Being born rich is almost mandatory for this to happen. Access to opportunities is also very important. Perhaps there are thousands of other geniuses and prodigies not only in music, but in many other areas. But these children are more concerned about having something to eat and getting water and having to walk long distances to get to school.
Access is most important, *RICH PARENTS ARE IRRELEVANT!!!* Daniel Barenboim, Pinchas Zukerman, Itzhak Perlman, Jacqueline Du Pre, Glenn Gould, Yehudi Mehuin, Anne Sophie Mutter, Melvyn Tan, Rada Lupu, György Ziffra, Nathan Millstein, Leonard Bernstein, Murray Perahia…..all of these stellar musicians came from nearly impoverished to lower class families, but one or both of their parents found ways to get their children the teaching they desperately needed. Even Rachmaninov was a charity case, after his father had completely exhausted his mother’s wealth when he was only 5-6 years old. The reason why the entire 20th century was filled so many astonishing top tier musicians (former child prodigies) from the former Soviet Union who had been schooled so beautifully is because the entire cost of their education was paid for by the government….this is one example. Without that support, nearly all of them would never have been heard of, including my favorite pianist, Vladimir Ashkenazy.
@@voraciousreader3341 With respect, there is a difference between being rich and having just enough resources, not only money but resolution and determination, plus the knowledge that the child was exceptionally talented and would respond to training. I am sure there have been other parents similarly devoted to supporting their children, but the child didn't progress sufficiently well, and the effort was in vain. I know of such cases. No one would disagree, however, that money oils the wheels and provides otherwise unavailable opportunities.
Only classical music has child prodigies? Does anyone not see something wrong here? This a documentary by white people made for white people. Good luck everyone.
Except, as we have heard from the documentary that if they aren't pushed 'mercilessly' the sponge will dry out and will rebel with frustration because the sponge has been deprived of soaking up what it is talented in. David Garrett, as we saw, refuses to deplore the rigorous discipline his parents metered out on him as a child mastering the violin.🙂
@@JoseighBlogs Yes and no. I agree about intellectual sponges, and I started very early. I was reading at four and read things like Freud's Interpretation of Dreams, before I was nine. I was a voracious reader, and was frequently criticised for always having my head in a book. I couldn't explain that I was looking for answers to questions like, "Can other people read my thoughts?" or "Why are we here?" You'll know you're a philosopher when you have many more questions than answers! Lol!
@@JoseighBlogs Well the problem is, that if they later realize what potential they had and what they could have achieved if they had worked hard enough and that it is too late for them, it may very well break their heart. If they grow up to regret not working hard enough when they were too young to make that decision themselves that would imho. be a infinitely more cruel than getting them to work hard enough to not have those regrets later if you go about it the right way.
@@brennadickinson2920 sounds like my 5y old now. She can read and waiting to learn makes her agressive, but they don't want her to start grade 1 over here. We try to teach her ourselves while she's in KG. She loves philosophy and questions EVERYTHING. Depending on her mood. You know when she's anxious: questions about death. Endless questions. How do babies get burried when they die. Why to people want to be burned in an oven (this is the most scary thing to her), when do people know that they'll die. Etc.
@@Hadriandidnothingwrong-z8c But only if they are interested in what they are being pushed to do. Being forced to study things I had zero interest in and no aptitude for was a waste. Nothing could keep me away from what I was passionate about and that is true to this day.
Let's remember that, in the end, music is not about prestigious prizes, outstanding technical performance, it's about human relationship and living together. A language to tell stories and to communicate with the people around us, with no regard to some intellectual perfection of the sounds being played. A social communion of the emotions, and the encouragement of living through our difficult lives, and to throw love at each other!
👆 THIS is the true soul of music, and why music is so important. Music is about communication, a way of communicating deeply beyond words. Music is called the language of the soul for a reason. Music expresses our human emotions and longings in a way that words never could.
@@MishaSkripach Only if they have anything to say. Often their expression is exploited for the audience, to live vicariously through their talent. Art exists primarily for the artist, we should merely be grateful when it is shared with us.
Actually, Mozart did have several talents that had little to nothing to do with music. He was a great writer, could speak backwards fluently and was generally good at conversation and languages. He was also good at seeing through people, interpreting actions as a part of a kind of bigger picture - a character. This can be seen - or rather heard - in his operas where he perfectly puts every bit of human temperament and contradiction into music. Another famous child prodigy that was an allrounder is Mendelssohn. He was great at writing, the visual arts, a natural leader and organiser, and a kind of activist for older music - as well as a brilliant teacher. The only prodigy that comes to my mind that was only good at music is Liszt. He was in fact ashamed to be walking amongst people who had a better general education.
Mozart might have several talents, but he wasn't a genius in these too. Many people have various talents. Was he a great writer when he was also writing great music - say, at 19 or even before? Or was he a great writer in the sense that anyone from that background would have learned to write in the way he wrote?... By the way, as a boy, I remember many young girls (of around 9 to 13) ganging together to create their own languages, which included speaking backwards. It was a way of excluding boys and parents from what they were saying.
@@paulaustinmurphy Speaking backwards in original tempo and fluently is a quite typical genius trait that most people cannot learn. And I detest the notion of "genius" v. "normal" talent. What the heck is that even supposed to mean? A genius is just a talented person who worked on that talent until it became truly amazing. Mozart's ability to read people was far beyond average. Yes, one can absolutely consider it genius. His writing ability I can hardly judge. His intellect was likely also genius level. I was arguing against the false claim which this video made: That Mozart was good at nothing but music. That is nonsense.
@@joanneaugust6611 oh for sure. Mozart was one talented person. And I agree with your definition of genius. There is a book titled "The Genius in All of Us." I should buy it.
Well-balanced documentary! Thank you. I was immediately plunged back to my childhood in the 1950s. In the conformist middle of postwar America, growing up in a huge working-class family from which no-one had attended college or traveled beyond a small radius, I was inexplicably boiling over with a passion for Dvorak, Handel, Bach, Copland, Barber, Brahms. I was in the school madrigals and choir, and I pleaded with my parents to give me piano lessons. They were unenthused, or confused, but finally they found a pleasant lady around the corner, and I began. But it was very uninspired teaching, and everyone in the family would yell at me when I practiced the old upright piano in our small house, and just getting a piano and lessons had already been such an uphill struggle. So at every turn, my talent was slowed for want of robust support from knowledgeable adults. Years later I was playing on my own competently, and I genuinely loved studying music theory in college. I still love music, of course, but what a different track my life might have taken with real fuel to feed my originally fiery ambition. I was also intensely ainterested in art, geology, biology and paleontology, but again, no-one noticed. To parents of intellectually intrigued kids--I say give them as much support as they will absorb! Don't push maniacally beyond that, of course, because that could be just as unproductive. But don't ignore potential brilliance. Raphael, Mozart and Euler didn't dazzle the world because they were raised with low expectations.
Right, but Mozart didn't have a childhood. They traveled too much, and that's why he got sick and died early. Beethoven was beat up by his dad. His father was horribly abusive. I absolutely do believe in nurturing your child's potential, just don't go overboard and isolate them from everything else. They need to have a childhood.
Totally understand what you've experienced. Enthusiastic parents could have been great but my parents were busy making everyday living, just like yours.
Musical prodigies are not the only ones who have followed this narrow path. Behind many talented athletes there has been a parent, teacher or coach that has been their guide--for better or worse.
To be born ... 1. a genius 2. in the right family 3. at the right time 4. in the right place 5. with the right contribution 6. with a random/lucky break .... BINGO !!!! (or you might say close to a miracle) 🙂
My mother is very gifted with talent and passion for music. As a kid she wanted to play violin and she would have been supported but here mother didn't wanted to "waste" her own time bringing her to lessions, concerts... My mother started as a grown up but she could never reach that level she could by starting earlier. As long as the kids have fun and want it let them start early. It's a porblem if they absolutely hate it.
That’s how it was for me growing up. I saw my first symphony as a kid, and always had the most fun during music class, I wanted to learn to play the piano, but my mother was very much how your grandmother was, I’m not gonna waste my money on taking you to lessons, and getting an instrument your not gonna practice. So I did it as an adult. I started with Piano when I was…..26 and play it off and on. I can play pieces by bergumuller, smaller, Bach pieces, I was working on a clementi piece about a year and a half ago, pieces from Disney movies you name it. I switched to violin about six months ago, and don’t regret it, the only thing I regret is that I never got that chance to learn it as a child, I never wanted it to be famous, I just wanted it so I could have that same happy feeling I had when I came out that first symphony.
I think the grandmother’s strategy makes a lot of sense. Children don’t have a good idea of how much time they themselves actually have to do this and that.
Why can your mother not enjoy music now and see how far she can get as a hobby player? That can also be fulfilling, maybe even more so than a professional career that would dictate what and where you perform.
I’m thankful for my childhood. I started music late in life (15 years old), but I don’t regret all that time I spent playing call of duty and such mindless activities, they me made who I am today. I’m glad I have learned in life that to achieve anything at all you need to have will and commitment. I disagree with David regarding the last statement, sometimes prodigies reach the top, that’s true, but that doesn’t save them from suffering and it doesn’t necessarily make their adult life “easier”. There are many renown world class musicians that suffer from depression, think of Horowitz, Glenn Gould, even Martha Argerich. Even the greatest of all musicians, namely Mozart, Beethoven and Bach had to struggle really bad in their lifes, each with their unique set of struggles. In other words, the investment and effort taken into making a child a prodigy doesn’t automatically translates into having a better or easier life. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying parents shouldn’t encourage kids to learn new things and follow their passions, but it should never become a burden on the child such that the child feels they had no childhood. Even Johann Sebastian Bach, humanity’s greatest musician went to a regular school, and had to learn to adapt himself to the regular plain old society we all know. In fact, there’s a certain beauty in that, having to live what everyone else lives makes us more empathic and open in our knowledge about the world. Some of this kids, from what is seen in the documentary, are being segregated from society, they are being forced to practice for hours everyday. Jesus Christ.
Very well said! Also, it should be the child´s passion, not the parents´... I mean, if you start anything at age 3 with a lot of drill, how can you possibly figure out whether that´s what you actually want? And even if it is the child´s passion, as you said, let them be children! That´s why I´m very sceptical about competitions where children participate. That gives pushy (and possibly abusive) parents even more incentive to drill their children from an early age (like playing Paganini at age 7, who needs that? It´s still impressive if you can play Paganini at age 20 or really any age for that matter).
I completely agree with you. Plus, as a musician myself, in order to truly make music, and have something to express, you need to live your life and have interests outside of music. 3 hours a day of practice is sufficient, and even many professional musicians can't even get that much practice in. You need to learn how to practice efficiently, which is a skill every musician has to learn.
I agree and I'd add also that not all the kids pushed to be prodigy actually succeed. We don't know the exact numbers because we see only the one who have succeeded, but my idea is that the majority of them get lost before adulthood...
