The road to Carnegie Hall now passes through YouTube, which is borrowing a note from American Idol to give aspiring classical musicians a chance to perform on the world-famous stage. To snag a seat in the cyber-orchestra, contestants must download and perform—using a liberal interpretation of "instruments"—a composition inspired by New York's streets, BBC reports.
"The Internet is an invisible Silk Road," said Tan Dun, the composer behind Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon's score and the Beijing Olympics theme, who wrote the YouTube piece to join musicians of all styles—and playing all instruments. "You can use anything, sticks, metal. Anything can be made to make music or beat a rhythm." The public will vote for the winners from a judges-selected shortlist; they'll get to perform during a 3-day summit.
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