Mathew Whittaker

[Shawnee_b]

"He was playing 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.' But he was playin' it with both hands," Moses Whitaker said. "Matt was playing the chords and the melody of the song at the same [time.] He hadn't had a lesson or anything. And he was three years old. So my question was, 'Okay, who showed him how to do that? Somebody had to show Matthew how to-- how to play this song.' And nobody showed him."

Matthew Whitaker was born at 24 weeks. He weighed 1 pound 11 ounces. His parents were told he had less than a 50% chance of survival. One of the many complications he faced was retinopathy of prematurity, a disease which can lead to blindness.

Meet the blind piano player who's so good, scientists are studying him

 

[Shawnee_b]

 

[bluzman61]

"He was playing 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.' But he was playin' it with both hands," Moses Whitaker said. "Matt was playing the chords and the melody of the song at the same [time.] He hadn't had a lesson or anything. And he was three years old. So my question was, 'Okay, who showed him how to do that? Somebody had to show Matthew how to-- how to play this song.' And nobody showed him."

Matthew Whitaker was born at 24 weeks. He weighed 1 pound 11 ounces. His parents were told he had less than a 50% chance of survival. One of the many complications he faced was retinopathy of prematurity, a disease which can lead to blindness.

Meet the blind piano player who's so good, scientists are studying him

Incredible. It's said by some that blind or deaf people most often have heightened awareness in their other senses.

 

[Shawnee_b]

Absolutely. They get very gifted in other ways. When I was about 18 had a buddy, was kinda way out there. Yet he could listen to a New Chicago tune on the radio then go play it. He got a scholarship to Berkley and didn't go.

Now with all the adversity against this young man, he made it, his parents loved and nurtured him. I hate to think how many like him been aborted. GODS GIFTS.

 

[JoeMoma]

"He was playing 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.' But he was playin' it with both hands," Moses Whitaker said. "Matt was playing the chords and the melody of the song at the same [time.] He hadn't had a lesson or anything. And he was three years old. So my question was, 'Okay, who showed him how to do that? Somebody had to show Matthew how to-- how to play this song.' And nobody showed him."

Matthew Whitaker was born at 24 weeks. He weighed 1 pound 11 ounces. His parents were told he had less than a 50% chance of survival. One of the many complications he faced was retinopathy of prematurity, a disease which can lead to blindness.

Meet the blind piano player who's so good, scientists are studying him

Incredible. It's said by some that blind or deaf people most often have heightened awareness in their other senses.

Seems like that has proven to be true, at least in the case of Matthew.

 

[Shawnee_b]

What a guy, beat all odds and awesome.

 

[whitehall]

He wouldn't have been around today if the current democrat governor of Va. was the doctor in charge.

 

[ABikerSailor]

Saw the dude on 60 Minutes last night. One thing that I thought was pretty cool was that while he can play damn near any song after hearing it once, his music teacher wants him to be musically literate, so he is also learning how to read music in Braille and play it.

He said that learning to read music was way slower than just listening to it, and while he knows it will help him out, it's still not one of his favorite things.

 

[Shawnee_b]

Oh that's funny, good to learn it though then play by ear all he wants.