@@consumer614 First of all, I have nothing to prove. And I don't have sour grapes. The opposite actually. I said a fact: the vast majority of child prodigies don't make it in the real world once they get older. They have their "15 minutes of fame," and that's it. There's a few who make it, like Itzak Perlman, Anne Sophie Mutter, and now there's a new kid on the block who's around 17 now. For sure she's going to be big. I believe her name is Alma. She wrote an opera already (Cinderella). She's going to be up there for sure and I can't wait to see what she does and accomplishes. But the vast majority of prodigies fall through the cracks. For every Itzak Perlman, there are 300 others who never make it in the real world. They were burnt out as children.
It is not worth it. I hated my childhood and the result was that I ended up blocking out almost my entire life. I have no memories of childhood because I was so pressured and was under constant stress, constantly being yelled at to "do better" or being beaten, was never told I was succeeding or given positive reinforcement. Music was never about joy when it was taught to me. I ended up becoming homeless after not being able to deal with the cruelty and pressure from my parents, went in a downward spiral and almost ended it all. Now, over a decade later, I have come back to music on MY terms, I teach music and focus on making sure children have structure, but not to the point where they hate their lives, because that kind of stress on a child is just not healthy.
The one thing this doesn't deal with is the financial cost. Talent, practice and determination still don't guarantee success. For a family with very limited financial resources, trying to deal with a talented child can cripple their living conditions. The cost of tuition, instruments, travel....is huge, and unless there is plenty of available wealth, it is impossible to give a talented child the full support they might want or need. These Wunderkinder do truly live in a world apart from the rest of us. It makes me question how many of them are never noticed because they don't have financial backing.
I am one of these.. or rather was. And I never had financial or any backing, thus my talent never developed and sadly no one in my family ever saw it. When I said that this melody is "blue" they just laughed it off. When I cried over the beauty of written words they said I was crazy.... School bored me but overwhelmed me at the same time. All I wanted to do is write, paint and make music. We did not even have the money for some proper watercolors, no money for an instrument or even lessons. All I have left is writing poetry but as only instagram poetry gets you somewhere nowadays.... well... I came to the conclusion that either you really do need the financial backing or you will never be able to follow your passion and will be standing there not really knowing what to do. As it is too late for you to become professional in your field but everything else just.... leaves you empty. You cannot be the real "you" then, if you get what I mean.
I never told or ask my son if he practice his piano lessons. What I loved most was when everyone was in bed he would start playing piano, in the dark and the sound of the music carried me to dreamland. Defenitly gifted.
I wouldn't call myself a prodigy, but my mother would be the first to tell you that I've had an opus performed by age 13. Now that I'm in my 20s, I can say that I don’t remember a lot from my teen years (due to trauma). I felt very pushed when it came to certain aspects of music. It didn't feel fun anymore, and I lost all sense of passion. I felt extremely disgusted with my music. What I started as a means of expression felt like a tool. While it wasn't the main cause, I fell into a major depression and ended up dropping out of school and all activities. I couldn't leave the house for almost three years. It created a lot of trauma around many things, including creating and performing music (if you know an anime called Your Lie in April, it was kind of like that). To all the parents out there, please listen to your kids. Yes, this even refers to Asian parents like mine. Kids crying after every lesson and hiding away is NOT normal. I have gone through many treatments to the point where I have reclaimed certain things in music, but I cannot deny that I lost a lot, including my formative teen years.
Thank you for sharing your story. We appreciate your perspective and wish you all the best in your journey towards reclaiming your passion and healing from the past.
David Garret is in all points right. Our kids also have a certain talent, Their disadvantage is having parents, who are not musicians themselves and have no or only few connections to the "decision making" people. It is much harder to pull the right strings...
@@consumer614 , see, we are greatful for any advice, but only from people, who proof their expertise, not from anybody, who trolls around on TH-cam without a name. In case you uncover, who you are, there might be a chance of a being taken serious. Further on, neither of my kids wants to become a Garret. They will become themelves. Have a great weekend, stranger. 🙂
The sad thing, often, about child prodigies is that people often lose interest in them when they grow up -often it's just the cuteness thing seeing a child sing or play so well!
It's true, and there's a line of new ones waiting in the wings at all times. The field is oversaturated with talent and yet from what I know the audience for them is dwindling.
Everyone grows up in their own “shoebox” of sorts. Some have far too little adult input, some have maybe too much. There is no ideal childhood, though. We all become adults one day, with pressure, sacrifice, responsibilities and many never succeed at anything big once they’re adults. These young musicians were gifted with music in their blood as well as supportive parents. Now they’re successful! Lucky them. 💕
It's rarely mentioned that prodigies encounter many negative responses; put downs, envy, dislike, criticism, judgement, negation. etc, etc. As a polymath philosopher and a child, I knew that I didn't know anything, and nobody else seemed to, either. I learnt to keep my thoughts to myself. I took refuge in poetry and have written hundreds of poems and let them express my truths and that has to suffice. It has taken a lifetime to accept myself as a philosopher poet. For most of my life, I didn't want to do any of the careers open to women, and I failed at them. Now I accept my true self and I have peace.
@@DWHistoryandCulture Some. I've lost many of them, as I go through computers like crazy. I consider my poems as paper ships I cast upon the waters, and occasionally they come back to me. My only criterion for my work is it has to be true. I don't care what anyone thinks of them.
@Robin L. Brian It's a dilemma for parents. Whether to let them practice non stop, or ban it altogether? A compromise? Is it even possible to squash it? I don't think so. Guidance?. These children are forces of nature!
@@michaelblankenau3129 Yes. By eleven I was being IQ tested with absurdly simple means and aced it except for a word test. I didn't know what 'milksop' meant! Lol! Testing went on all through my teens as there was serious distrust going on. Turned out I was good at IQ tests! Lol!
The thing about musical parents demanding “perfection” of pitch and technique when their progeny are young is that bad habits are extremely difficult for any musician to unlearn. The child’s brain is obviously much more elastic than that of an adult, but the errors in finger and arm position in string instruments can be insidious, and the muscle memory hard to erase.
As a musical mother, teaching my three children instruments, onlookers may find I’m too demanding of them, but I’m just trying to prevent their muscles from learning things wrong. It’s so difficult to correct later.
@@MishaSkripach I absolutely fail to understand why perfect pitch has anything to do with musicality? In fact quite a few people with perfect pitch find it hindering their performance. For one; they often struggle to distinguish lines of harmony from each other, isolating the melodies.
This is super important. Having properly programmed structure and musculature. I didn’t start until much later in life and I am still learning proper movement as a middle aged adult. Technique practice is a must if you didn’t have it ingrained early on. Kudos to you for making sure your children move correctly and efficiently at their instruments.
As you would expect, there are many varieties of childhood. Menuhin, and particularly the British pianist Solomon, felt much of their childhood had been 'stolen'. Solomon stopped playing at age 15 or so. Others like Artur Schnabel were perfectly happy to hang out with adults, wander the streets of Vienna and take lessons. It seems most (Andras Schiff, Richer) seemed to enjoy the experience. Some, like Glenn Gould, are perhaps odd characters to begin with. But I suspect most do really enjoy the music but feel pushed - one need only think of elite athletes as well.
Smart people do stand out when speaking in their niche. A good friend of mine in her second year of returning to college as an older woman complained to me about how she can't do the assignments she's been given because of jargon this and jargon that and thesis moreover. "But maybe I can pull from this paper I wrote before and that assignment for this other class..." And she essentially told me what she would do for her impossible assignments. I knew as soon as she started spouting the lingo that she had them figured out. She just had to tell it to someone.
Makes me think of one of my favorite movies Good Will Hunting, and how some prodigies go unnoticed or dont have an opportunity, and although its fictional, there is a monologue about Ramanujan who was very real, and had only read a few basic math books in his life and was capable of writing new theories that still amaze and perplex the smartest men to this day. Math, music, colors, and emotions are are languages that are universal, and some people are born capable of speaking and understanding these languages very naturally.
Being a genius doesn't make one brilliant at everything. I was very absent-minded, was hopeless at math and my handwriting and spelling were atrocious. Humility is based on honesty about one's abilities. False modesty is repugnant.
One thing for sure though is that with the advent of the internet we are able to view “wunderkind”, if you will, of many nations and it’s astounding to see what they play, sing, or……🙏🏻😲👏
Це просто неперевершено!🌼🌼🌼 Декілька разів завмирало сердце і сльози підступали😢 Душе зворушливий проект! 🌟Безмежно Дякую за кожну хвилину цього відео🤍🤍🤍
Nobody in the family is gifted in any instrument although many of us took lessons at a young age. My father played accordion before but only at a basic level. Some in the family supposedly passed conservatory levels but very few have the confidence to perform in public. The majority of us at age 4 don't really know what to do with our lives. Some who enjoy music at a young age would eventually get into playing an instrument or singing as a career. Today people are living longer and there are more adult learners who are playing music as a hobby. Starting at 40 you wouldn't be playing at Carnegie Hall but music is a powerful stress relief.
Some experts now deny even the existence of talent. Schumann said it well, and he was married to a 'prodigy' who richly fulfilled her early promise: Talent is like a precious lump ore, you find it. To make a watchspring, a skilled musician, takes a lot of work.
@@DWHistoryandCulture through some strange glitch this comment was actually meant for a different video. HOWEVER, I found your documentary to be fascinating. I appreciate demystification in journalism and documentary film generally and this was especially humanizing. If you’re interested, this beautiful, terrifying, and hilarious music mashup was the impetus for my initial misplaced comment th-cam.com/video/WmjhdghViWs/w-d-xo.html
Great David I admire so much because you deserve your successful life, but you’re perseverante, God creats you with this talent and your parent’s support and yourself support too have been the key forward to the marvelous music world Thanks A big hug
I don’t know what to make of this piece. I understand that it is important to support a child that is showing extraordinary talent. And that supporting a gifted child can quickly become a full time job for a parent. I get that. But very few parents have the financial and personal means to do this. To me this is an important point that wasn’t addressed at all. And not every parent is capable of distinguishing the support for their child from their own vanity. Why on earth would I send my young child on several competitions a year? To make sure he/she becomes „the youngest“ to play this and that in every big concert hall? This isn’t about music any more. And it certainly isn’t about the child.
I think I could have been a "prodigy" or at least in an orchestra or something, and I do love playing violin and performing, but I want to have time to do all of the other things I love, such as reading and working on hobbies. I am very grateful to my parents for allowing me to make the choice of continuing to take violin lessons and practicing but not being in an orchestra.
@@MishaSkripach I am in the UK. We hear many bad things about Russia. People with the ability to think know there is good and bad everywhere. It would be virtually impossible for a child in this country, no matter how gifted, to get the professional attention needed without parents with sufficient money to pay for their training.
@@rachelpeham4800It definitely takes a lot of money to nurture the talent, the cost of instruments, lessons, transport etc. if Ur parents can't afford a piano/keyboard at home then U will never know that u are talented cos uve never touched one
I remember flying to Paris in May 2014, if my memory serves me on the date, mainly to see David Garrett perform, then to see the Louvre, Notra Dame etc. It was worth it!
