Holy Crap

[phil13]

Take a look at this:

https://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/11/24/60minutes/main657713.shtml

Phil

[bench warmer]

The date of that story was Nov.2004. Wonder what he's done lately?

......Upside down and backwards !?!?

[nicco]

listened to his compositions at

https://www.jaygreenbergmusic.com/mediaplayer/

and they were utterly boring. sounded like background music in harry potter.

[quantum]

listened to his compositions at

https://www.jaygreenbergmusic.com/mediaplayer/

and they were utterly boring. sounded like background music in harry potter.

He's only a kid, give him time to mature. 

Would you rather he write pop music?

[nanabush]

Holy sh*t... wow...

I havn't listened to his stuff yet, but even if they were avg or maybe below the avg symphony, he wrote 5 of those by 12... I'm not saying that their bad, I still havn't listened to them; but writing 5 symphonies, taking 3rd year college theory at 11... he's a prodigy, face it.

[nicco]

He's only a kid, give him time to mature. 

Would you rather he write pop music?

I hope he develops some melodic and thematic skills.

[ihatepop]

Would you rather he write pop music?

NO!!! I HATE POP!!!!

That boy has great musical talent, don't ruin it.

ihatepop

[dnephi]

NO!!! I HATE POP!!!!

That boy has great musical talent, don't ruin it.

ihatepop

He could be good if he changes his 3 b's to Bach Beethoven Brahms Liszt and Chopin

[prometheus]

The big question is if this child will be able to control his ability. Because without him being able to consciously and intelelctually consider what he is doing it will never get really good. Except that his natural ability to spew out music will amaze people.

For example, Mozart also suffers from this. Which is both his weak and strong point.

[debussy symbolism]

What do you mean with "control the ability"? If you mean that he should practice and devote time to that and not fame, then yes, I agree with you. That concerns everyone.

[le_poete_mourant]

Just being a prodigy will never do you any good if you don't mold your talent into discipline.  Nurture your natural intelligence with knowledge.  What's the success rate of child prodigies?  I'm guessing it's probably not too high.  Sometimes they burn out, get bored, or don't work hard enough at it. 

And... the key point is: If the boy is like Mozart, then his music should still be played and loved and listened to and appreciated 250 years after him.  I find it hard to believe that this Jay Greenberg will have the ability to transcend two and a half centuries of music, especially considering how fast the industry changes these days. 

[ramseytheii]

Just being a prodigy will never do you any good if you don't mold your talent into discipline.  Nurture your natural intelligence with knowledge.  What's the success rate of child prodigies?  I'm guessing it's probably not too high.  Sometimes they burn out, get bored, or don't work hard enough at it. 

And... the key point is: If the boy is like Mozart, then his music should still be played and loved and listened to and appreciated 250 years after him.  I find it hard to believe that this Jay Greenberg will have the ability to transcend two and a half centuries of music, especially considering how fast the industry changes these days. 

My goodness, you sure are putting a lot of pressure on this person.  This fellow is in his teens and you are saying,

"I find it hard to believe that this Jay Greenberg will have the ability to transcend two and a half centuries of music"

What are you, the Oracle of Piano Forum?  I've never seen such a pessimistic Oracle:

Sometimes they burn out, get bored, or don't work hard enough at it. 

Then again, sometimes they turn out to be Mozart.  Are we witnessing another victim of the "Masterpiece Syndrome," one who cannot enjoy music for the sake of music but must have it ratified by the eroding sandstorm of time, and declarations of pompous authorities!

Walter Ramsey

[henrah]

I'd hate to be the guys on the same course as him...


...dam I'd feel depressed.


All the best to Jay, let's hope he doesn't take it for granted.
Henrah

[le_poete_mourant]

This fellow is in his teens and you are saying, [...] What are you, the Oracle of Piano Forum?  I've never seen such a pessimistic Oracle: [...]  Then again, sometimes they turn out to be Mozart. 

Walter Ramsey

Haha, I know that sounded a bit harsh.  But 1) I'm always skeptical of prodigies, and 2) I really like Mozart.   Anyway, Walter, I find it is often the case that songs that are very popular last year are completely forgotten this year.  Even months, in some cases.  Besides, given the fact that symphonies are not "popular music" like they were in the time of Mozart, I wonder how many people his music would really reach.  One of the reasons Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart are so well-known even now is bbecause of their students.  How many people play Salieri these days?  Not as many as Mozart. 

My goodness, you sure are putting a lot of pressure on this person. 

I think CBS news is putting more pressure on him by making him a national media story.

Are we witnessing another victim of the "Masterpiece Syndrome," one who cannot enjoy music for the sake of music but must have it ratified by the eroding sandstorm of time, and declarations of pompous authorities!

Not at all.  I hardly care what people two hundred years from now think, since I'll have been scattered to the many winds long before that.  I just think that we should decide who is a prodigy and whose music is worth listening to based on what we hear and our own intuition, rather than based on what CBS news wants us to think. 

[henrah]

He's a prodigy, you can't deny him that. A good and lasting one? Who knows...

[prometheus]

Just look at kids that were famous for their intellect. They almost often turn out to become normal adults, though very intellegent ones.

[rc]

This makes me wonder, what practical purpose does music serve in the modern world?  Where is the demand?

Like the architectural saying "form follows function".  I wonder what function there would be for a talented composer.  Compared with the time of Beethoven or Bach, society is a lot different.  Mostly what comes to mind is TV, movies, films, commercials.

[henrah]

There will always be a classical segment of the popularity of any country, and classical recitals/concerts will always go on. That part of society has diminished greatly, but that kid could be the Mozart of today's classical society, however big or small it may be.

[rc]

I thought the classical society hated and feared anything new.

[henrah]

Ah, you have noticed a flaw...

I don't know what type of music this kid composes. I just put classical seeing as others had before me. Silly me, being a sheep again...



baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[ihatepop]

He could be good if he changes his 3 b's to Bach Beethoven Brahms Liszt and Chopin

Yes, that would be much better.......

ihatepop

[rc]

Ah, you have noticed a flaw...

I don't know what type of music this kid composes. I just put classical seeing as others had before me. Silly me, being a sheep again...



baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

hahah, it's cool.

I didn't listen to the kid either, only read the article... was just going off on my own tangent.

It's something I've been thinking of.  All the great music of the past was composed for some function or another.  Scarlatti's sonatas were composed for Maria Barbara's lessons.  Actually, a lot of keyboard music came about for use in teaching...  A lot of baroque music was composed for the church.  The aristocracy of the classical era had a demand for concerts, and then the growing middle class.

Also technological changes influenced the style of past music.  The development of equal temperament and tonality gave birth to classical aesthetic.  The invention of new instruments, modification of existing instruments...

So having musical genius is one thing, but how could a prodigy use it?  Of all the music coming out today, what will last and define the age?