Throughout history, people have marveled at musical geniuses who seem to have an artistic gift that is incomprehensible to the average person.
Some of the most fascinating cases of musical prodigies are those with a rare condition called Savant Syndrome.
People with savant syndrome (often called “savants”) have astonishing abilities in certain areas beyond the mental capability of most humans, often as the result of brain injuries or neurodevelopmental conditions such as Autistic Spectrum Disorder.
Savants are quite literally “one in a million”, as this is the number of people estimated to be affected by the syndrome, and the condition is even less common in females.
Usually, these “superhuman” abilities have to do with memory, such as rapid mathematical calculations, geographical and spatial capabilities, or art and musical abilities.
Savants normally have these remarkable abilities in one specific area, in stark contrast to being cognitively handicapped overall. There are many cases of savants with mobility impairments, blindness, inability to speak and other disabilities.
Musicians with Savant Syndrome
Leslie Lemke
Born with severe birth defects, Lemke suffered from mobility impairments that made it difficult for him to learn to swallow and walk. His birth defects were so severe that doctors had to remove his eyes.
Despite so many challenges, Lemke had an astounding ability to play the piano. Although Lemke never had any musical training, his mother, a nurse who adopted him at birth, discovered Lemke playing Piano Concerto No. 1, after hearing it only once on television.
Lemke began playing all types of music on the piano, only having to hear each song once before playing it flawlessly. He has performed many concerts throughout his life.
Ellen Boudreaux
One of the few known female musical savants, Ellen Boudreaux is extraordinarily gifted.
Despite being both autistic and blind, Ellen has astonishing spatial and musical abilities. Like Lemke, Ellen can play any song she hears perfectly on the piano, and can even transform songs into different genres, such as playing a jazz piece in a classical style.
Not only can Ellen play the piano, but she is also a talented guitarist. One of the most unusual capabilities of Ellen’s is her ability to replicate voices and sounds, such as a crowd cheering or other special effects.
Ellen has a precise sense of rhythm, and she seems to have a digital clock ticking in her mind. Ellen can recall and play any song you ask, as she once proved in an interview with a news reporter who tried to stump her by asking for obscure songs.
Tom Wiggins
Born a slave in the southern United States, Tom Wiggins was a musical prodigy from an early age.
Despite being blind, Tom had an exceptional knack for playing the piano, and could play two songs at one time, one with the left hand and the other with the right. Tom could play any song he heard as well as mimicking any sound. Sadly, Tom’s owner exploited him by forcing him to travel and play music, making over $18,000 a year from his shows. Wiggins became a well-known performing sensation, and was nicknamed “Blind Tom”.
Tony DeBlois
Although he suffers from severe autism and blindness, Tony DeBlois has learned to play over twenty instruments over the course of his life, and has taught himself to play over 8,000 musical pieces by ear.
Tony also loves to sing and improvise music, which indicates that his musical capability reaches far beyond sheer memorization.
Kim Peek
Probably the most famous savant in history, Laurence Kim Peek is widely known as the inspiration for the savant character in the movie Rain Man. Peek had a range of remarkable capabilities such as reading two pages at once, one with the left eye and the other with the right eye.
He could read pages in seconds and memorized all the information he read about every topic. What many don’t know is Peek’s talents were not limited to reading but also included music, as he could remember ever song and lyric he had ever heard.
Savants are truly remarkable people who each overcome their own personal challenges to express their exceptional talents and abilities.
While those suffering with Savant Syndrome may be cognitively, developmentally or physically impaired, they have a rare and extraordinary gift that should be celebrated.