Prodigies ARE gifted b/c they put the work in. They are a small percentage. Most children have no interest in practicing, nor have the appetite for long hours of practice and sacrifice. "Discipline and focus" are necessary. Lots of kids get stuck on screens and video games. A child needs to love their instrument or whatever their talent is. Mutter's parents are right. Some children do very well at a young age and then lose interest and choose another path like sports, computers, you name it. And that should be fine. God endows every person with talents, interests, abilities. It's a wonderful world. I like David Garrett's closing remarks!
If it wasn't for social media, the vast majority of these "prodigies" would never end up in that place. Behind most of these Wunderkinder, there's a parent wanting fame and fortune to boost their own ego. If these kids were as gifted as they're said to be, the world would be full of Mozart's and Einstein's by now. These kids are highly skilled and have talent, but they aren't geniuses.
Прекрасный маленький фильм! Путь от искорки таланта до сияния звезды. Гениальные дети как чудесная улыбка: ясные лица и такие старательные пальчики; и много-много труда родителей и учителей. А ещё великолепный пример гениального Скрипача Дэвида Гарретта, который неустанно подчёркивает, что слава, успех, популярность это прежде всего великий труд. В фильме это показано ненавязчиво, интересно, красиво. Просто жизнь детей, наполненная Музыкой, детством и многими часами уроков музыки. Кадры о Дэвиде как золотая нить через весь фильм - от игрушечной скрипочки до драгоценного в божественном звучании инструмента Страдивари. Спасибо, Дэвид. Твоя роль в фильме не просто украсила его, но придала всему сюжету сверкание бриллианта. Жизненный путь таланта как пример для юных музыкантов: маленький мальчик с игрушечной скрипочкой - великий труд - блистательный Маэстро Дэвид Гарретт.
I find it very hard to believe that it is not related to IQ. Once in college, I had a music teacher specifically tell the class that success was highly IQ based in music. She said if we ever told anybody that she'd deny she said it. She said the only exception to this rule were singers, but she felt comfortable telling the class because choir was the same hour, so she knew no singers were in class.
iq is a controversial and poor measure of overall intelligence (which is virtually impossible to quantify) and is generally only used to measure performance on the specific types of tasks that iq tests ask for. Large-scale twin studies suggest that there is no causal link between musical training/ability and iq test performance.
@@ryangriffin5362 I'm afraid the only reason its controversial is because a society like ours which aspires to meritocracy is put off by the idea that success is so based on inherited factors. In other words "people are offended". But the facts tell us that IQ correlates very heavily with many types of success. The highest performance students, basically all have good IQ if not amazing. People that rise to the top of business - Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Warren Buffet, usually have astronomical IQ's. Rich people have higher IQs than poor people. Fit people have higher IQs than unfit people. Obviously IQ tests were not invented hundreds of years ago but great composers like Bach and Mozart are estimated to have IQ's in the stratosphere. I could hardly even imagine any of the great well-known composers as being merely average. I've been in music a long time myself and the brainiacs and the finest players are always the exact same people - no exceptions, except for singers. I don't know what study you found and what their methodology is, but I know that an elite orchestra probably has more masters degrees than players. Would you also say that great scientists and engineers and doctors are also just average IQ? To say that there is no link between music ability and IQ is to say that a literal genius has no advantage in becoming the next Mozart over a random bloke you find on the street. Sorry but the fact that anyone could believe that is utterly mind-blowing. I suspect that the "music ability" measured in those studies you mention was measured on the ability to sing like Justin Bieber. IQ has very strong predictive power. Sometimes I wish it didn't, because I'll probably never be a quantum physicist. But sometimes what's offensive is also true.
Deutsche Welle, why oh why did you choose two (incredible!) Asian musicians as the standout examples of extreme parental pressure and drilling? I'm not saying that you're wrong in pointing out what Lang Lang and Midori went through, but every other musician in this video is from a white, middle-class background, so this really stood out to me.
My Grandfather found that one of his 18 children had charisma and had a talent for acting - he became his manager and at the age of 8 toured him around the country on what was then the Vaudeville circuit as a child comedian. He later because quite famous as one of the first radio sports commentators. But my grandfather's primary purpose was to make money out of his child's talent. I am sure that many of these child prodigies are the same.
The same kind of parenting creates stars in sport , theatre or mathematics. Its wonderful to give a future to yur kids. You mustnt lose your identity though. They will fly away at 18.
I don't really understand garrett's saying on 24:00. "struggle with adult live, when not be pushed in childhood". most of us normal people where not pushed in childhood and live a quite happy live without struggeling. what the hell does he think!?!? my childhood was an awesome time. my parents gave me love and a home. I would nevet give it away. and as an adult, I ha e a good education and earn enough to work part time and still earn enough to have a good live. I don't need the pressure of a "star-famous-job" and livestyle. I think most of the people think like I do. I feel very sorry for the children portrayed in the movie. they just get love from their parents when performing.
and the two young boys with the sibgle mother. in the end of the movie, they clearly nevet have been on the playground before. They can't swing properly..... so sad!
@@svetavinogradova4243 Thanks, I learn from mistakes. English is my 3th language. I'm aware of making a lot of errors. If you comment anything in German or French, I'm glad to correct you too.
Talent is only 5% - work is 95% - there is also dark side of the story. You can see at around age 7 if you are good for it or not - starting early can't make a significant difference. If you are good musician you will be one regardless of age you are starting in, but it is pointless to push it before age 6
Talent is 5%, work is 20%. The other 75% is being born in the right environment. I wanted to be a pianist before the age of 10, but I never had any opportunity to take any piano classes and I never even had enough cash to buy a cheap digital piano. Now, I'm 24 and I am still struggling to survive.
@@CaioDanielNunesSantos Maybe in the past that was an big issue, today when we have online options, programs and videos it is much more easy - but yes if you count that in, good teachers are important - i didn't count that in, but you are right. But still most of the great musicians from 20th century were self taught - maybe not violinist - but you can find some fantastic jazz pianist, gitarist, drummers that can't even read music sheet but are virtuoso players and world class musicians. If you are talented and in to it you can have a chance even if born in "wrong" place.
@@TK-qk6wl That's right. We have internet now. But there are still issues that limit being a prodigy to those born rich. Most people have poor internet access, old and slow computers and phones. If we consider music, for example, most people are not able to buy any instrument. If these statements sound wrong to you, it's because you were born in a rich country and you don't really live in the real world. Most people are unable to feed themselves reasonably and this severely damages their cognition. I have 130 points of IQ, but maybe I would have 140 or even more if I ate apropriately during childhood. If I had rich parents, maybe I would be a prodigy myself. Every time I look at a child prodigy, I see nothing more than privilege. I had to work hard in my childhood to barely survive and I am 100% sure that none of these prodigies worked more than I did.
@@CaioDanielNunesSantos We can't change history nother to blame anyone - music start to develop in rich environment - in past only rich aristocracy could do so and first orchestra were made of rich people as music were not profitable genre in the past as it today and only rich people could afford to spend time on music. Today we have a lot of option. If you want to have classical musical education - yes it cost money - but if you want to have any musical education you can start yourself and pick some of the modern genre have a bend and develop your skills that way.
i have played violin for almost 3 years, i just finished the devils trill sonata and the bruch violin concerto. to think if my parents allowed me to learn at a younger age I could have been a prodigy
@@consumer614 i am not a prodigy, but i thought the video was interesting. But in the comments you keep challenging people to upload their material even when they never claimed to be better than these kids. Insulting people and insinuating they are unintelligent is not "facts" those are opinions.
What I find surprising is the fact that you don't really see wind players... Or brass players being like this. It's special to me because it's (I think) much harder to be a so called "prodigy" in a brass instrument. Because you just cannot spend so much time practicing, it's just impossible, you will eventually get tired. And the instruments are often just too big and heavy for a 2 year old. It requires a way of studying that is much more mature that what other instruments need (I think) because you can't just repeat, and repeat... You have to be smart or you will study too much and just hurt you lips
Not to be mean, but realistically the little brother who is playing violin needs a better teacher. His technique is really quite bad and his tone isn't great. That's not to say he wouldn't play beautifully if taught properly, but the quality of the teacher is key. I feel bad for the mum who is paying so much money and spending so much time having him taught violin when the outcome is so mediocre. I'm a violin teacher of thirty years experience so I'm saying this from a point of view of deep experience.
I also saw the technical issues, but we saw such small clips of his playing that I refrain from judging him or his teacher. He could be nervous being filmed. Or what if he’s only been playing violin for a few months? That could be astounding technique in that scenario.
@@salionshatterstar Well I don't think it takes more than a few lessons with a good teacher to establish basic good technique like posture and violin/bow hold. Your beginners should be set up to look like professionals. At least that's what I do in my studio
I simply don’t believe that kids don’t sacrifice time themselves to become great. I have been playing piano for 7 or 8 years now and I am 16, I never was pushed by anyone to become a great pianist but I still want to!
My mom said that back when I was 3 years old, I saw a singer perform on TV and I tried to imitate him, even with the singing. She admitted that maybe I had some talents. But, yeah, you know, because our family could not afford things to nurture that, I have to grow up like any other kid, going to high school, getting good grades, going into an academic university, then working in an office 40h/w. I don't have the right to blame my parents for ignoring my going-to-be talent, but I think if we did not care too much about how to put food on our table back in the day, my brother and I could achieve something more special. I love playing piano now and because I don't have enough to afford a teacher, I am mostly self-taught. I just hope someday, with my love for music, I can create something special, not just go to work 9-5 every day and retire.
According to Mozart, he wrote his older sister was even more talented than him and he learned piano from her even before his father started trained him. But at that time girls didn't supposed to be piano stars.
As a parent it is your role to raise your child to be the best they can be - yes, money is a major factor that cannot be disputed - but if that money etc. is available, why would a parent not do all they can to give their child the very best possible for them? Isn't that what we, as parents, should be focused on? Parenthood is sacrifice - when children are grown and moved into adulthood then we, as parents, get a little of our own lives back to do the things we love but always, first and foremost, we are parents. If you don't want to sacrifice as a parent, don't have kids.
Music from ever, in every culture, point to something unknowable, as Silence in another way. The fascination around the musician in himself came later in history, it happened when a certain knwoledge started to get lost. Hard childwood in any case, specially kids like that grows up in a box, for sure "too full"!
How many of these supposed "Wunderkinder" will finally become a famous musician? And what about all the others who sacrificed their whole youth to a carreer that didn't become true? If it's not about the music (instead of competitions) it's just a waste of time and nerves.
@@al.cavalu Whoa?! Who the hell was saying that?! I believe in nurturing children's potential, but there comes a point where it becomes excessive and even borderline abusive. Children need to have a childhood.
@@al.cavalu I have to clarify: If you try to play better and to understand music better - that's never a bad thing. And then you don't need to win prices at competitions. If you want to - that's ok. If not - that's ok too.
There is good evidence that children who are given opportunities to sample but not forced to “specialize” early do much better and have more success over their lifetimes.
Дэвид! Ты был гениальным учеником, великим тружеником, и твои советы, участие в детских проектах неоценимы. На твоём примере дети наглядно видят, что великий Музыкант это не столько чудо, сколько великий труд. Спасибо за прекрасное видео - много музыки и талантливых детей.
