Are there many child prodigies out there???

[go12_3]

I've been thinking about this topic for a while ----about child prodigies.   I mean, do we as teachers have any students like that?  I certainly don't.  I took violin lessons from a teacher that was a child prodigy; when she was 4 years old, teachers wanted to have her as a student.  And it was a hard life for her and yet she got used to the practicing and performing at such a young age. I personally have not experienced such a student and I wonder if they are as common now as when they were a few centuries ago. 

best wishes,

go12_3

[quantum]

I had the pleasure of teaching a very intelligent 8 year old.  She was considered gifted in school and I believe she was enrolled in special learning programs.  At her age her reading skills were at the grade 8 level. 

As for piano, she was at the grade 1 RCM, however it was very evident she wanted to move up more quickly.  Her musical mind was much more mature her physical abilities at the piano.  I felt this was frustrating for her, because she had ideas she wanted to express yet had not developed the technique for it.  She was also very interested in composition and improvisation so such subjects formed a large part of lessons.  Many times we would decide on a subject, she would improvise on it the would ask me to improvise on it, then we would play improv duets together. 

Unfortunately they had to move because one of her parents needed to go to school in another city. 

I've never had any student that was as into improvisation as much as her.

[ahbach]

I have a a very dear friend that was a child prodigie....on the harp....she started at 13 and flew through what she was taught she has had 3 or 4 teachers because she surpassed their knowledge of the harp and these were people that had been teaching for years! and now she plays often with large orchestras and she is also featured as the soloist with the orchestras! Shes brilliant with what she does it's very amazing!!!