Over the weekend Ypulse had the great chance to attend the TedXTeen conference. In addition, we also had the chance to check-in with the fabulous and talented, Tallia Storm (who also happened to be a speaker). Last week, we asked Tallia who she was most looking forward to seeing and what she was hoping to take away form the conference. Today, she reports on her ultimate highlights of the day. (And we also snagged a few pics of Tallia hanging out with Chelsea Clinton (the conference host) and Ndaba Mandela, who talked about the great work his grandfather Nelson Mandela is doing while carrying on family traditions.)
Favorite Speakers
It was an amazing collection of the most incredible teens from around the world, each with such inspiring stories that they shared with us. I really loved the way it was so informal, you felt as though each speaker was actually speaking to ‘you’ directly. It was uplifting, emotional, funny and inspiring all rolled into one. I love Joseph Peter and his amazing images in his book ‘The Book of Happiness‘. Kelvin Doe was the funniest. He had the place in hysterics! His energy was infectious, raw and real. But I have to say my favorite of the day was Kuha’o Case from Hawaii. A self taught blind piano prodigy told us that “sometimes we are blocked with having vision” and if we close our eyes we can achieve all our goals, ambitions and dreams and I thought it was really cool to see Ndaba Mandela continuing the work of his grandfather.
Highlights of the day
A surprise, impromptu performance by Kuha’o took place and he played a song crowd-sourced by the attendees. It was also pretty amazing to see my hero Nile Rogers stand up to applaud after I sang. I was nervous knowing he was sitting just a few feet away from me but it all turned out great. The other major discovery of the day was Kris Bronner – co-founder of ‘Unreal’ candies or sweeties as we call them in Scotland. These are the best ‘candies’ I have ever tasted – and the good thing is they have zero junk and 40% less sugar.
Did you make any new friends?
Yes, definitely. I will keep in touch with many of them, which is the incredible thing about the event. The conversation will continue around the world, across continents with all of us who will stay in touch and be fuelled by each others ambitions and ‘go-get’ attitude. I met Andrew Jenks from MTV, and he invited me to perform at his party that night!
Is there anyone you would most like to collaborate with? 
Absolutely. I would love to do a piano ballad with Kuha’o on the piano with live vocal from me. I’m currently working on an idea so stay tuned to see if I can make it happen! There is also the possibility that I might be singing with Nile at a jazz festival in the UK this summer – all as a result of conversation at TedXTeen – you see that’s how it happens. It’s amazing how conferences like this one fosters collaboration and brings the world just a little more closer together.
What was the feeling you were left with at the end of the day?
I walked away feeling overwhelmed with excitement and bigger dreams. I also felt humbled and understood that more hard work was ahead of me as well as utter dedication and self belief that anything is possible with the right mindset. We saw first hand the power of an idea and how these teens made things happen – that’s what TedXTeen means to me. I am about to go on an 8-hour flight back to the UK with millions of ideas…and I can’t wait to get started!
For more info on the speakers and highlights of the day visit TedXTeen.