Let get this straight, these kids achieve high levels of success - but oh no they missed out on their childhood. There are millions of kids around the world who would die to have these talents.
Someone who misses out on their childhood misses out on their life. What happens, or doesn’t happen in a child’s emotional, mental, and psychological development will define who they become later in life. The need for a child to be a child during developing ages is *extremely* important
@@bompkin1506 So all those people who had "normal" childhoods, and later ended up working boring "normal" jobs and living like the vast majority of dissatisfied adults, dulling their minds with shallow entertainment after hours spent at jobs they don't enjoy, they haven't "missed out" on life?
when i watch these things i always think i wish my parents had pushed me to be like that and then i remember that i despised practicing until i was like 15 and i would’ve hated that even more
I always noted just how many "child prodigies" in classical performance there have been and still are - countless numbers. Every single year, dating back to the 18th century, there have been hundreds or even thousands of classical child prodigies. The number seems to keep on rising - perhaps in tandem with populations as a whole and more widespread education. (Think of how many prodigies China churns out.) This raises the question as whether the word "prodigy" is accurate. This is a little like calling everyone in a class "brave". Compare it to geniuses in physics - the main ones that everyone recognises. I would say that, in the 20th century, there were less than 30 absolute geniuses in physics. Perhaps a lot less than that. Now compare that to the multitudes of "child prodigies" who come off the conveyor belt in classical music. Perhaps this is unfair comparison. I don't know.
Yes, it's basically a freak show business model and quite weakly correlated to actual genius. If you want a better comparison to the greats of physics, you need to filter down to the great composers. Most of whom never made a song and dance about being 'prodigies'.
@@pseudonymlifts2 That's probably a more relevant comparison than my own. There were, of course, a few precocious great composers, such as Mozart, Schubert, Mendelson, etc. But the numbers are still much lower that performer "prodigies". Also, many great composers only really got going in their late 20s/early30s or even later... It's even later for many great writers and dramatists. Oh, by the way, Kant was 50 when he wrote his first philosophical masterpiece. Also, really-young precocity is also found, of course, in mathematics.
@@MishaSkripach True. But that doesn't seem to be a reply to anything I wrote. Is it a reply to psedoymlifts? As it is, your comments are more apt for performers than for composers. But, sure, this video is about performers... I've just noted that you are one of these young "prodigies" - or perhaps an aspiring prodigy.
@@consumer614 Where did you get that figure from? I myself don't have an exact figure. How could this be quantified a anyway? As it is, I do remember watching both The Young Musician of the Year and the Leeds Piano Competition. And literally every year at least 3 of the entrants (from each) were classed as "prodigies" - and that's just a British and a Leeds competition. Of course, there will also be much dispute as to which performers are (genuine) prodigies. Have you also noted that some - or even many - of the prodigies fade from the music scene once they've had their year of fame?
Not sure about stopping ordinary schools... in Korea, to enter the most prestigious music conservatory (secondary school) called YeWon, students need to get literally top scores in every subjects including maths and science and this various knowledge will provide the musicians great understanding of life and support their philosophical journey...
The irony is all of these prodigies say they want to play at Carnegie Hall as their goal. The reality is Carnegie Hall has a lot of amateur musician performances. So playing at Carnegie Hall nowadays is actually as straightforward as joining an amateur music club in Manhattan, don’t need to be a pro.
Most people don’t realize that “played Carnegie Hall” usually means Weill Recital Hall (not the big venue) AND that anyone with a checkbook can hire it.
Some kids happen to be exceptional when given an instrument. They just catch on to everything quickly. Then people marvel at them and are so impressed how this child performs, the child becomes a spectacle of sorts. Forcing a child to work, even if it's something they are in fact great at like an instrument, is questionable to me. There are kids with exceptional skills and talents outside of music but we often don't put them on display and ask them to perform. Having kids behave like adults isn't a good idea, imo.
There should be the big distinction between the child who is talented and interested and driven himself who is supported in his endeavour by the parents AND the bossy parents who don’t take into consideration what the child actually wants and just push him through it all. The film also brings examples- the latter one yields catastrophic results. I would still not start music below the age of 6 (except in rare cases when the child initiates it). I do not care where my children will end up with music. They both play for the love of it and are considered talented. I will continue to give support and they can decide if they want to do it as a hobby, go professional or even quit it if they don’t enjoy it any more. Music is our joy and I want to keep it that way. I do help them practice if needed and correct them, but let them stop when they seem tired or want to do something else. I think the real ‘child prodigies’ who are self-driven, they are focused and naturally perfectionists, that’s why they reach results.
At 12.49mins you say ,'throughout history there have been many musical geniuses.......like Bach Beethoven and Handel...' But the people you speak about are NOT musical geniuses, they are not COMPOSERS. They are musician entertainers who are playing the compositions of the 'musical geniuses' to a very high standard. But there is a world of difference between Composers and Musicians.
I say...if the child has truly the talent, go for it...with love and care. Otherwise, there were no Mozart, no Liszt and many others contributed to music which we all enjoys now...
I think kids don't enjoy too much that routine bcz Frankly they're insolated from other kids to fulfill the talent. That makes them socially undeveloped. Nostalgia for the lost childhood will come and hurt their souls.
I was one of those children in the wrong family, wrong circumstances & with the wrong teachers. Although my Dad recognised my musical ability, he was clueless as to finding the right people to teach me. My Mum had no interest in truly nurturing my musical abilities. I was on my own.
Don’t worry, there are lots of them, too. It doesn’t seem like media emphasizes them as often, though. I imagine some people perceive violin and piano as more “mature” instruments (though of course, that’s not necessarily so), and so the impression that young virtuosos leave is perhaps enhanced.
There absolutely are and have been many guitar prodigies paco de luchia comes to mind also Segovia, oh and not on topic but of course piano prodigies are really numerous as well.
Talent is developed not inborn. Starting early, great teachers, practicing a lot , personal drive, etc. . Mostly is a very hard work with a lot of sacrifices.
You also have to have supportive teachers and community. A talented child needs more than devoted parents. School teachers who are subversive ruin everything
David Garrett th child sounded amazing. Yes, the father pressured but the quality of music came out of him and it was unrestrained. Now his mind gets in the way a bit though he is a consummate professional
Hes 6 months old. I dont think you need to „adequately stimulate his mind“ at that young of an age. He doesnt have to start at 3 years old even. Please dont force your kid to play an instrument that he doesnt want to. You can always propose the idea to him if hes at an acceptable age and go from there.
I recommend watching some Rick Beato videos like „Music Listening for Babies“ or „Why Kids Need Music Lessons“ He talks about making his kids listen to high information/komplex music
@@imagod4796 my, what a silly thing to say! Of course you need to stimulate an infant's mind. They're not sea anemones. This is the most crucial period of their lives. Also, you missed the part where I made it clear that I'm not pushing anything on him.
Let's not kid ourselves that it's all about the music: these people and their parents crave stardom and money. Else why would we not find all these prodigies playing on bassoons , violas and trombones rather than piano and violin?
Being born rich is almost mandatory for this to happen.
Access to opportunities is also very important. Perhaps there are thousands of other geniuses and prodigies not only in music, but in many other areas. But these children are more concerned about having something to eat and getting water and having to walk long distances to get to school.
Yes, you are right of course, thanks for pointing it out.
Access is most important, *RICH PARENTS ARE IRRELEVANT!!!* Daniel Barenboim, Pinchas Zukerman, Itzhak Perlman, Jacqueline Du Pre, Glenn Gould, Yehudi Mehuin, Anne Sophie Mutter, Melvyn Tan, Rada Lupu, György Ziffra, Nathan Millstein, Leonard Bernstein, Murray Perahia…..all of these stellar musicians came from nearly impoverished to lower class families, but one or both of their parents found ways to get their children the teaching they desperately needed. Even Rachmaninov was a charity case, after his father had completely exhausted his mother’s wealth when he was only 5-6 years old. The reason why the entire 20th century was filled so many astonishing top tier musicians (former child prodigies) from the former Soviet Union who had been schooled so beautifully is because the entire cost of their education was paid for by the government….this is one example. Without that support, nearly all of them would never have been heard of, including my favorite pianist, Vladimir Ashkenazy.
Unfortunately I have to agree...
@@voraciousreader3341 With respect, there is a difference between being rich and having just enough resources, not only money but resolution and determination, plus the knowledge that the child was exceptionally talented and would respond to training. I am sure there have been other parents similarly devoted to supporting their children, but the child didn't progress sufficiently well, and the effort was in vain. I know of such cases. No one would disagree, however, that money oils the wheels and provides otherwise unavailable opportunities.
Only classical music has child prodigies? Does anyone not see something wrong here? This a documentary by white people made for white people. Good luck everyone.
Prodigies are intellectual sponges. It’s really a crime to deprive them, but it’s also a crime to push then mercilessly.
Except, as we have heard from the documentary that if they aren't pushed 'mercilessly' the sponge will dry out and will rebel with frustration because the sponge has been deprived of soaking up what it is talented in. David Garrett, as we saw, refuses to deplore the rigorous discipline his parents metered out on him as a child mastering the violin.🙂
@@JoseighBlogs Yes and no. I agree about intellectual sponges, and I started very early. I was reading at four and read things like Freud's Interpretation of Dreams, before I was nine. I was a voracious reader, and was frequently criticised for always having my head in a book. I couldn't explain that I was looking for answers to questions like, "Can other people read my thoughts?" or "Why are we here?" You'll know you're a philosopher when you have many more questions than answers! Lol!
@@JoseighBlogs Well the problem is, that if they later realize what potential they had and what they could have achieved if they had worked hard enough and that it is too late for them, it may very well break their heart.
If they grow up to regret not working hard enough when they were too young to make that decision themselves that would imho. be a infinitely more cruel than getting them to work hard enough to not have those regrets later if you go about it the right way.
@@brennadickinson2920 sounds like my 5y old now. She can read and waiting to learn makes her agressive, but they don't want her to start grade 1 over here. We try to teach her ourselves while she's in KG. She loves philosophy and questions EVERYTHING. Depending on her mood. You know when she's anxious: questions about death. Endless questions. How do babies get burried when they die. Why to people want to be burned in an oven (this is the most scary thing to her), when do people know that they'll die. Etc.
@@Hadriandidnothingwrong-z8c But only if they are interested in what they are being pushed to do. Being forced to study things I had zero interest in and no aptitude for was a waste. Nothing could keep me away from what I was passionate about and that is true to this day.
Let's remember that, in the end, music is not about prestigious prizes, outstanding technical performance, it's about human relationship and living together. A language to tell stories and to communicate with the people around us, with no regard to some intellectual perfection of the sounds being played. A social communion of the emotions, and the encouragement of living through our difficult lives, and to throw love at each other!
👆 THIS is the true soul of music, and why music is so important. Music is about communication, a way of communicating deeply beyond words. Music is called the language of the soul for a reason. Music expresses our human emotions and longings in a way that words never could.
