This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. Multi-instrumentalist Rory Hoffman's performance extended an "all-in" invitation to TEDxNashville CREO to enjoy a journey to the land beyond sound and vision.

Rory Hoffman is a Nashville based guitarist, keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist. Raised on a small ranch in North Dakota, Rory grew up recording and touring with the family Gospel band. He started teaching himself to play guitar and piano at age 3. By age 5 he was the drummer in the family band. He currently plays over a dozen stringed, keyboard and wind instruments.

Rory's personal musical career was jumpstarted in 1999 upon winning Grand Champion Instrumentalist at the Christian Artist Seminar in the Rockies. In 2001 he traveled to Nashville for the first time to record his Gospel instrumental CD, "Blind Faith". He then helped form Depot Music Productions, based in Mobridge South Dakota. There he self-produced his second album "fishin'", this time choosing country music as his theme. While with Depot Music, Rory produced several other studio projects for local and regional artists. in 2004 and 2005 he received Instrumentalist of the Year from the ICMA based in Nashville.

Rory moved to Nashville in the spring of 2008. He currently works as a freelance session and touring musician. October 2011, 8 years after his fishin project, Rory released his newest CD "Swing Expedition". On this project, he demonstrates his abilities and inventiveness on almost every instrument he plays. Tunes range from a gypsy jazz arrangement of a Star Wars Theme, a bossa nova rendition of a classic country song, to an all-harmonica treatment of a Cole Porter Standard. In addition to his own releases, Rory also records and performs regularly with Texas western swing hall of fame member Carolyn Martin, Paul Kramer and Swing Street, and Nashville's premier gypsy jazz trio, the Gypsy Hombres.

Rory is honored to be chosen as a 2012 inductee to the South Dakota Country Music Hall of Fame.

About TEDx, x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)