J. S. Bach

My daughter is 11 and extraordinarily musically gifted. She started piano at 4 and was playing Chopin by 8. Her teacher says she has "once in a generation" talent. The question is how to develop it. Her current teacher emphasizes technique, theory, and systematic mastery. Hours of scales, careful analysis of structure, slow and methodical progression through increasingly difficult repertoire. "Genius is built, not born," she says. "The foundation must be unshakeable." But we consulted another teacher, who watched my daughter play and was horrified. "You're crushing her natural musicality with all this technique. She needs to play, to experiment, to find her own voice. The joy must come first—technique can follow." He pointed to recordings of young prodigies who played with freedom and emotion despite imperfect technique. My daughter doesn't complain about the rigorous approach, but I've noticed she rarely plays for fun anymore. Music has become work. Is that the price of excellence, or are we destroying the very thing that made her special? — The Prodigy's Parent in Brooklyn

65 votes