@@MishaSkripach Only if they have anything to say. Often their expression is exploited for the audience, to live vicariously through their talent. Art exists primarily for the artist, we should merely be grateful when it is shared with us.
What a beautiful comment
Yes.
Actually, Mozart did have several talents that had little to nothing to do with music. He was a great writer, could speak backwards fluently and was generally good at conversation and languages. He was also good at seeing through people, interpreting actions as a part of a kind of bigger picture - a character. This can be seen - or rather heard - in his operas where he perfectly puts every bit of human temperament and contradiction into music.
Another famous child prodigy that was an allrounder is Mendelssohn. He was great at writing, the visual arts, a natural leader and organiser, and a kind of activist for older music - as well as a brilliant teacher.
The only prodigy that comes to my mind that was only good at music is Liszt. He was in fact ashamed to be walking amongst people who had a better general education.
Please write a book! I’ll buy it! Such amazing facts
Prosper Mérimée comes to mind too
Mozart might have several talents, but he wasn't a genius in these too. Many people have various talents. Was he a great writer when he was also writing great music - say, at 19 or even before? Or was he a great writer in the sense that anyone from that background would have learned to write in the way he wrote?... By the way, as a boy, I remember many young girls (of around 9 to 13) ganging together to create their own languages, which included speaking backwards. It was a way of excluding boys and parents from what they were saying.
@@paulaustinmurphy Speaking backwards in original tempo and fluently is a quite typical genius trait that most people cannot learn.
And I detest the notion of "genius" v. "normal" talent. What the heck is that even supposed to mean? A genius is just a talented person who worked on that talent until it became truly amazing. Mozart's ability to read people was far beyond average. Yes, one can absolutely consider it genius. His writing ability I can hardly judge. His intellect was likely also genius level.
I was arguing against the false claim which this video made: That Mozart was good at nothing but music. That is nonsense.
@@joanneaugust6611 oh for sure. Mozart was one talented person. And I agree with your definition of genius. There is a book titled "The Genius in All of Us." I should buy it.
Well-balanced documentary! Thank you.
I was immediately plunged back to my childhood in the 1950s. In the conformist middle of postwar America, growing up in a huge working-class family from which no-one had attended college or traveled beyond a small radius, I was inexplicably boiling over with a passion for Dvorak, Handel, Bach, Copland, Barber, Brahms. I was in the school madrigals and choir, and I pleaded with my parents to give me piano lessons. They were unenthused, or confused, but finally they found a pleasant lady around the corner, and I began. But it was very uninspired teaching, and everyone in the family would yell at me when I practiced the old upright piano in our small house, and just getting a piano and lessons had already been such an uphill struggle. So at every turn, my talent was slowed for want of robust support from knowledgeable adults.
Years later I was playing on my own competently, and I genuinely loved studying music theory in college. I still love music, of course, but what a different track my life might have taken with real fuel to feed my originally fiery ambition. I was also intensely ainterested in art, geology, biology and paleontology, but again, no-one noticed.
To parents of intellectually intrigued kids--I say give them as much support as they will absorb! Don't push maniacally beyond that, of course, because that could be just as unproductive. But don't ignore potential brilliance. Raphael, Mozart and Euler didn't dazzle the world because they were raised with low expectations.
Right, but Mozart didn't have a childhood. They traveled too much, and that's why he got sick and died early. Beethoven was beat up by his dad. His father was horribly abusive.
I absolutely do believe in nurturing your child's potential, just don't go overboard and isolate them from everything else. They need to have a childhood.
@@jessicar.8333 your idea of childhood wasn’t invented until the Victorian era. Doesn’t apply to Mozart or Beethoven
@@M_SC They were wrong. That's all there was to it.
@@M_SC And Beethoven was beat by his Dad. Abuse is always wrong.
Totally understand what you've experienced. Enthusiastic parents could have been great but my parents were busy making everyday living, just like yours.
Musical prodigies are not the only ones who have followed this narrow path. Behind many talented athletes there has been a parent, teacher or coach that has been their guide--for better or worse.
So true, thanks for pointing it out. Have you been one of them?
To be born ... 1. a genius 2. in the right family 3. at the right time 4. in the right place 5. with the right contribution 6. with a random/lucky break .... BINGO !!!! (or you might say close to a miracle) 🙂
My mother is very gifted with talent and passion for music. As a kid she wanted to play violin and she would have been supported but here mother didn't wanted to "waste" her own time bringing her to lessions, concerts... My mother started as a grown up but she could never reach that level she could by starting earlier.
As long as the kids have fun and want it let them start early. It's a porblem if they absolutely hate it.
That’s how it was for me growing up. I saw my first symphony as a kid, and always had the most fun during music class, I wanted to learn to play the piano, but my mother was very much how your grandmother was, I’m not gonna waste my money on taking you to lessons, and getting an instrument your not gonna practice. So I did it as an adult. I started with Piano when I was…..26 and play it off and on. I can play pieces by bergumuller, smaller, Bach pieces, I was working on a clementi piece about a year and a half ago, pieces from Disney movies you name it. I switched to violin about six months ago, and don’t regret it, the only thing I regret is that I never got that chance to learn it as a child, I never wanted it to be famous, I just wanted it so I could have that same happy feeling I had when I came out that first symphony.
I think the grandmother’s strategy makes a lot of sense. Children don’t have a good idea of how much time they themselves actually have to do this and that.
Why can your mother not enjoy music now and see how far she can get as a hobby player? That can also be fulfilling, maybe even more so than a professional career that would dictate what and where you perform.
@@capethegreat Nonsense. Trying an instrument for a year isn't that big an investment.
@@Sofie424 Why do you think it'd be only a year? And if it's going to be a year only, what's the difference if it is done 30 years later?
I’m thankful for my childhood. I started music late in life (15 years old), but I don’t regret all that time I spent playing call of duty and such mindless activities, they me made who I am today.
I’m glad I have learned in life that to achieve anything at all you need to have will and commitment.
I disagree with David regarding the last statement, sometimes prodigies reach the top, that’s true, but that doesn’t save them from suffering and it doesn’t necessarily make their adult life “easier”.
There are many renown world class musicians that suffer from depression, think of Horowitz, Glenn Gould, even Martha Argerich. Even the greatest of all musicians, namely Mozart, Beethoven and Bach had to struggle really bad in their lifes, each with their unique set of struggles.
In other words, the investment and effort taken into making a child a prodigy doesn’t automatically translates into having a better or easier life.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying parents shouldn’t encourage kids to learn new things and follow their passions, but it should never become a burden on the child such that the child feels they had no childhood.
Even Johann Sebastian Bach, humanity’s greatest musician went to a regular school, and had to learn to adapt himself to the regular plain old society we all know. In fact, there’s a certain beauty in that, having to live what everyone else lives makes us more empathic and open in our knowledge about the world.
Some of this kids, from what is seen in the documentary, are being segregated from society, they are being forced to practice for hours everyday. Jesus Christ.
Very well said! Also, it should be the child´s passion, not the parents´... I mean, if you start anything at age 3 with a lot of drill, how can you possibly figure out whether that´s what you actually want? And even if it is the child´s passion, as you said, let them be children! That´s why I´m very sceptical about competitions where children participate. That gives pushy (and possibly abusive) parents even more incentive to drill their children from an early age (like playing Paganini at age 7, who needs that? It´s still impressive if you can play Paganini at age 20 or really any age for that matter).
I completely agree with you. Plus, as a musician myself, in order to truly make music, and have something to express, you need to live your life and have interests outside of music. 3 hours a day of practice is sufficient, and even many professional musicians can't even get that much practice in. You need to learn how to practice efficiently, which is a skill every musician has to learn.
I agree and I'd add also that not all the kids pushed to be prodigy actually succeed. We don't know the exact numbers because we see only the one who have succeeded, but my idea is that the majority of them get lost before adulthood...
@@nickdick2 The vast majority get lost before adulthood. That's why I don't make a big deal of child prodigies.
@@consumer614
First of all, I have nothing to prove.
And I don't have sour grapes. The opposite actually. I said a fact: the vast majority of child prodigies don't make it in the real world once they get older. They have their "15 minutes of fame," and that's it. There's a few who make it, like Itzak Perlman, Anne Sophie Mutter, and now there's a new kid on the block who's around 17 now. For sure she's going to be big. I believe her name is Alma. She wrote an opera already (Cinderella). She's going to be up there for sure and I can't wait to see what she does and accomplishes. But the vast majority of prodigies fall through the cracks. For every Itzak Perlman, there are 300 others who never make it in the real world. They were burnt out as children.
Where's Ling Ling?
Practicing.
@@AnnGoldberg-t4c 40 hours… 😂
The panda??
😄😄😄
I’m here
I love the mentallity of DG. So strong and focused. He choses long term choice and doesn't take his childhood negatively.
It is not worth it. I hated my childhood and the result was that I ended up blocking out almost my entire life. I have no memories of childhood because I was so pressured and was under constant stress, constantly being yelled at to "do better" or being beaten, was never told I was succeeding or given positive reinforcement. Music was never about joy when it was taught to me. I ended up becoming homeless after not being able to deal with the cruelty and pressure from my parents, went in a downward spiral and almost ended it all.
Now, over a decade later, I have come back to music on MY terms, I teach music and focus on making sure children have structure, but not to the point where they hate their lives, because that kind of stress on a child is just not healthy.
I wish someone had intervened for you. That's child abuse.
That doesn’t sound like pushy parenting, that sounds like straight up child abuse. I’m so sorry you had to go through with that
The one thing this doesn't deal with is the financial cost. Talent, practice and determination still don't guarantee success. For a family with very limited financial resources, trying to deal with a talented child can cripple their living conditions. The cost of tuition, instruments, travel....is huge, and unless there is plenty of available wealth, it is impossible to give a talented child the full support they might want or need. These Wunderkinder do truly live in a world apart from the rest of us. It makes me question how many of them are never noticed because they don't have financial backing.
I am one of these.. or rather was. And I never had financial or any backing, thus my talent never developed and sadly no one in my family ever saw it. When I said that this melody is "blue" they just laughed it off. When I cried over the beauty of written words they said I was crazy....
School bored me but overwhelmed me at the same time. All I wanted to do is write, paint and make music.
We did not even have the money for some proper watercolors, no money for an instrument or even lessons.
All I have left is writing poetry but as only instagram poetry gets you somewhere nowadays.... well...
I came to the conclusion that either you really do need the financial backing or you will never be able to follow your passion and will be standing there not really knowing what to do. As it is too late for you to become professional in your field but everything else just.... leaves you empty. You cannot be the real "you" then, if you get what I mean.
I never told or ask my son if he practice his piano lessons. What I loved most was when everyone was in bed he would start playing piano, in the dark and the sound of the music carried me to dreamland. Defenitly gifted.
