Humoresque by A Dvorak & concentration

Shean Wenn & I (Nov. 2010)

So my aunt forwarded a link to me the other day, asking me to watch a boy of 3 conducting the 4th movement of Beethoven's 5th Symphony (I have no idea what I just said :P). Which is available here:

Wow.. such a magnificent & passionate child. I thought he just had a very fond appreciation of music. I went through his (parent's) youtube account and discovered that this child, Jonathan also plays the violin. Not just to any simple song, but a complicated song such as Humoresque by Antonin Dvorak (again, it doesn't ring a bell to this tone-deaf & musically-challenged me). I was so blown away by it I asked Shean Wenn to watch it with me.(Copy the link onto your browser)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61ZIYeyggOI&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

(There is another video of Jonathan playing the violin to Allegro at 3YO - look how happy and delighted he is with playing it! He looks natural with the violin)

She was quickly mesmerised by Jonathan - and upon further coaxing, she told me she prefers to learn the piano than the violin. At this point, I was a little disappointed (yes, I have a thing for the violin for quite some time) - but still, Piano is still a good skill if she can hone her musical talent and master this.

It made me think : How do parents of such prodigies train their kids? Did they realise their child has an innate musical talent/ear for the music, or did they plan it meticulously (ie since in the womb or at a very young age) so that they are exposed to the fine music*?

Talent aside, after watching Jonathan and a few other child prodigies : I noticed the biggest hurdle they need to cross - not getting distracted. And for a child that age, concentration certainly is not something they do very well. It must take a lot of perseverence & concentration to be able to sit down and learn a musical instrument - to listen, appreciate, and regurgitate it by practising it at hours on end. Looking at Jonathan performing the violin to Humoresque at 4YO infront of a big crowd just blew me away - not only he needed concentration to perform, he has the confidence to perform in front of a big crowd.

With Shean Wenn, I have observed that she can be good at focussing on a task - in fact, when she was barely 10 months old, she was so determined to figure out how to "clasp" her carseat that she would be on it everyday, for minutes on end just trying to find a way to clasp it. After few months of trying, she finally succeeded.

But at 3years old, her concentration seems to have dwindled. I know they go through phases but I was just telling the hub that I am frustrated to the point of tearing my hair out at her lack of concentration at simple tasks : something like sitting down on the dining table and finishing her food from start to end. She is bound to find an excuse to bolt down and walk around. It is very important to me that she can focus on this basic task - because to me, when you can master concentrating on small "matters", you will be able to tackle bigger tasks. And in life, you REALLY need to have a tight rein on finishing what you set out to do. Tell me, am I just being a paranoid-android/worry-wart or I'm just fussing about minute stuff? I know right? The things we parents worry about.

*fine music is classical music to me. The very posh type. Not the Beyonce, Jackie Cheung type of music.