Autistic 11-Year-Old Boy Is Revealed To Be A Musical Prodigy So Local Fan Buys Him Grand Piano
Jan 04, 2023 by apost team
When they are young, children are often encouraged to pick up an instrument, resulting in plunky renditions of "Hot Cross Buns" and "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." Given it can take years for most to master much beyond the basics, parents still delight in these early attempts, recording what they think is real talent and definite promise to show friends and relatives once the talent show is over. Rarely are these slow, stumbling versions of "Smoke on the Water" anything to write home about, but it can still be sweet to witness a kid play a song they love, showing off what little finesse they have achieved.
However, some parents find that their child is actually, surprisingly quite a fast learner. Tiny toddling prodigies have picked up their siblings' drumsticks and seemingly overnight established themselves as jazz drummers. Violinists with the teeniest versions of their instruments available impress audiences with more musical skill than all the adults in the audience combined.
The father of young Jude Nyame Yie Kofie had such a realization when he first witnessed his son sitting at a piano. The 11-year-old from Colorado seemed to somehow have mastered the instrument despite never having taken lessons. He had the ability to simply hear a tune and then recreate it using the keys in front of him.
The pint-sized prodigy was then featured on a local news broadcast in September 2022, where his talent as well as his participation in the church band captured hearts everywhere. The pianist and his father, Isaiah, commented that given his autism and his health struggles as an infant, the gift of music was nothing short of "a miracle."
The revelation had truly come as a surprise. Jude's father quite literally stumbled upon his son's hidden talent. He told reporters: "I was here watching the news when I heard him play something … So I grabbed my phone, went down there, and was like, 'Dude, play that again.'" Isaiah, who had been a drummer back in his home country of Ghana was thrilled to see his son achieving a sort of dream he once had himself.
Jude was then featured on the news, where he played station jingles and riffed with amazed reporters. The broadcast had arisen from one of his father's videos, which went viral and captured the young talent's incredible performance. At the time, his talent was mostly known only by his family, his few followers on social media and fellow congregants.
Viewers, with musical abilities of their own or not, understood what a gift Jude had. One such man, a piano tuner who lived nearby, felt moved to do something about the boy's access to proper instruments.
Bill Magnusson had watched Jude's feature and seen the smaller, electric keyboard which the boy used. Although Jude played with such bravado, the man felt that the boy could do more.
Later talking to ABC 7, Magnusson said: "(My) first reaction was, 'This kid is Mozart level … And he deserves the very best." He then dug into his savings and purchased a grand piano for Jude. Jude and his family have been thrilled with the unexpected gift. Isaiah said they never could have afforded such an instrument on their own. It's amazing to see a community come together to support such a promising young musician.
apost.com
Do you or someone you know have any such hidden musical talents? Let us know — and be sure to pass this article on to friends and family, as well as any fellow pianists!