Alma Deutsche

[ardcarp]

Apparently this young person was featured in a Daily Mail article recently.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ti05_Iz49_M

She plays the piano and violin, improvises and composes. She already has an opera under her belt...aged 7.

[Mary Chambers]

I saw her on television, and have seen bits on Youtube. She is talented, but no more so than two or three other children I've known personally in the past, who became professional musicians but not household names.

Her violin playing is better than her piano or her (very short) 'opera'. Her parents are doing her no favours by allowing her so much publicity, I feel.

[ardcarp]

Her parents are doing her no favours by allowing her so much publicity, I feel.

I agree, Mary, that is always a problem. Some prodigious children, however, will never be quite 'normal' in the sense of being well integrated into their peer groups. (I wonder if Mozart played on the street with other kids?) She struck me as oozing musicality, and her activites (piano, violin, composing, etc) seem just vehicles. One wonders whether her daily practice routine is entirely voluntary or to some extent pressured. Did you see the Lang Lang film? His Dad was truly scary. I suppose most great musicians are the result of innate musicality, an ability to persist...and pushy parents.

[Mary Chambers]

I agree, Mary, that is always a problem. Some prodigious children, however, will never be quite 'normal' in the sense of being well integrated into their peer groups. (I wonder if Mozart played on the street with other kids?) She struck me as oozing musicality, and her activites (piano, violin, composing, etc) seem just vehicles. One wonders whether her daily practice routine is entirely voluntary or to some extent pressured. Did you see the Lang Lang film? His Dad was truly scary. I suppose most great musicians are the result of innate musicality, an ability to persist...and pushy parents.

I agree with what you say on the whole. She is certainly very musical, but her parents could encourage her and also allow her to live as normally as possible. I saw part of the Lang Lang film - must watch the rest.

I doubt if Mozart got the chance to play with other kids! He was in a different class altogether, I think.

Benjamin Britten went to normal (though private) schools until he was sixteen, and seems to have survived - being good at games probably helped. He still managed to produce literally hundreds of compositions at that time, and become an excellent pianist and viola player. His sister said that he'd have been a terrific draw at concerts as a small child, with his golden curls, but his parents had the sense not to allow it. The extremely talented can survive being brought up normally, even if they don't quite fit in.

I believe Benjamin Grosvenor had to be taken out of school when he was fourteen or so because of bullying, but I can't imagine that Alma Deutsche would be bullied much, or at least not at her age. She doesn't go to school because her parents seem to think she is too exceptional. I don't think this is necessary or desirable.