This girl is in the news today - I find these children and their abilities absolutely fascinating How can it be to have such a gift - talent is one thing, this is a whole new level .............. Brief summary .................. Schoolgirl Alma Deutscher first picked up a violin at just three years old She wrote her first piano sonata at six and her first opera at seven The 11-year-old girl is now preparing to take her second opera to Vienna Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3677146/I-m-not-little-Mozart-m-little-Alma-British-child-prodigy-11-wrote-piano-sonata-six-violin-concerto-9-second-opera-Vienna.html#ixzz4DjDHyTuY Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
@Patsy Faye Very difficult for me to understand, in essence, when a child is able to process adult-level thought and concept, how they relate to other kids of their age. Perhaps such "gift" has it's drawbacks..... Frank
@Frank Sanoica - I agree, it must have its drawbacks She reminds me of Mozart - a true wonder How can this be, is the question that fills me, I'd love to know the answer I was watching an autistic boy on TV, he was limited in so many ways and yet has the remarkable ability to do 'intricate' drawings. I watched as he sketched the Houses of Parliament, a huge intricate building and yet his rendition was 'perfect' - every detail was there - he was 10 years old Fascinating
Yes, child prodigies have their own disadvantages like not experiencing normal child life. An example is Eugene Torre, the first Asian chess grandmaster. When Eugene's father noticed his knack for chess, he issued an edict that the grade schooler Eugene wouldn't do any house chores... but would be playing and learning chess when at home. That robbed Eugene of his childhood. He grew up to have very few friends because his mind was always on the board. It's a good thing that he grew up to be a chess grandmaster. But what if he failed? You cannot bring back the lost time, the lost childhood would forever be lost.
@Corie Henson - yes I've seen the pressure parents put the child under, very sad I wonder if these children have ever had a brain scan and what was so different with them ............
I heard her on BBC Radio 4's "Woman's Hour" - she composes as she skips with her skipping rope. I just hope she's allowed a childhood - she was a delightful interviewee, mature beyond her years when she spoke about music but a pretty normal sounding 11 year old other wise.
@Patsy Faye I seem to recall that Albert Einstein's brain was carefully examined at autopsy, due to the unprecedented things he had been able to perceive, way ahead of the World of Physics. They found nothing unusual or remarkable. Frank Edit: Something made my post blue! No idea how. Not intended.
Some of the kids that show up on America's Got Talent are amazing artists. I thought I had never seen one like Jackie Evancho who sang opera at 10 or 11, but I have since seen other amazing children on that show. Some of them just seem "born to do" whatever it is, and just have a natural gift. I would call a few of them prodigies. SOme of the have been at their craft since they were 3 or 4 years old.
I have been contemplating if I would post this comment or not. But I guess I have to just for the sake of this thread. Last May, the community officer celebrated her birthday in our street. It was a street party of sorts with a little program and free breakfast. The mayor of our town attended the event. After the party, I got a bit close to Pinky, the community officer who lives 3 blocks away. She would drop by just for a chat. I learned that she had deformed feet because she was a ballet dancer. The bone of both her feet were like sticking down in the position of going on a tiptoe. She said that she was a sort of child prodigy when she was sent to a ballet school when she was 3 or 4 years old. I was really surprised by the sad story she related that there were nights she was crying because of the pain in her feet (during the years of her training). And she admitted that she is very sociable now as being a member of all clubs she could join maybe to recoup her lost childhood.
@Corie Henson - Yes, I've often wondered about the feet of a ballet dancer, how deformed they must be - torture I'd say I would say singing and dancing are natural gifts - I was singing me little heart out from age 3, my timing was great and I had a wonderful memory for songs, only had to hear them twice and I knew them Not a child prodigy, just a love of music and a talent. Its when it goes beyond that I find fascinating, I guess we'll never know the answer to the wonders of this world ....................