,” DePalma said. “You have to have the intellectual curiosity to want to be there.”
Count Hayes among that crowd. He’s been watching TED videos since high school, and has heard that speaking at TEDx can open doors.
Randazzo, now a student at NYU, said his educational nonprofit, Real World Academy has begun consulting with schools about providing real-world experience in the classroom.
He credits TEDx with giving him confidence to “unapologetically” advocate for his passions, and to value negative reactions as the price of starting a dialogue.
“TEDx speakers are provocateurs at heart,” Randazzo said via email.
Another of 2015’s engaging presentations, slipped between esoteric topics, was a lyrical performance by Carolyn Dorfman Dance.
It conveyed a lot about humanity, according to DePalma, who anticipates similar revelations from Hayes.
“He’s just a really soulful, passionate performer,” DePalma said. “He’s born to do this.”
Tuesday, March 28, 2017, at 1 pm
6 Normandy Heights Road, Morris Township
Tickets: $25 advance / $30 door