Worklife with Adam Grant ReThinking: Permission to play with Jacob Collier
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Oct 28, 2025 
Jacob Collier, a Grammy-winning musician and innovative educator, joins Adam Grant for a lively discussion. He shares the origins of his audience choir concept and the joy of communal singing. Collier explains his unique approach to handling hecklers, emphasizing safety and inclusive culture. He highlights the importance of play in adulthood, linking it to collective musical experiences. The conversation dives into harmony, the emotional power of music, and why reimagining familiar songs fosters connection. Joy, for Collier, is an act of defiance that unites people.
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Mass Singing As Cultural Memory
- Mass singing events reveal music as a cultural memory that links generations.
- Collective singing uncovers an already-present human impulse rather than creating it.
Design For Suppleness And Diffuse Hecklers
- Create safe, supple conditions that let audiences follow improvisation without freezing.
- If hecklers persist, radically incorporate them so the crowd diffuses the disruption.
Invite Play To Unlock Adults
- Give adults explicit permission to play to unlock creativity and loosen rigid habits.
- Encourage listening to others to widen attention and invite surprise.