I wouldn't call myself a prodigy, but my mother would be the first to tell you that I've had an opus performed by age 13. Now that I'm in my 20s, I can say that I don’t remember a lot from my teen years (due to trauma). I felt very pushed when it came to certain aspects of music. It didn't feel fun anymore, and I lost all sense of passion. I felt extremely disgusted with my music. What I started as a means of expression felt like a tool. While it wasn't the main cause, I fell into a major depression and ended up dropping out of school and all activities. I couldn't leave the house for almost three years. It created a lot of trauma around many things, including creating and performing music (if you know an anime called Your Lie in April, it was kind of like that). To all the parents out there, please listen to your kids. Yes, this even refers to Asian parents like mine. Kids crying after every lesson and hiding away is NOT normal. I have gone through many treatments to the point where I have reclaimed certain things in music, but I cannot deny that I lost a lot, including my formative teen years.
Thank you for sharing your story. We appreciate your perspective and wish you all the best in your journey towards reclaiming your passion and healing from the past.
I'm sorry for your loss of control, indifference of your patent, and lingering trauma effects.
@adamoconscientia Jesus is the answer
David Garret is in all points right. Our kids also have a certain talent, Their disadvantage is having parents, who are not musicians themselves and have no or only few connections to the "decision making" people. It is much harder to pull the right strings...
@@consumer614 , see, we are greatful for any advice, but only from people, who proof their expertise, not from anybody, who trolls around on TH-cam without a name. In case you uncover, who you are, there might be a chance of a being taken serious. Further on, neither of my kids wants to become a Garret. They will become themelves. Have a great weekend, stranger. 🙂
The sad thing, often, about child prodigies is that people often lose interest in them when they grow up -often it's just the cuteness thing seeing a child sing or play so well!
Maybe that's also true. Thanks for sharing this
It's true, and there's a line of new ones waiting in the wings at all times. The field is oversaturated with talent and yet from what I know the audience for them is dwindling.
Happened to Mozart.
Everyone grows up in their own “shoebox” of sorts. Some have far too little adult input, some have maybe too much. There is no ideal childhood, though. We all become adults one day, with pressure, sacrifice, responsibilities and many never succeed at anything big once they’re adults. These young musicians were gifted with music in their blood as well as supportive parents. Now they’re successful! Lucky them. 💕
It's rarely mentioned that prodigies encounter many negative responses; put downs, envy, dislike, criticism, judgement, negation. etc, etc. As a polymath philosopher and a child, I knew that I didn't know anything, and nobody else seemed to, either. I learnt to keep my thoughts to myself. I took refuge in poetry and have written hundreds of poems and let them express my truths and that has to suffice. It has taken a lifetime to accept myself as a philosopher poet. For most of my life, I didn't want to do any of the careers open to women, and I failed at them. Now I accept my true self and I have peace.
Wow, that sounds very intense and special. Have you kept the poets for yourself, too?
@@DWHistoryandCulture Some. I've lost many of them, as I go through computers like crazy. I consider my poems as paper ships I cast upon the waters, and occasionally they come back to me. My only criterion for my work is it has to be true. I don't care what anyone thinks of them.
@Robin L. Brian It's a dilemma for parents. Whether to let them practice non stop, or ban it altogether? A compromise? Is it even possible to squash it? I don't think so. Guidance?. These children are forces of nature!
Were you recognized as a prodigy by anyone ?
@@michaelblankenau3129 Yes. By eleven I was being IQ tested with absurdly simple means and aced it except for a word test. I didn't know what 'milksop' meant! Lol! Testing went on all through my teens as there was serious distrust going on. Turned out I was good at IQ tests! Lol!
The thing about musical parents demanding “perfection” of pitch and technique when their progeny are young is that bad habits are extremely difficult for any musician to unlearn. The child’s brain is obviously much more elastic than that of an adult, but the errors in finger and arm position in string instruments can be insidious, and the muscle memory hard to erase.
@@MishaSkripach S/he is not talking about perfect pitch. Perfect pitch is a talent not required by musicians.
As a musical mother, teaching my three children instruments, onlookers may find I’m too demanding of them, but I’m just trying to prevent their muscles from learning things wrong. It’s so difficult to correct later.
@@MishaSkripach Fewer than 10% of professional musicians have perfect pitch. Relative pitch is more useful, especially for singers and composers.
@@MishaSkripach I absolutely fail to understand why perfect pitch has anything to do with musicality? In fact quite a few people with perfect pitch find it hindering their performance. For one; they often struggle to distinguish lines of harmony from each other, isolating the melodies.
This is super important. Having properly programmed structure and musculature. I didn’t start until much later in life and I am still learning proper movement as a middle aged adult. Technique practice is a must if you didn’t have it ingrained early on. Kudos to you for making sure your children move correctly and efficiently at their instruments.
As you would expect, there are many varieties of childhood. Menuhin, and particularly the British pianist Solomon, felt much of their childhood had been 'stolen'. Solomon stopped playing at age 15 or so. Others like Artur Schnabel were perfectly happy to hang out with adults, wander the streets of Vienna and take lessons. It seems most (Andras Schiff, Richer) seemed to enjoy the experience. Some, like Glenn Gould, are perhaps odd characters to begin with. But I suspect most do really enjoy the music but feel pushed - one need only think of elite athletes as well.
Smart people do stand out when speaking in their niche. A good friend of mine in her second year of returning to college as an older woman complained to me about how she can't do the assignments she's been given because of jargon this and jargon that and thesis moreover. "But maybe I can pull from this paper I wrote before and that assignment for this other class..." And she essentially told me what she would do for her impossible assignments.
I knew as soon as she started spouting the lingo that she had them figured out. She just had to tell it to someone.
well spotted
Makes me think of one of my favorite movies Good Will Hunting, and how some prodigies go unnoticed or dont have an opportunity, and although its fictional, there is a monologue about Ramanujan who was very real, and had only read a few basic math books in his life and was capable of writing new theories that still amaze and perplex the smartest men to this day. Math, music, colors, and emotions are are languages that are universal, and some people are born capable of speaking and understanding these languages very naturally.
Amazing that David Garrett is so humble despite his prodigious talent (and hard work)!
Being a genius doesn't make one brilliant at everything. I was very absent-minded, was hopeless at math and my handwriting and spelling were atrocious. Humility is based on honesty about one's abilities. False modesty is repugnant.
One thing for sure though is that with the advent of the internet we are able to view “wunderkind”, if you will, of many nations and it’s astounding to see what they play, sing, or……🙏🏻😲👏
i want to encourage and nurture my kids in the things they love/are talented in but i also just wanna let them be kids. its a fine line to walk.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us and the community. We hope to welcome you back on our channel soon.
Це просто неперевершено!🌼🌼🌼 Декілька разів завмирало сердце і сльози підступали😢 Душе зворушливий проект! 🌟Безмежно Дякую за кожну хвилину цього відео🤍🤍🤍
Nobody in the family is gifted in any instrument although many of us took lessons at a young age. My father played accordion before but only at a basic level. Some in the family supposedly passed conservatory levels but very few have the confidence to perform in public.
The majority of us at age 4 don't really know what to do with our lives. Some who enjoy music at a young age would eventually get into playing an instrument or singing as a career.
Today people are living longer and there are more adult learners who are playing music as a hobby. Starting at 40 you wouldn't be playing at Carnegie Hall but music is a powerful stress relief.
Some experts now deny even the existence of talent. Schumann said it well, and he was married to a 'prodigy' who richly fulfilled her early promise: Talent is like a precious lump ore, you find it. To make a watchspring, a skilled musician, takes a lot of work.
As someone who as a kid found it difficult to read, tie my shoes, or ride a bike, I think these young prodigies are miracles.
Yes… at the age of most of these prodigies I was still in diapers
Everyone has a passion. Have you found yours yet?
Why isn’t this the most popular video on TH-cam? Literally just…oh my! Everything about this
Oh, many thanks, good question though 🤭
@@DWHistoryandCulture through some strange glitch this comment was actually meant for a different video. HOWEVER, I found your documentary to be fascinating. I appreciate demystification in journalism and documentary film generally and this was especially humanizing.
If you’re interested, this beautiful, terrifying, and hilarious music mashup was the impetus for my initial misplaced comment th-cam.com/video/WmjhdghViWs/w-d-xo.html
Great David
I admire so much because you deserve your successful life, but you’re perseverante, God creats you with this talent and your parent’s support and yourself support too have been the key forward to the marvelous music world
Thanks
A big hug
I don’t know what to make of this piece.
I understand that it is important to support a child that is showing extraordinary talent. And that supporting a gifted child can quickly become a full time job for a parent. I get that.
But very few parents have the financial and personal means to do this. To me this is an important point that wasn’t addressed at all.
And not every parent is capable of distinguishing the support for their child from their own vanity.
Why on earth would I send my young child on several competitions a year?
To make sure he/she becomes „the youngest“ to play this and that in every big concert hall? This isn’t about music any more. And it certainly isn’t about the child.
@@MishaSkripach Thank you. I didn’t know about the sponsorships.
Braavo ,David and big respect!!!👏🫶👍🆒👏David number one forever!!👏👏🫶❤️🫶🌹🙏⭐️👑🔝😘👏🫶
I think I could have been a "prodigy" or at least in an orchestra or something, and I do love playing violin and performing, but I want to have time to do all of the other things I love, such as reading and working on hobbies. I am very grateful to my parents for allowing me to make the choice of continuing to take violin lessons and practicing but not being in an orchestra.
Thank you for sharing your story. We appreciate you taking the time to share your experiences with our community.
Nothing would happen without a critical mass of money. No matter how talented.
@@MishaSkripach You were very fortunate.
@@MishaSkripach I am in the UK. We hear many bad things about Russia. People with the ability to think know there is good and bad everywhere. It would be virtually impossible for a child in this country, no matter how gifted, to get the professional attention needed without parents with sufficient money to pay for their training.
How to be a prodigy:
Step 1: be born rich
No. Lang Langs family was far from rich. Raw talent can't be bought, though it definitely helps to be well connected.
And be born to very involved parents
@@rachelpeham4800It definitely takes a lot of money to nurture the talent, the cost of instruments, lessons, transport etc. if Ur parents can't afford a piano/keyboard at home then U will never know that u are talented cos uve never touched one
I remember flying to Paris in May 2014, if my memory serves me on the date, mainly to see David Garrett perform, then to see the Louvre, Notra Dame etc. It was worth it!
Thank you for sharing your story. We appreciate you taking the time to share your experiences with our community.
Prodigies ARE gifted b/c they put the work in. They are a small percentage. Most children have no interest in practicing, nor have the appetite for long hours of practice and sacrifice. "Discipline and focus" are necessary. Lots of kids get stuck on screens and video games.
A child needs to love their instrument or whatever their talent is. Mutter's parents are right. Some children do very well at a young age and then lose interest and choose another path like sports, computers, you name it. And that should be fine. God endows every person with talents, interests, abilities. It's a wonderful world. I like David Garrett's closing remarks!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us and our community.
If it wasn't for social media, the vast majority of these "prodigies" would never end up in that place. Behind most of these Wunderkinder, there's a parent wanting fame and fortune to boost their own ego. If these kids were as gifted as they're said to be, the world would be full of Mozart's and Einstein's by now. These kids are highly skilled and have talent, but they aren't geniuses.
Прекрасный маленький фильм!
