Which musicians do you think are true prodigies?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Writing songs is absolutely a talent and skill. You don't have to like her songs, but she has been composing full songs with lyrics since childhood. That is an exceptional skill that most children do not have.

This is my whole point everyone is focused on who they think the most brilliant musicians of all time are but that is not the question.

I am not even a big taylor swift fan but she meets the definition of prodigy by any definition. I could not write love story today let alone at 15.

I meant are you really saying songwriting isn't a skill? That is such a ludicrous claim that I think I might be misunderstanding you. I think it is possibly more of a skill than singing a song.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Writing songs is absolutely a talent and skill. You don't have to like her songs, but she has been composing full songs with lyrics since childhood. That is an exceptional skill that most children do not have.

This is my whole point everyone is focused on who they think the most brilliant musicians of all time are but that is not the question.

I am not even a big taylor swift fan but she meets the definition of prodigy by any definition. I could not write love story today let alone at 15.

I meant are you really saying songwriting isn't a skill? That is such a ludicrous claim that I think I might be misunderstanding you. I think it is possibly more of a skill than singing a song.

Her songwriting isn’t a skill. Her lyrics read like a 15 year and still do. So many better songwriters including Mariah Carey that there is no way Taylor Swift is in the same league. She can be popular and still be an average talent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

Finally a good list

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

Finally a good list

John legend

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Writing songs is absolutely a talent and skill. You don't have to like her songs, but she has been composing full songs with lyrics since childhood. That is an exceptional skill that most children do not have.

This is my whole point everyone is focused on who they think the most brilliant musicians of all time are but that is not the question.

I am not even a big taylor swift fan but she meets the definition of prodigy by any definition. I could not write love story today let alone at 15.

I meant are you really saying songwriting isn't a skill? That is such a ludicrous claim that I think I might be misunderstanding you. I think it is possibly more of a skill than singing a song.

Her songwriting isn’t a skill. Her lyrics read like a 15 year and still do. So many better songwriters including Mariah Carey that there is no way Taylor Swift is in the same league. She can be popular and still be an average talent.

Da troof and nothing but the Troof so help me god

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Writing songs is absolutely a talent and skill. You don't have to like her songs, but she has been composing full songs with lyrics since childhood. That is an exceptional skill that most children do not have.

This is my whole point everyone is focused on who they think the most brilliant musicians of all time are but that is not the question.

I am not even a big taylor swift fan but she meets the definition of prodigy by any definition. I could not write love story today let alone at 15.

I meant are you really saying songwriting isn't a skill? That is such a ludicrous claim that I think I might be misunderstanding you. I think it is possibly more of a skill than singing a song.

Her songwriting isn’t a skill. Her lyrics read like a 15 year and still do. So many better songwriters including Mariah Carey that there is no way Taylor Swift is in the same league. She can be popular and still be an average talent.

I mean I'm never going to convince someone who hates her so there is no point in trying but people are so weird about her. Both sides are weird, to be fair, her fans are very intense. But she's one of the most skilled lyricists on the planet IMO and critically for this thread, has been writing since she was a kid.

Like Mariah Carey is a better songwriter really? She wrote three albums during COVID! The ability to write a song, tell a story, write music to go with it, that is extremely hard. If an average talent could do what she did than the ticketmaster story wouldn't have dominated the news for two weeks. This is making me sound like one of her crazy fans but it just seems straight up sexist to say that this woman who's wrote an incredible amount of hit songs and albums is 'average'.

[Anonymous]

If the list doesn't have Bob Dylan...

[Anonymous]

Prince
Entire Beatles and Queen
Elvis

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Writing songs is absolutely a talent and skill. You don't have to like her songs, but she has been composing full songs with lyrics since childhood. That is an exceptional skill that most children do not have.

This is my whole point everyone is focused on who they think the most brilliant musicians of all time are but that is not the question.

I am not even a big taylor swift fan but she meets the definition of prodigy by any definition. I could not write love story today let alone at 15.

I meant are you really saying songwriting isn't a skill? That is such a ludicrous claim that I think I might be misunderstanding you. I think it is possibly more of a skill than singing a song.

Her songwriting isn’t a skill. Her lyrics read like a 15 year and still do. So many better songwriters including Mariah Carey that there is no way Taylor Swift is in the same league. She can be popular and still be an average talent.

