Back to Prodigies

Lately I've been finding myself turning into a bit of a YouTube junkie, constantly searching for video clips of my favorite musical pieces, and sometimes discovering new favorites. In my ramblings I've come across several clips of child prodigies. Once again I am astounded not only by their inexplicable talent, but by the fact there are several of them. Each one of these children is a living miracle, and yet you can see, hear and bear witness to such miracles simply by surfing YouTube.

Of course, each of us a miracle, since we are all embodiments of the miracle of life itself, replete with our own individual talents and intelligence. If you stop to think about it, even the insects that annoy us are miracles of life (I sometimes think about that particularly in the summer when fireflies abound). But to behold the beauty of a young child expressing a phenomenal talent somehow forces us to become aware of the miraculousness in our midst, at the same time reminding us that our lives are fundamentally much more than the mundane existence we sometimes allow ourselves to lead.

One prodigy whose performance I found particularly moving was that of young Jordan Adams, who can be viewed performing the "Ocean" Etude of Chopin and the Fantaisie-Impromptu, at the ages of 10 and 8, respectively. He possesses a modesty and innocence that belie his stupendous technique. There is also a YouTube clip of the legendary Chinese pianist Lang Lang performing as a young child in a home video taken at his parents' home. I would strongly encourage you in your spare moments, or whenever you need a psychological lift, to simply connect to YouTube, or perhaps some other video search engine you're familiar with, and search out videos of young Jordan, Lang Lang, or any music or performer that might engage your thinking.

One reason why I enjoy watching music performed as well as listening to it is because the visual quality adds another layer to the performance. When we can watch the performer moving, touching the instrument, breathing, flowing into the music, then our understanding and appreciation of the music is heightened all the more. (Think about it: Why do we attend concerts instead of just listening to recordings? And even listeners who are blind or visually impaired still find that there is much for them to experience in a concert hall.)

Happy hunting!

Thanks,
Gary