Путь от искорки таланта до сияния звезды.
Гениальные дети как чудесная улыбка: ясные лица и такие старательные пальчики; и много-много труда родителей и учителей.
А ещё великолепный пример гениального Скрипача Дэвида Гарретта, который неустанно подчёркивает, что слава, успех, популярность это прежде всего великий труд.
В фильме это показано ненавязчиво, интересно, красиво. Просто жизнь детей, наполненная Музыкой, детством и многими часами уроков музыки.
Кадры о Дэвиде как золотая нить через весь фильм - от игрушечной скрипочки до драгоценного в божественном звучании инструмента Страдивари.
Спасибо, Дэвид.
Твоя роль в фильме не просто украсила его, но придала всему сюжету сверкание бриллианта.
Жизненный путь таланта как пример для юных музыкантов:
маленький мальчик с игрушечной скрипочкой - великий труд - блистательный Маэстро Дэвид Гарретт.
I find it very hard to believe that it is not related to IQ. Once in college, I had a music teacher specifically tell the class that success was highly IQ based in music. She said if we ever told anybody that she'd deny she said it. She said the only exception to this rule were singers, but she felt comfortable telling the class because choir was the same hour, so she knew no singers were in class.
😂 except singers !!!
iq is a controversial and poor measure of overall intelligence (which is virtually impossible to quantify) and is generally only used to measure performance on the specific types of tasks that iq tests ask for. Large-scale twin studies suggest that there is no causal link between musical training/ability and iq test performance.
@@ryangriffin5362 I'm afraid the only reason its controversial is because a society like ours which aspires to meritocracy is put off by the idea that success is so based on inherited factors. In other words "people are offended". But the facts tell us that IQ correlates very heavily with many types of success. The highest performance students, basically all have good IQ if not amazing. People that rise to the top of business - Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Warren Buffet, usually have astronomical IQ's. Rich people have higher IQs than poor people. Fit people have higher IQs than unfit people. Obviously IQ tests were not invented hundreds of years ago but great composers like Bach and Mozart are estimated to have IQ's in the stratosphere. I could hardly even imagine any of the great well-known composers as being merely average. I've been in music a long time myself and the brainiacs and the finest players are always the exact same people - no exceptions, except for singers. I don't know what study you found and what their methodology is, but I know that an elite orchestra probably has more masters degrees than players. Would you also say that great scientists and engineers and doctors are also just average IQ? To say that there is no link between music ability and IQ is to say that a literal genius has no advantage in becoming the next Mozart over a random bloke you find on the street. Sorry but the fact that anyone could believe that is utterly mind-blowing. I suspect that the "music ability" measured in those studies you mention was measured on the ability to sing like Justin Bieber. IQ has very strong predictive power. Sometimes I wish it didn't, because I'll probably never be a quantum physicist. But sometimes what's offensive is also true.
@@mouthpiece200 no, it's controversial because it's wrong, as the other reply pointed out
@@nachfullbarertrank5230 Nah its not wrong. IQ is powerful and accurate as a predictor of success in all mental fields, including music.
An amazing documentary on Child prodigy by DW History and Culture.
I enjoyed the German film Vitus, about a child prodigy and the pressure he underwent. Wonderful acting!
Thanks for this 'steer' !
Deutsche Welle, why oh why did you choose two (incredible!) Asian musicians as the standout examples of extreme parental pressure and drilling? I'm not saying that you're wrong in pointing out what Lang Lang and Midori went through, but every other musician in this video is from a white, middle-class background, so this really stood out to me.
My Grandfather found that one of his 18 children had charisma and had a talent for acting - he became his manager and at the age of 8 toured him around the country on what was then the Vaudeville circuit as a child comedian. He later because quite famous as one of the first radio sports commentators. But my grandfather's primary purpose was to make money out of his child's talent. I am sure that many of these child prodigies are the same.
Your grandfather should have taken himself off to the vet for some knife action.
Yes, for some the child becomes a meal ticket which could be good or bad
@@MishaSkripach yes, of course, but the operative word is “some” 🙂
@@frugallentigo6768 18 children. Good grief!
@@frugallentigo6768 😂😂😂😂👏👏👏👏
The key for parenting children is to raise them to be self-driven. After all, one volunteers is better than ten pressed men!
The same kind of parenting creates stars in sport , theatre or mathematics. Its wonderful to give a future to yur kids. You mustnt lose your identity though. They will fly away at 18.
I wish the brothers had a father , but its wonderful to learn to play so well. They will have a very great choice of careers.
I don't really understand garrett's saying on 24:00. "struggle with adult live, when not be pushed in childhood".
most of us normal people where not pushed in childhood and live a quite happy live without struggeling. what the hell does he think!?!?
my childhood was an awesome time. my parents gave me love and a home. I would nevet give it away.
and as an adult, I ha e a good education and earn enough to work part time and still earn enough to have a good live. I don't need the pressure of a "star-famous-job" and livestyle. I think most of the people think like I do. I feel very sorry for the children portrayed in the movie. they just get love from their parents when performing.
and the two young boys with the sibgle mother. in the end of the movie, they clearly nevet have been on the playground before. They can't swing properly..... so sad!
Well, a child grows up and spells "struggEling", what a pitiful outcome of not being pushed.
@svetavinogradova4243 You judge from one spelling mistake? 🤦
@@svetavinogradova4243 Thanks, I learn from mistakes. English is my 3th language. I'm aware of making a lot of errors. If you comment anything in German or French, I'm glad to correct you too.
@@vici7 Ну попробуй, скорректируй.
Some cannot face the reality of the “10,000 hours.”
10,000 hours before age 10
Talent is only 5% - work is 95% - there is also dark side of the story. You can see at around age 7 if you are good for it or not - starting early can't make a significant difference. If you are good musician you will be one regardless of age you are starting in, but it is pointless to push it before age 6
Talent is 5%, work is 20%. The other 75% is being born in the right environment. I wanted to be a pianist before the age of 10, but I never had any opportunity to take any piano classes and I never even had enough cash to buy a cheap digital piano. Now, I'm 24 and I am still struggling to survive.
@@CaioDanielNunesSantos Maybe in the past that was an big issue, today when we have online options, programs and videos it is much more easy - but yes if you count that in, good teachers are important - i didn't count that in, but you are right. But still most of the great musicians from 20th century were self taught - maybe not violinist - but you can find some fantastic jazz pianist, gitarist, drummers that can't even read music sheet but are virtuoso players and world class musicians. If you are talented and in to it you can have a chance even if born in "wrong" place.
@@TK-qk6wl That's right. We have internet now. But there are still issues that limit being a prodigy to those born rich. Most people have poor internet access, old and slow computers and phones. If we consider music, for example, most people are not able to buy any instrument. If these statements sound wrong to you, it's because you were born in a rich country and you don't really live in the real world. Most people are unable to feed themselves reasonably and this severely damages their cognition. I have 130 points of IQ, but maybe I would have 140 or even more if I ate apropriately during childhood. If I had rich parents, maybe I would be a prodigy myself. Every time I look at a child prodigy, I see nothing more than privilege. I had to work hard in my childhood to barely survive and I am 100% sure that none of these prodigies worked more than I did.
@@CaioDanielNunesSantos We can't change history nother to blame anyone - music start to develop in rich environment - in past only rich aristocracy could do so and first orchestra were made of rich people as music were not profitable genre in the past as it today and only rich people could afford to spend time on music. Today we have a lot of option. If you want to have classical musical education - yes it cost money - but if you want to have any musical education you can start yourself and pick some of the modern genre have a bend and develop your skills that way.
@@consumer614 I actually have perfect pitch
no 3 year old kid wants to spend 10 hours a day practicing scales. Selfish parents stole their childhood, that's what a prodigy is.
i have played violin for almost 3 years, i just finished the devils trill sonata and the bruch violin concerto. to think if my parents allowed me to learn at a younger age I could have been a prodigy
@@consumer614 i think he meant 30 years.
@@consumer614 i have seen you take an adversarial tone in several people's replies. May i ask why?
@@consumer614 i am not a prodigy, but i thought the video was interesting. But in the comments you keep challenging people to upload their material even when they never claimed to be better than these kids. Insulting people and insinuating they are unintelligent is not "facts" those are opinions.
Dream on
upload a video of you playing them
What I find surprising is the fact that you don't really see wind players... Or brass players being like this. It's special to me because it's (I think) much harder to be a so called "prodigy" in a brass instrument. Because you just cannot spend so much time practicing, it's just impossible, you will eventually get tired. And the instruments are often just too big and heavy for a 2 year old. It requires a way of studying that is much more mature that what other instruments need (I think) because you can't just repeat, and repeat... You have to be smart or you will study too much and just hurt you lips
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this topic. Sending you all the best
Not to be mean, but realistically the little brother who is playing violin needs a better teacher. His technique is really quite bad and his tone isn't great. That's not to say he wouldn't play beautifully if taught properly, but the quality of the teacher is key. I feel bad for the mum who is paying so much money and spending so much time having him taught violin when the outcome is so mediocre.
I'm a violin teacher of thirty years experience so I'm saying this from a point of view of deep experience.
Agreed. Children with parents w a background in string has an advantage in perfectionalizing the sound at an early stage.
I do agree with you. Very mediocre, and so much time and effort.
I also saw the technical issues, but we saw such small clips of his playing that I refrain from judging him or his teacher. He could be nervous being filmed. Or what if he’s only been playing violin for a few months? That could be astounding technique in that scenario.
@@salionshatterstar Well I don't think it takes more than a few lessons with a good teacher to establish basic good technique like posture and violin/bow hold. Your beginners should be set up to look like professionals. At least that's what I do in my studio
I simply don’t believe that kids don’t sacrifice time themselves to become great. I have been playing piano for 7 or 8 years now and I am 16, I never was pushed by anyone to become a great pianist but I still want to!
Wow, good luck and take care of your gift. All the best
@@MishaSkripach I'm sure you can become a great pianist at 16. Maybe not a famous one, or the most skilled one, but certainly a great one.
I thought David were british..I purchased his CD's many decades ago..he's just amazing.. :)
My mom said that back when I was 3 years old, I saw a singer perform on TV and I tried to imitate him, even with the singing. She admitted that maybe I had some talents. But, yeah, you know, because our family could not afford things to nurture that, I have to grow up like any other kid, going to high school, getting good grades, going into an academic university, then working in an office 40h/w. I don't have the right to blame my parents for ignoring my going-to-be talent, but I think if we did not care too much about how to put food on our table back in the day, my brother and I could achieve something more special. I love playing piano now and because I don't have enough to afford a teacher, I am mostly self-taught. I just hope someday, with my love for music, I can create something special, not just go to work 9-5 every day and retire.
According to Mozart, he wrote his older sister was even more talented than him and he learned piano from her even before his father started trained him. But at that time girls didn't supposed to be piano stars.
As a parent it is your role to raise your child to be the best they can be - yes, money is a major factor that cannot be disputed - but if that money etc. is available, why would a parent not do all they can to give their child the very best possible for them? Isn't that what we, as parents, should be focused on? Parenthood is sacrifice - when children are grown and moved into adulthood then we, as parents, get a little of our own lives back to do the things we love but always, first and foremost, we are parents. If you don't want to sacrifice as a parent, don't have kids.
