ished. This difference between the lifespan of prodigies and non-prodigies points to differences at the biological level, which in addition to inclining an individual towards immense talent, also impacts other aspects of their life. Conclusion Musical prodigies are anomalies defying the norms of progression in acquiring complex skills such as musical ability. As much as musical prodigies influence the musical community, their very existence influences the scientific community too. Researchers seek to learn more about the psychological phenomenon of prodigious talent and investigate other aspects of prodigy status, such as whether exceptionalism in one area may result in diminished ability in another. Musical prodigies also generate interesting biological questions, as genetic explanations for giftedness spur examinations into whether genes play even more of a role in human lives than is currently known. Ultimately, prodigies offer more than their extraordinary talent: research into their abilities provides a more complete understanding of the human mind and its bounding potential. With an intense devotion to any goal, ample practice, and perhaps some genetic influence, humans have the ability to perform incredible accomplishments that push the limits of human potential – progressing humankind both intellectually and artistically.
References 1. G. Comeau, et al., Can you tell a prodigy from a professional musician? Music Perception 35, 200-210 (2017). doi:10.1525/MP.2017.35.2.200. 2. C. Marion-St-Onge, et al., What makes musical prodigies? Frontiers in Psychology 11, 1-13 (2020). doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.566373. 3. G. Comeau, et al., Measuring the musical skills of a prodigy: a case study. Intelligence 66, 84-97 (2018). doi:10.1016/j.intell.2017.11.008. 4. L. Wesseldijk, et al., Why is an early start of training related to musical skills in adulthood? A genetically informative study. Psychological Science 32, 3-13 (2020). doi:10.1177/0956797620959014. 5. E. Winner and J. Drake, Giftedness and expertise: the case for genetic potential. Journal of Expertise 1, 114-120 (2018). ISSN:2573-2773. 6. M. Hafkamp, et al., Intellectual maturity and longevity: late-blooming composers and writers live longer than child prodigies. Aging 9, 1433-1439 (2017). doi:10.18632/aging.101245. Images retrieved from: 1. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%D0%A3%D1%98%D1%85% D0%B8%D1%95%D0%B3%D1%95%D0%B3%D1%82%D1%83.jpg 2. https://pixnio.com/miscellaneous/piano-indoors-music-hand-finger 3. https://pixabay.com/photos/violins-musicians-orchestra-1838390/ 4. https://picryl.com/media/5be97a2d-abe0-4ece-a113-f384f68836ef 5. https://picryl.com/media/mirror-83dcab 6. https://picryl.com/media/mirror-221ef8
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