Real Genius

In keeping with the uplifting motif of the holiday season, I'm hyperlinking the NPR story about amazing seven-year-old piano prodigy, Ethan Bortnick. This is really worthy of a listen or re-listen, if you caught it on Saturday's broadcast. A couple of columns back I asked, what if Mozart had never heard a piano or violin. We can also ask, what if Ethan Bortnick had never heard Mozart?

Ethan told his mom and dad at the age of three that he wanted piano lessons. They laughed. After he listened to all the pieces of Mozart's "Alla Turca" and started playing them by ear, his parents changed their minds. They initially thought Ethan had turned on the stereo, but to their surprise, their tiny 3 year old was the pianist. Ethan has composed 30 songs and has appeared with Beyonce, Santana, Nelly Furtado, The Pointer Sisters, and others. He has now turned to jazz composition.

Likewise, now 15-year-old Matt Savage has been a jazz prodigy since he was nine. His story is remarkable because at the age of three Matt, who has a form of autism, cringed at the sound of music. Througy medication, diet and counseling, Matt overcame his noise phobia and became drawn to the complex rhythms inherent in jazz. He has already played with Dave Brubeck, Chick Corea, and Clark Terry. He was featured in Part III of Beautiful Minds - A Voyage into the Brain.

In a recent column I discussed the Rule of 10,000 Hours. Real genius defies this rule. It is an amazing gift that should be recognized, valued, and nurtured by parents and teachers. If you have a gifted child, the best present you can give him or her this holiday season is your attention to developing that gift to its fullest potential by finding every opportunity for your child to practice his/her art with the most skilled and competent teachers available. (This rule goes for normal students, as well.)

Be aware that all the time and energy you invest may not pan out in the long run. Other interests, meeting one's maximum potential at an early age, or burn out are all a possibility. But, your child will have a set of skills that will never leave him/her. As long as balance is maintained in other areas, you will help your child grow into a competent and confident person with you as his/her biggest fan. That's real parenting genius.

Happy Holidays and a Wonderful, Prosperous New Year to all our readers!