Bits and Pieces

Monday, January 24, 2005

...in 200 years

"Talented composers might write five or six symphonies in a lifetime. But Jay has written five at the age of 12"

Five full-length symphonies.

Prasad pointed me to this "unbelievable" story of a prodigy. Jay Greenberg or "Bluejay" as he likes to be called, is being compared to past geniuses as Mozart and Beethoven. He is supposedly "the greatest talent to come along in 200 years". His parents are no music professionals. They recall those early sparks:
"I think, around 2, when he started writing, and actually drawing instruments, we knew that he was fascinated with it," says Orna [mother]. "He managed to draw a cello and ask for a cello, and wrote the word cello. And I was surprised, because neither of us has anything to do with string instruments. And I didn’t expect him to know what it [a cello] was."

Curious how this genius-thing works. Everything seems to have worked as though he was destined to be different and beyond comprehension. Wasnt music like other art forms, created by man? He wasnt initiated or anything, yet had asked for a cello and played it and had even said early on "I’m gonna be dead if I am not composing. I have to compose. This is all I want to do". He could channelize different music that his brain processes, and he doesnt revise his compositions even. "It just usually comes right the first time."

Or maybe he is just a fast learner. *wink*
Read the complete story.

Technorati Tags: Jay Greenberg, Bluejay, music prodigy, genius, music, Mozart, Beethoven

posted by pradeep | Permalink | (5)

5 Comments:

Makes one wonder at child prodigies, doesn't it? The honors should really be for the parents, who didn't beat their kid into a "normal kid" mould, but allowed him to be himself ...

Bluejay will still need to pay a price. He can never be a normal kid and enjoy the joys of growing up. He can never have friends his age. Geniuses are alone ... that's a scary place to be!

By Anonymous, at 4:29 AM

truly amazing. these are really gifts, apart from the hard work.

By saranyan r, at 10:17 AM

didn't beat their kid into a "normal kid" mouldGood point . Possibly, several geniuses are hiding out there [and they probably comment anonymously ;) ].
I read that brain maps mark out geniuses. So when a kid behaves 'different', that check could probably help.

For all the spectacle that such gifts allow, among the rest of ordinary billions it certainly is scary.

Oh yes, Paran, it's amazing.

By pradeep, at 10:56 AM

I am still not convinced by child progidies. Most of them fade away. My limited knowledge in sports says most of them flatter to deceive. Probably chess is an exception and many may argue chess is not sport.

But genius I believe. Federer, Shahbaz, Maradona are living proof of that variety.

By AR, at 9:33 PM

Anand, your assessment reminds the long debated "Nature or Nurture" topic.
I agree. Many child prodigies wither away. How so often we read about tiny tots from India crossing English channel or some other Strait? We never get to see them grow into Champions. Nature does its bit, we probably fail to nurture (read: destroy them with lofty expectations). Word from Blake Ross (guy behind Firefox): "All my computer science professors are expecting straight A's, even in classes that have nothing to do with the Internet". See?

By pradeep, at 5:37 AM