I mean I'm never going to convince someone who hates her so there is no point in trying but people are so weird about her. Both sides are weird, to be fair, her fans are very intense. But she's one of the most skilled lyricists on the planet IMO and critically for this thread, has been writing since she was a kid.

Like Mariah Carey is a better songwriter really? She wrote three albums during COVID! The ability to write a song, tell a story, write music to go with it, that is extremely hard. If an average talent could do what she did than the ticketmaster story wouldn't have dominated the news for two weeks. This is making me sound like one of her crazy fans but it just seems straight up sexist to say that this woman who's wrote an incredible amount of hit songs and albums is 'average'.

You ain’t convincing nobody sweetie

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If the list doesn't have Bob Dylan...

Bob Zimmerman

[Anonymous]

Billy Strings

[Anonymous]

Billy Joel

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If the list doesn't have Bob Dylan...

Bob Dylan is one of the greatest songwriters of all time (a skill that requires talent!) but there isn't much evidence he was a child prodigy. Not to say he wasn't, but I don't think there are much records from his childhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Writing songs is absolutely a talent and skill. You don't have to like her songs, but she has been composing full songs with lyrics since childhood. That is an exceptional skill that most children do not have.

This is my whole point everyone is focused on who they think the most brilliant musicians of all time are but that is not the question.

I am not even a big taylor swift fan but she meets the definition of prodigy by any definition. I could not write love story today let alone at 15.

I meant are you really saying songwriting isn't a skill? That is such a ludicrous claim that I think I might be misunderstanding you. I think it is possibly more of a skill than singing a song.

Her songwriting isn’t a skill. Her lyrics read like a 15 year and still do. So many better songwriters including Mariah Carey that there is no way Taylor Swift is in the same league. She can be popular and still be an average talent.

I mean I'm never going to convince someone who hates her so there is no point in trying but people are so weird about her. Both sides are weird, to be fair, her fans are very intense. But she's one of the most skilled lyricists on the planet IMO and critically for this thread, has been writing since she was a kid.

Like Mariah Carey is a better songwriter really? She wrote three albums during COVID! The ability to write a song, tell a story, write music to go with it, that is extremely hard. If an average talent could do what she did than the ticketmaster story wouldn't have dominated the news for two weeks. This is making me sound like one of her crazy fans but it just seems straight up sexist to say that this woman who's wrote an incredible amount of hit songs and albums is 'average'.

You ain’t convincing nobody sweetie

aren't* you songwriting genius you haha

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Writing songs is absolutely a talent and skill. You don't have to like her songs, but she has been composing full songs with lyrics since childhood. That is an exceptional skill that most children do not have.

This is my whole point everyone is focused on who they think the most brilliant musicians of all time are but that is not the question.

I am not even a big taylor swift fan but she meets the definition of prodigy by any definition. I could not write love story today let alone at 15.

I meant are you really saying songwriting isn't a skill? That is such a ludicrous claim that I think I might be misunderstanding you. I think it is possibly more of a skill than singing a song.

Her songwriting isn’t a skill. Her lyrics read like a 15 year and still do. So many better songwriters including Mariah Carey that there is no way Taylor Swift is in the same league. She can be popular and still be an average talent.

I mean I'm never going to convince someone who hates her so there is no point in trying but people are so weird about her. Both sides are weird, to be fair, her fans are very intense. But she's one of the most skilled lyricists on the planet IMO and critically for this thread, has been writing since she was a kid.

Like Mariah Carey is a better songwriter really? She wrote three albums during COVID! The ability to write a song, tell a story, write music to go with it, that is extremely hard. If an average talent could do what she did than the ticketmaster story wouldn't have dominated the news for two weeks. This is making me sound like one of her crazy fans but it just seems straight up sexist to say that this woman who's wrote an incredible amount of hit songs and albums is 'average'.

I don’t hate her nor do I worship the ground she walks on. And yes, Mariah Carey is a much better songwriter. Go actually look up the lyrics of both artist. Look at the actual vocabulary used to describe emotions, etc.

Taylor Swift constantly puts out music bc she isn’t putting out actual music showcasing skill. Over abundance doesn’t equal talent.