Music from ever, in every culture, point to something unknowable, as Silence in another way. The fascination around the musician in himself came later in history, it happened when a certain knwoledge started to get lost.
Hard childwood in any case, specially kids like that grows up in a box, for sure "too full"!
How many of these supposed "Wunderkinder" will finally become a famous musician? And what about all the others who sacrificed their whole youth to a carreer that didn't become true? If it's not about the music (instead of competitions) it's just a waste of time and nerves.
The vast majority don't. For every Itzak Perlman, there are 300 others who throw in the towel. That's why I don't make a big deal of child prodigies.
Better to never try doing anything great, right? Because you will likely fail anyway.
@@al.cavalu Whoa?! Who the hell was saying that?! I believe in nurturing children's potential, but there comes a point where it becomes excessive and even borderline abusive. Children need to have a childhood.
@@al.cavalu I have to clarify: If you try to play better and to understand music better - that's never a bad thing. And then you don't need to win prices at competitions. If you want to - that's ok. If not - that's ok too.
There is good evidence that children who are given opportunities to sample but not forced to “specialize” early do much better and have more success over their lifetimes.
Дэвид!
Ты был гениальным учеником, великим тружеником, и твои советы, участие в детских проектах неоценимы. На твоём примере дети наглядно видят, что великий Музыкант это не столько чудо, сколько великий труд.
Спасибо за прекрасное видео - много музыки и талантливых детей.
Let get this straight, these kids achieve high levels of success - but oh no they missed out on their childhood. There are millions of kids around the world who would die to have these talents.
Someone who misses out on their childhood misses out on their life. What happens, or doesn’t happen in a child’s emotional, mental, and psychological development will define who they become later in life. The need for a child to be a child during developing ages is *extremely* important
@@bompkin1506 So all those people who had "normal" childhoods, and later ended up working boring "normal" jobs and living like the vast majority of dissatisfied adults, dulling their minds with shallow entertainment after hours spent at jobs they don't enjoy, they haven't "missed out" on life?
Millions?where did you get that numbers from lol
@@grafplatentell me playing music from young to the day you die are not boring
@@Sirius-me5zy For some people it would be boring, for others it isn''t boring at all.
All the REAL child prodigies couldn't be reached for comment because they're practicing in their bunkers.
when i watch these things i always think i wish my parents had pushed me to be like that and then i remember that i despised practicing until i was like 15 and i would’ve hated that even more
Same
I always noted just how many "child prodigies" in classical performance there have been and still are - countless numbers. Every single year, dating back to the 18th century, there have been hundreds or even thousands of classical child prodigies. The number seems to keep on rising - perhaps in tandem with populations as a whole and more widespread education. (Think of how many prodigies China churns out.) This raises the question as whether the word "prodigy" is accurate. This is a little like calling everyone in a class "brave". Compare it to geniuses in physics - the main ones that everyone recognises. I would say that, in the 20th century, there were less than 30 absolute geniuses in physics. Perhaps a lot less than that. Now compare that to the multitudes of "child prodigies" who come off the conveyor belt in classical music. Perhaps this is unfair comparison. I don't know.
Yes, it's basically a freak show business model and quite weakly correlated to actual genius. If you want a better comparison to the greats of physics, you need to filter down to the great composers. Most of whom never made a song and dance about being 'prodigies'.
@@pseudonymlifts2 That's probably a more relevant comparison than my own. There were, of course, a few precocious great composers, such as Mozart, Schubert, Mendelson, etc. But the numbers are still much lower that performer "prodigies". Also, many great composers only really got going in their late 20s/early30s or even later... It's even later for many great writers and dramatists. Oh, by the way, Kant was 50 when he wrote his first philosophical masterpiece. Also, really-young precocity is also found, of course, in mathematics.
@@MishaSkripach True. But that doesn't seem to be a reply to anything I wrote. Is it a reply to psedoymlifts? As it is, your comments are more apt for performers than for composers. But, sure, this video is about performers... I've just noted that you are one of these young "prodigies" - or perhaps an aspiring prodigy.
@@consumer614 Where did you get that figure from? I myself don't have an exact figure. How could this be quantified a anyway? As it is, I do remember watching both The Young Musician of the Year and the Leeds Piano Competition. And literally every year at least 3 of the entrants (from each) were classed as "prodigies" - and that's just a British and a Leeds competition. Of course, there will also be much dispute as to which performers are (genuine) prodigies. Have you also noted that some - or even many - of the prodigies fade from the music scene once they've had their year of fame?
@@MishaSkripach True. But that doesn't seem to be a reply to anything I've written. Perhaps it's more of a reply to what
Not sure about stopping ordinary schools... in Korea, to enter the most prestigious music conservatory (secondary school) called YeWon, students need to get literally top scores in every subjects including maths and science and this various knowledge will provide the musicians great understanding of life and support their philosophical journey...
Interesting!
The irony is all of these prodigies say they want to play at Carnegie Hall as their goal. The reality is Carnegie Hall has a lot of amateur musician performances. So playing at Carnegie Hall nowadays is actually as straightforward as joining an amateur music club in Manhattan, don’t need to be a pro.
Most people don’t realize that “played Carnegie Hall” usually means Weill Recital Hall (not the big venue) AND that anyone with a checkbook can hire it.
I’m so impressed with you, you are the best violinist ever , love you and your music ♥️♥️♥️
Some kids happen to be exceptional when given an instrument. They just catch on to everything quickly. Then people marvel at them and are so impressed how this child performs, the child becomes a spectacle of sorts. Forcing a child to work, even if it's something they are in fact great at like an instrument, is questionable to me. There are kids with exceptional skills and talents outside of music but we often don't put them on display and ask them to perform. Having kids behave like adults isn't a good idea, imo.
There should be the big distinction between the child who is talented and interested and driven himself who is supported in his endeavour by the parents AND the bossy parents who don’t take into consideration what the child actually wants and just push him through it all. The film also brings examples- the latter one yields catastrophic results.
I would still not start music below the age of 6 (except in rare cases when the child initiates it).
I do not care where my children will end up with music. They both play for the love of it and are considered talented. I will continue to give support and they can decide if they want to do it as a hobby, go professional or even quit it if they don’t enjoy it any more. Music is our joy and I want to keep it that way. I do help them practice if needed and correct them, but let them stop when they seem tired or want to do something else. I think the real ‘child prodigies’ who are self-driven, they are focused and naturally perfectionists, that’s why they reach results.
David are very good at tricking his mind
At 12.49mins you say ,'throughout history there have been many musical geniuses.......like Bach Beethoven and Handel...' But the people you speak about are NOT musical geniuses, they are not COMPOSERS. They are musician entertainers who are playing the compositions of the 'musical geniuses' to a very high standard. But there is a world of difference between Composers and Musicians.
Che carino i bambini quando si dice passione già da piccoli imitano gli adulti con entusiasmo gli adoro 🤩
Grazie mille con il 💖
Let's keep in mind, that during those days " catagories" of thinking in time spqces had been DIFFERENT TOO!
RESPECT!❤
I say...if the child has truly the talent, go for it...with love and care.
Otherwise, there were no Mozart, no Liszt and many others contributed to music which we all enjoys now...
SO Wonderful and interesting video👳🏻🎼 Thank you🌼
The main difference is Mozart and Paganini were actually composing their own material, not simply performing.
Умничка! 💕⚘💖🙏🎻👍🤴💪👏💗
oops "...it breaks my heart to HEAR about children having migraines." By the way, I'm at 8:34, and they haven't addressed the topic in the title.
"DAVID TAUGHT GIANT STEPS AND STARTED SOLOING"
I think kids don't enjoy too much that routine bcz Frankly they're insolated from other kids to fulfill the talent. That makes them socially undeveloped. Nostalgia for the lost childhood will come and hurt their souls.
конечно, и труд ! как во всем!
I was one of those children in the wrong family, wrong circumstances & with the wrong teachers. Although my Dad recognised my musical ability, he was clueless as to finding the right people to teach me. My Mum had no interest in truly nurturing my musical abilities. I was on my own.
Thank you for sharing your story. We appreciate you taking the time to share your experiences with our community. Sending you all the best
@@DWHistoryandCultureThank you.
How come there are no prodigies in drums or guitar? It's all violins and piano.
Don’t worry, there are lots of them, too. It doesn’t seem like media emphasizes them as often, though. I imagine some people perceive violin and piano as more “mature” instruments (though of course, that’s not necessarily so), and so the impression that young virtuosos leave is perhaps enhanced.
They’re not at all in the same league
I think guitar or drum prodigies mostly play metal and classical is more popular.
There absolutely are and have been many guitar prodigies paco de luchia comes to mind also Segovia, oh and not on topic but of course piano prodigies are really numerous as well.
Talent is developed not inborn. Starting early, great teachers, practicing a lot , personal drive, etc. . Mostly is a very hard work with a lot of sacrifices.
I think talent is inborn, but skill is developed; and it takes skill to be a prodigy or even a regular soloist
You also have to have supportive teachers and community. A talented child needs more than devoted parents. School teachers who are subversive ruin everything
🥰🥰🥰😍😍😍❤❤❤ Belle Vidéo !!!
IMPRESIONANTE DAVID ♥️♥️♥️
David Garrett th child sounded amazing. Yes, the father pressured but the quality of music came out of him and it was unrestrained. Now his mind gets in the way a bit though he is a consummate professional
4:47 exactly, time, patience and mONeY… my lessons are $85 an hour
How do i nurture my 6 month old son? Not to forge a prodigy, but to avoid closing that door and adequately stimulate his mind
Hes 6 months old. I dont think you need to „adequately stimulate his mind“ at that young of an age. He doesnt have to start at 3 years old even. Please dont force your kid to play an instrument that he doesnt want to. You can always propose the idea to him if hes at an acceptable age and go from there.
I don't know let him play drums with the pots and pans thats what I did when I was a kid, then I learned how to play gee-tar.
Read Maria Montessori's Secrets of Childhood
I recommend watching some Rick Beato videos like „Music Listening for Babies“ or „Why Kids Need Music Lessons“
He talks about making his kids listen to high information/komplex music
@@imagod4796 my, what a silly thing to say! Of course you need to stimulate an infant's mind. They're not sea anemones. This is the most crucial period of their lives. Also, you missed the part where I made it clear that I'm not pushing anything on him.
The potentially most brilliant musician who ever lived was probably born, lived and died before music was even a thing.
Let's not kid ourselves that it's all about the music: these people and their parents crave stardom and money. Else why would we not find all these prodigies playing on bassoons , violas and trombones rather than piano and violin?
When you see hundreds of "prodigies," you know something is there to cause skepticism.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us and our community.
23:03 song name?
It's not a song, but the piece being performed is Liszt's second Hungarian rhapsody.
You find a kid, and give them those 10000 hrs and good feedback the will thrive. I mean you, parents.
2:17 the dad playing Russian Fantasia No. 2 :D