Prodigy

[KEND]

A new Mozart 1
There is a composer studying at New York's renowned Juilliard School who some say is the greatest talent to come along in 200 years. He's written five full-length symphonies, and he's only 12 years old.
His name is Jay Greenberg, although he likes the nickname "Bluejay" because, he says, blue jays are small and make a lot of noise.
Greenberg says music just fills his head and he has to write it down to get it out. What's going on in Bluejay's head? Correspondent Scott Pelley spoke with him.
Jay wrote a piece, "The Storm," in just a few hours. It was commissioned by the New Haven Symphony in Connecticut.
When the last note sailed into the night, Jay navigated an unfamiliar stage, and then took a bow.
"We are talking about a prodigy of the level of the greatest prodigies in history when it comes to composition," says Sam Zyman, a composer. "I am talking about the likes of Mozart, and Mendelssohn, and Saint-Sans."
Zyman teaches music theory to Jay at the Juilliard School in New York City, where he's been teaching for 18 years.
Jay's parents are as surprised as anyone. Neither is a professional musician. His father, Robert, is a linguist, and a scholar in Slavic language who lost his sight at 36 to retinitis pigmentosa. His mother, Orna, is an Israeli-born painter.."
By the age of 10, Jay was going to Juilliard, among the world's top conservatories of music, on a full scholarship. At age 11, he was studying music theory with third year college students.
CBS News

A new Mozart 2
At the age of 11, Alma Deutscher, from Dorking, Surrey, is about to have her opera performed in Vienna. She has also met, and her virtuoso violin playing has been praised by, maestros such as Sir Simon Rattle, Daniel Barenboim and Zubin Mehta. She has performed at the Royal Festival Hall. But when I met her, she was dressed as a pedlar and delighted in selling me magic potions, newts, eyeballs et al.
Article in London Times Dec 18 2016

[Strange]

Amazing talent!

[origami_itto]

It's amazing what you can do with privilege

[Michael]

It's amazing what you can do with privilege

Wot u say, moyt?

[origami_itto]

It's amazing what you can do with privilege

Wot u say, moyt?

I saw this story elsewhere and it just pissed me off.

The kids are smart, no question, and talented, sure, but that has nothing to do with their accomplishments.

The only reason you know anything about them is because they had parents that were inclined to encourage their pursuits and had the time and resources to make such participation possible. So, yeah, it pisses me off to see privilege glorified when for all we know kids twice as brilliant are being born into toxic environments full of lead and sent to sub-par schools full of violence and a direct connection to the criminal justice system, catching felonies for playground fights. Or parents of means without the interest in cultivating children.

It's just my shitty mood more than anything.

[Steve James]

I think that opportunity, not privilege, is the operative word. I agree that there are many children (and people) with enormous talent who simply don't get the attention or opportunities that others do. And I agree that this is often a function of the parents, their initiative and their resources. It is typical of life's unfairness and randomness. However, this really has nothing to do with specific talents. Those are unique. Excellence is excellence, genius is genius, but being a prodigy is different. The combination of mastery and genius in a child is rare. Time will tell whether she's up to the level of a Mozart. This exposure now will surely give her more opportunities.

[Michael]

It's amazing what you can do with privilege

Wot u say, moyt?

I saw this story elsewhere and it just pissed me off.

The kids are smart, no question, and talented, sure, but that has nothing to do with their accomplishments.

The only reason you know anything about them is because they had parents that were inclined to encourage their pursuits and had the time and resources to make such participation possible. So, yeah, it pisses me off to see privilege glorified when for all we know kids twice as brilliant are being born into toxic environments full of lead and sent to sub-par schools full of violence and a direct connection to the criminal justice system, catching felonies for playground fights. Or parents of means without the interest in cultivating children.

It's just my shitty mood more than anything.

Yeah, sometimes I get that way.

[KEND]

In the post I used Mozart 1 and 2 since that was the media hype. These youngsters are undoubtedly extraordinary but is their output comparable to Mozart. The Times music critic made the point that their music at this stage is derivative, Mozart started the same way but eventually turned out entirely original works. The opera is original in concept and extraordinary for someone that young, we wont know for a while if the music, in originality and creativity lives up to the Mozart name

[Steve James]

Btw, I didn't mention it while it was on; but, my friend's 13 year-old godson, Joshua, received the funds he needed to study and perform in Germany. The kid belongs to Mensa, too. But, it's true that he's received a lot of golden opportunities. Here's him playing there for the first time: https://www.gofundme.com/joshuamhoon?vi ... aign=upd_n
or https://www.youtube.com/results?search_ ... hoon+piano

These kids are extraordinarily gifted. But, it's unfair to compare any of them to Mozart.