Column: Hidden talents abound in the world of YouTube

By Jamie Dandreta

You could say I’m a YouTube addict. It amazes me that there are videos out there for literally anything you could want to see — instructional videos, music videos, movie trailers, TV series, free style rap beats and even Auto-Tuned cats.

Out of all the billions of videos in the world of YouTube, there are many that we know and love. “Chocolate Rain,” the “Charlie bit me” kid and Antoine Dodson’s “Bed Intruder” song are all ranked at the top of the list of YouTube classics.

However, what happens to the videos that are just as awesome but get lost in the abyss of muffins and make-up tutorials? It is my mission to find the buried treasures of YouTube and share them with all of you.

When browsing YouTube, I came upon some epic talent. Now of course we’ve seen videos from talent competitions — such as the video of YouTube legend Susan Boyle — but what about the other rare talents that are incredible but aren’t as marketable as Boyle’s?

So, here are my top three choices for “Epically Awesome yet Underrated YouTube Talent”

“Just Imagine: Sand Art”

When I randomly stumbled upon this treasure, I had no idea what sand art was. However, after this four-minute video, I now have the utmost respect for it. The video is simply of a woman, Ilana Yahav, standing above a small table with a cheesy 80s instrumental elevator tune playing quietly. On the table, Ilana creates tranquil and realistic images by throwing sand on the lit table.

In just seconds, Ilana transforms a beach into an eagle, a sun into Mother Nature and finishes with a dramatic dove and the words “Just Imagine …” cleanly written in cursive. For all of us who have played in the sand before, we can imagine just how difficult it would be to create these lively images and how dirty our hands would get. Ilana forms these surprisingly vivid and symbolic pictures with ease and precision, making it impossible to look away — it’s almost hypnotizing.

With only around 57,000 views — nothing compared to “Bed Intruders’” 68 million — I thought this video showed some genuine and unique talent and deserved more credit, ranking it at number one. Ilana and her sand art are truly worth a view or two.

“Glasses Concerto”

Glass music is slightly less obscure than sand art, but this street performer really shows how it’s done. Surrounded by a busily chatting “audience,” many pay only half their attention to this man and his story of how he learned to play the 50 or so glasses in front of him.

He constructed a fully chromatic, four-octave instrument out of the various sized and filled water glasses — the smallest of which he proudly states he purchased at Pottery Barn. He says he used complex chess strategy to arrange the glasses in a way he could perform classical music by learning the chords and notes just like a piano.

When he begins to play a Mozart concerto, the people around him go silent and listen, astonished by the man’s extraordinary talent. The music he creates is perfectly in tune and truly beautiful. His passion and enthusiasm are clearly broadcasted in this three-minute video and have a way of making the viewer emotionally attached.

With only 22 views as of print time, this glass-concerto virtuoso is an undiscovered YouTube sensation and really deserves a listen — if not a record deal.

“Amazing Pizza Guy”

This pizza guy really knows how to make the best of a crappy job. Taken right in front of a small pizza place in a mall, this video’s star shows off, in uniform, his crazy moves with pizza dough.

He throws two pizza doughs in the air and spins them with so much speed it’s hard to keep your eyes on them. He juggles the dough behind his back, under his legs and, at one point, while lying down. His non-stop pizza-juggling action is smooth and quick without a single mishap or break.

This pizza guy’s special talent has scored 81 thousand views, but that isn’t nearly enough to make him a YouTube celeb. However, he is still super-talented and shows what it means to have fun working at your summer job.

That said, these videos are just three out of the billions of epically awesome, yet hugely underrated, talent that can be found on YouTube. I urge you to watch these videos and share them with the world because they are real people with real lives and real talent.

Read more here: http://mainecampus.com/2011/01/26/hidden-talents-abound-in-the-world-of-youtube/
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