Just finished watching a "60 Minutes" extra-long feature by Lesley on
"Musical Savants". Lesley can play the piano herself, and she filmed,
talked with, and discussed with their teachers three young "musical savants"
who were brain damaged and blind at birth, but who have intrinsic musical
capabilities that most of us, even gifted musicians, will never have.
Including the ability to memorize every song heard, to improvise in many
styles, to hear ten notes played simultaneously, to be able to absorb and
replay indiviual instrument parts of a jazz recording after one hearing,
etc.

Anybody who sees this show and thinks that music is simply physical sound
waves impinging on our ear receptors is really themselves deaf and blind to
the implications. This is more evidence that music is somehow "hardwired"
into portions of our brain, and that the responses evoked by listening to
music go enormously beyond mere "hearing".

The implications for musical reproduction are also obvious. There is an
enormous amount that can "go wrong" that we may not even be aware of.



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