The Incredibly Talented Lucy

What would be the point of Lucy taking exams, though? She would not understand why she was doing them and almost certainly wouldn’t appreciate the certificates. She is an incredible pianist with an amazing teacher and a wonderfully supportive mother. As long as she is enjoying the performances, it is fine. With her disabilities, it would soon be obvious if she didn’t. The only thing that bothers me is that it is so easy to see the savant qualities and miss out on the very real musicianship she has.
@annsixty, l could not agree with you more about protecting child performers. YouTube has opened a whole can of worms in this direction. There are far too many children, mostly from the Far East, whose proud parents have posted videos of them learning the piano or violin from the ages of two upwards. Grade 8 performances are also posted and some of the candidates are very young. However, the vast majority of the children are simply very good for their age rather than the prodigies their parents fondly imagine them to be, and some are, quite frankly, abysmal. In any case, however good they may be for their age, none of us wants to hear a piece that is too difficult for the child played on a squeaky, quarter size violin. I always put on an end of school year concert, but in 2020 this was, of course, impossible, so I organised an online concert. Every pupil recorded a piece and one of the parents, who is a whizz with technology, put it together very professionally and uploaded onto my private YouTube channel in time for Christmas that year. As it was a private channel, it meant that I was able to control who had access to it and it also meant that the children could share their achievements with their wider family as well as their parents. I like to think that it brightened up a particularly bleak time in our recent history. Now that I have taken semi-retirement in the past year and work part time, I do not have enough pupils for a live concert this year, so I plan to repeat the experience.

Of course, there is also the satisfaction of doing Jazz Piano with
the ABRSM G1 - 5
These will be big acheivements and help her get better at jazz.
and Classical.

Maybe Lucy would like to do some Graded ABRSM or Music Teacher's Board exams, to have her playing done like this
if you do it digitally it can be videod and emailed to the HQ
of said exam board they look at it and mark it and she will have a
certificate (in braille?) to hold and feel the shiny letters on it
ABRSM

annodomini

I was sad that Daniel, her teacher, was excluded from Windsor Castle by the Royal Security officials. I think I heard him murmur something about Extinction Rebellion but can't imagine this sensitive soul would have caused a threat to their majesties.

I agree.
Everyone had been searched etc, and he wasn't even wearing his Extinction Rebellion badge (which you would have thought that the King would be interested in anyway, given his known stance on preserving the planet).
To leave it until he had driven up and was dressed and ready, seems unnecessary and made it difficult for all concerned with Lucy's well being.
Had any concerns been voiced in advance they could have been addresses and/or the preparation for Lucy adjusted accordingly.

merlotgran

annodomini

I was sad that Daniel, her teacher, was excluded from Windsor Castle by the Royal Security officials. I think I heard him murmur something about Extinction Rebellion but can't imagine this sensitive soul would have caused a threat to their majesties.

They were doing their job!

A sensitive soul can throw orange paint just like anyone else.

Just Stop Oil threw orange stuff, NOT Extinction Rebellion

I think it will be beneficial that Lucy can earn a living from her music. As her Mother so rightly worries, who will be there for Lucy if she is not there. It may be that monies earned will be necessary for the 'right' type of care in her later life..I don't think Daniel would exploit her - as a very talented musician himself - he could, hopefully, be the one to ensure that doesn't happen.

I think she really enjoys entertaining, especially her introduction and applause but as she demonstrated during her jazz gig, you can lead a horse to water etc., etc.

Jazz seems to set her free. It’s a delight watching her soar over the music she creates and I hope she’s allowed to follow her own path.

I watched it with some concern. Lucy obviously has a very caring mother and tutor but I would worry about the pressures she may feel as she gets older. My daughter is totally blind and very musically talented. When she was little and I sang to her she would tell me I was singing in the wrong key: 'It's supposed to be in Bflat mummy and you're singing it in F.' 😁 Her dad and I never pushed her and so she just enjoys music for herself. I wonder if Lucy will put her foot down and decide not to perform at some point. It's a tricky one as I think she must be hard to read and she seemed to enjoy some of the performances.

annodomini

I was sad that Daniel, her teacher, was excluded from Windsor Castle by the Royal Security officials. I think I heard him murmur something about Extinction Rebellion but can't imagine this sensitive soul would have caused a threat to their majesties.

They were doing their job!

A sensitive soul can throw orange paint just like anyone else.

Each time I see this very talented child I feel so uneasy.
In my opinion and mine alone she should be allowed to play for her own enjoyment and satisfaction.
I feel she is put on display every time.
She is a fragile and “ different “ child and should be protected.

annodomini

I was sad that Daniel, her teacher, was excluded from Windsor Castle by the Royal Security officials. I think I heard him murmur something about Extinction Rebellion but can't imagine this sensitive soul would have caused a threat to their majesties.

You'd be happy for him to disrupt Lucy's proud moment then.

I was sad that Daniel, her teacher, was excluded from Windsor Castle by the Royal Security officials. I think I heard him murmur something about Extinction Rebellion but can't imagine this sensitive soul would have caused a threat to their majesties.

Exactly what I kept thinking too.
It was difficult to guage how much she enjoyed performing rather than just playing, which she clearly loved. At the one jazz event she switched off and was clearly not having fun at all.
Her wonderful teacher, who is a fragile soul, saw her future on the concert stage, but that is a gruelling career and inappropriate for her.
I also wondered why her mum dressed her in what I call chimpanzees' tea party dresses for concerts.