Which musicians do you think are true prodigies?

[Anonymous]

Kurt Cobain

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yoyo Ma

Yes, a prodigy is a child genius, not an adult talent. Unless you start young, like he did, you don't count.

[Anonymous]

Bob Dylan

[Anonymous]

Mariah Carey

Also:
Christina Aguilera
Ariana Grande

[Anonymous]

Tevin Campbell

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tori Amos — chromesthesia, composing by age three, admitted to the Peabody Institute at five, kicked out at eleven for “musical insubordination,” amazing lyrics and arrangements — she’s got a fascinating story!

Yes many of these synesthetes may be considered prodigies
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_with_synesthesia

[Anonymous]

Bruno Mars

[Anonymous]

Some awful choices here or people are clueless with the definition of prodigy

[Anonymous]

Yeah people really don't understand what prodigy is. I think T Swift counts, she has been composing songs since she was a child and has continued extremely prolifically through her life.

Joshua Bell and Tori Amos and Princec and Motzart for sure.

I honestly don't know enough about a lot of artists to know if they were prodigies. But like, is Aretha Franklin a prodigy? I didn't think so. And that has nothing to do with her TALENT. It has to do with, specifically, musical skill. Celine Dion was recording albums at 12, that is what a prodigy is. It isn't a knock on Aretha for not being a prodigy but it is a specific thing.

Singing is also different I think than other musical talents. Someone can have exceptional musical talent/skill and not be able to sing, there is a strong biophysical component to singing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bruno Mars

Agree.

RM (Namjoon) and Suga (Yoongi) too.

[Anonymous]

Eddie Van Halen

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah people really don't understand what prodigy is. I think T Swift counts, she has been composing songs since she was a child and has continued extremely prolifically through her life.

Joshua Bell and Tori Amos and Princec and Motzart for sure.

I honestly don't know enough about a lot of artists to know if they were prodigies. But like, is Aretha Franklin a prodigy? I didn't think so. And that has nothing to do with her TALENT. It has to do with, specifically, musical skill. Celine Dion was recording albums at 12, that is what a prodigy is. It isn't a knock on Aretha for not being a prodigy but it is a specific thing.

Singing is also different I think than other musical talents. Someone can have exceptional musical talent/skill and not be able to sing, there is a strong biophysical component to singing.

Alicia Keyes was playing piano as a child and composing as a young teen.

[Anonymous]

Justin Bieber

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah people really don't understand what prodigy is. I think T Swift counts, she has been composing songs since she was a child and has continued extremely prolifically through her life.

Joshua Bell and Tori Amos and Princec and Motzart for sure.

I honestly don't know enough about a lot of artists to know if they were prodigies. But like, is Aretha Franklin a prodigy? I didn't think so. And that has nothing to do with her TALENT. It has to do with, specifically, musical skill. Celine Dion was recording albums at 12, that is what a prodigy is. It isn't a knock on Aretha for not being a prodigy but it is a specific thing.

Singing is also different I think than other musical talents. Someone can have exceptional musical talent/skill and not be able to sing, there is a strong biophysical component to singing.

You think Taylor Swift is a prodigy. You don’t completely understand either. Yes, she “writes” songs but it’s not talent or skill. It’s average at best.

[Anonymous]

I think it would be good to have a working definition for musical prodigy. It should be those that reach exceptionally high levels of musical achievement *before adolescence*.

Mozart, Paganini, Liszt, Barber, Bizet, Bellini, Prokofiev, Milanollo sisters, Chopin, Schumann, Deutscher, Mendelssohn, Judy Garland, Stevie Wonder, Heifetz, Joachim, Menuhin, Gladys Knight, Bjork (yes, really!), Wooten, Ma, du Pre, Celine Dion, Hilary Hahn, Beyonce, LeAnn Rimes, Midori, etc.