Child Prodigies in Music from the Past
When studying Music whether in school or through private instruction, there are certain names that are always remembered. Amadeus Wolfgang Mozart is always remembered first – not necessarily for his prolific skills in composing remarkable music but for the skills he demonstrated at an early age. He was a child prodigy who not only performed regularly for royalty but also starting composing at an early age. Thinking about Mozart had me wondering about other note worthy child prodigies in music. In classical music we can also include composers such as Frederic Chopin, Franz Liszt, Sergei Prokofiev and Camille Saint-Saens. I have already included compositions from these composers in earlier posts but did not realize that they were considered to also be child prodigies.
I also began to think about the performances of young musicians from the 2003 film “School of Rock” starring Jack Black. As a substitute teacher, he teaches his students how to become a rock band and is astounded by the talent demonstrated in class. Here is an example of their talent from a Battle of the Bands competition.
Some of the more famous modern child prodigies in music include Freddie Mercury, Elvis Presley and Stevie Wonder. Freddie Mercury – lead vocalist for the rock band Queen demonstrated his musical talent at an early age and was gifted with a four octave vocal range. At school he had formed a rock band at the age of 12 and continued piano instruction that was started at age 7. He composed many songs for Queen and “We Will Rock You” is one of the most recognizable with it’s distinctive beat and lyrics.
Elvis Presley started a recording contract at the age of 13 years old with Sun Records and became known as “The King of Rock and Roll.” He brought African-American influences in music forefront to the music scene through his vocals and playing rhythm acoustic guitar. Here is his rendition of “Hound Dog” from his appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. This television variety show always showcased up and coming talent from all over the world.
Stevie Wonder lost his sight as an infant but that did not stop him from learning to play the piano, harmonica and drums. He has achieved many Billboard 100 hits with his blending of musical genres such as rhythm and blues, funk, pop, soul, gospel and jazz. “Signed, Sealed, Deliver I’m Yours” is just one of the many songs that he recorded.