Straight from the keynote stage of GeekOut 2013, we bring you Geert Bevin’s talk called “Programmers are way cooler than musicians”. Having been a musician and avid music fan for even longer than he has been a coder and Java Champion, this is not a vain statement. Geert’s nearly 1-hour talk received some of the most positive feedback from the entire conference (read here for more about the show), so grab some popcorn, and, if you aren’t using JRebelyet, wait for your application to finish restarting, and watch!

Programmers are the wizards of our age. We weave the fabric of the modern society, tell the stories and bring dreams to life. Geeks are ruling the world of today and programmers make it all happen. The uninitiated marvel at what we accomplish without an inkling about how everything comes to fruition. Many centuries ago, musicians held a similar role in society but today they have lost that grasp on the world. Programmers are in an unprecedented position in which we can not only make a good living, but fuel our work with passion, creativity, collaboration, innovation, and forward thinking. Programmers can make a significant difference in a world that is truly our oyster, and that is worth celebrating.

-Geert Bevin, keynote speaker at GeekOut 2013