BETA
Chapter 1
The accidental origin
Chapter 2
Redefining live performance
Chapter 3
Iconic and unexpected moments
Chapter 4
The pandemic shift and global legacy
YOUR GOAL
Master of How Tiny Desk changed music
Ch 2 · Redefining live performance
choko Match quirky cubby treasures to unexpected artists to discover how they redefined live music.
choko Redefining Live Performance
Strip it back, strip it back! No amps, just music behind the desk!
choko Microphones are strategically hidden around the office bookshelves to capture raw sound.
Fun Fact
No monitors allowed: Artists cannot use in-ear monitors or floor monitors, meaning they must listen to each other completely raw.
Glossary
stripped-down (adjective)
Reduced to its essential elements or simplified by removing nonessential parts. In 2008, Laura Gibson performed the first stripped-down set behind Bob Boilen's cluttered Washington office desk.
Reduced to its essential elements or simplified by removing nonessential parts. In 2008, Laura Gibson performed the first stripped-down set behind Bob Boilen's cluttered Washington office desk.
Quiz
Which of these items is famously nested among the memorabilia on the Tiny Desk shelves?
Quiz
Why does Tiny Desk ban digital vocal effects like Auto-Tune in its standard office sets?
Quiz
Where do NPR sound engineers typically hide or place microphones during a Tiny Desk set?
Quiz
How do artists hear themselves and their bandmates without monitor speakers at Tiny Desk?
Quiz
What must the NPR office audience do during a Tiny Desk performance to avoid ruining the recording?
Quiz
Which of these audio technologies is strictly banned for singers at NPR Tiny Desk concerts?