 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2004-04-14 18:54
Another music/math genius -- this time age 12, already at Curtis and Penn, speaks Chinese, Taiwanese, Russian and English, and tours as a soloist.
<http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/living/education/8408270.htm?is_rd=Y&ERIGHTS=7555900610072388963philly::mvinquist@cs.com&KRD_RM=2rkjjponinqrliiiiiiiijikli|k|Y>
http://www.svwc.com/Kit_Armstrong.htm
I'm running as fast as I can, but I'm still in the same place.
Ken Shaw
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2004-04-14 19:13
Wow. Really unbelievable stuff! Reading the Business Week and New York Times at 2 years old? Amazing. Simply amazing stuff. THanks for the link to the article Ken.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Mark Pinner
Date: 2004-04-16 07:23
He will end up in an asylum. Those that are doing the pushing in these cases should be held accountable. This is not healthy for the child!
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Author: David Peacham
Date: 2004-04-16 14:03
Mozart never went to Curtis nor Penn, I grant you, but he was touring long before he was twelve, spoke several languages, and didn't end up in an asylum.
If the child is brilliant, better to encourage his brilliance than repress it, I think. What would you do, Mark? Would you tell him that, regardless of his preferences, he must stop practising the piano this very minute, and go out and play football instead?
What is truly sad is not the parents who encourage and nurture brilliance, it is the parents who believe that every activity must be competitive, and a child must ONLY do what he is good at. I know nothing of this kid, but I hope his parents have the sense to tell him: "If you feel like playing the piano, play. If you'd rather play soccer, play soccer. If just this once you want to spend the day watching mindless cartoons on TV, that's fine too."
Also, speaking four languages at age twelve is not necessarily a sign of genius. Most adults, myself included, find language learning very hard. Kids don't, if they start young enough. I know a brother and sister who are fluent trilingual in English, French and Czech. They are probably learning Swahili fast now they are living in Kenya. They aren't especially clever, just nice, ordinary kids who have lived in more different countries than most.
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If there are so many people on this board unwilling or unable to have a civil and balanced discussion about important issues, then I shan't bother to post here any more.
To the great relief of many of you, no doubt.
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2004-04-16 14:14
The big thing here is the child recognizing, wanting, and having the drive to TEACH THEMSELF Russian. That's where it becomes "unusual" for that extra language.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: David Peacham
Date: 2004-04-16 14:47
Alexi - I agree, that's unusual. I haven't read the Philly article, just the potted biography. I don't know to what extent he has really "studied" German and Russian. Did he reach fluency through self-tuition with language tapes? That would indeed be very impressive. Or did he learn some basic chat from friendly neighbours? It could mean anything. I can claim to have "studied" French, which I speak tolerably well, and German, which I speak intolerably badly. But if I tell a German, in German, "I studied German", he is likely to look at me reprovingly and explain that I may have learnt a wee bit of German, but I obviously do not speak it well enough to have "studied" it, because "studieren" in German implies "to carry out academic research". So I'm a little wary about how exactly to interpret these claims.
That this boy is a fine pianist there may well be no doubt at all.
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If there are so many people on this board unwilling or unable to have a civil and balanced discussion about important issues, then I shan't bother to post here any more.
To the great relief of many of you, no doubt.
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Author: Matt Locker
Date: 2004-04-16 15:43
Mark Pinner:
How do you know someone's pushing him? There is no room in your statement for anything else. Do you know him? Do you know his parents? What gives here? Is there any room in your thought process that would allow you to consider that maybe he's just an incredibly smart & inquisitive kid who may change the world because his parents are smart enough to help guide him in his travels instead of forcing him to do what other kids do?
We've been here before..................
MOO,
Matt
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