A very interesting piece on 60 Minutes about a 12 year old being compared

[undergroundrailroad]

to Mozart!

Prodigy, 12, Compared To Mozart

There is a composer studying at New York’s renowned Juilliard School who some say is the greatest talent to come along in 200 years. He’s written five full-length symphonies, and he’s only 12 years old.

His name is Jay Greenberg, although he likes the nickname "Bluejay" because, he says, blue jays are small and make a lot of noise.

Greenberg says music just fills his head and he has to write it down to get it out. What’s going on in Bluejay’s head? Correspondent Scott Pelley spoke with him.
Jay wrote a piece, "The Storm," in just a few hours. It was commissioned by the New Haven Symphony in Connecticut.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

1. I heard him interviewed on From the Top, a public radio program

featuring musicians under 18.

He was amazingly articulate for a 12-year-old, and his music wasn't bad, either.

[IA_Seth]

2. I watched this..

The boy is brilliant..however these things always worry me. How can someone as gifted as he obviosly is be raised to be his most productive by "normal" people.

[TrogL]

3. it's actually preferable

His talent will rise over all but the most dreadful circumstances.

If he's put in a hothouse he'll shine, then whither and die.

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[IA_Seth]

6. Sheesh

I didnt get the chance to see this reply, but what the heck did I say to get a deleted response?!

[Barad Simith]

8. I couldn't find an alert on this post, so my only guess is...

...it was someone posting without a star. The DU groups are for donor-star members only. I'm guessing another moderator happened on it, and deleted it because the poster didn't have one.

[Barad Simith]

5. It's this kind of story that makes me wonder...

...if there's something to reincarnation:

"I think, around 2, when he started writing, and actually drawing instruments, we knew that he was fascinated with it," says Orna. "He managed to draw a cello and ask for a cello, and wrote the world cello. And I was surprised, because neither of us has anything to so with string instruments. And I didn’t expect him to know what it was."

I also thought about this because of Mozart's early childhood, but this story really makes me wonder. It's like he was born knowing things others have to learn.

[IA_Seth]

7. Collective Intelligence

I read something on collective intelligence awhile back, it is a theory that says that all humans have the ability to "tap" the memories and knowledge of past generations. It sounds a bit hokey til you hear a story like this.

[Ilsa]

9. I saw the story on 60 Minutes.

He hears entire symphonies in his head. He simply scribes the music. He also has problems with distracting noise and he has hyperaccousis. I noticed when they showed him in the city environment, he covered his ears the way my autistic son does when he is getting a sensory overload.

Here's the hard part: he says he never corrects his work. The professors at Julliard say that Beethoven, et al corrected their stuff all the time. If Jay is to fully explore his genius at creating amsterpieces, he'll need to be more introspective and critical of his work.