Amanda Palmer: The Art of Asking. Sadie M.

As a huge fan of the Dresden Dolls and Evelyn Evelyn, I found this TED Talk extremely interesting. I can understand why Ms. Palmer may have been criticized for "asking" her fans for money, but I can also agree with what she is saying. I think she gives her fans an experience that most other artists and celebrities don't: she is reachable. The fact that she chooses to trust complete strangers rather than spend her money on lavish hotels is both strange and admirable to me. Almost all musicians say that their fans are the most important thing in their lives, but Amanda proves it. I think she means it when she says that she loves that personal connection, and I think it's very interesting that she trusts her fans enough to support her just by asking. If anything,  this only proves how devoted her fans are to her, and how much they are willing to give to their favorite musician. I think she has a really interesting idea about giving her music away for free, proving that it really isn't the money that she cares about, but her fans' happiness and ability to listen to her music. Yet, through this donation process still has enough money to support her music career as well as help out other bands with smaller followings. While I can definitely understand why some people might criticize her, I think that her comparison between the milk crate and her music career was a strong point: She was performing, and people chose to give their money: they didn't have to. I don't think it's some horrible money-making scandal, I simply think she has decided that this was the best way for her to cut out the middle man and make the situation best for both her and her fans. I think her idea is inspiration and really could change the way the music industry operates.