Savant

I have two brothers, Middle Brother and Baby Brother. Both of them are gifted in their own ways. Me? Not so much. I'm OK with being average because it is better than being below-average, right? Right.  Anyway, this isn't about me....

Let me tell you a bit about my brothers. Middle Brother excels at things related to computers and technology. He is also very adept at math. He works for a major electronics retailer and can basically work any department because he has memorized the features of each gadget. He is putting himself through college and I am very proud of him.

Baby Brother is a musical savant. One day, he told my mom he wanted to learn to play the guitar. She obliged and bought him one. He taught himself to play. He then decided he wanted lessons; after the first one, the instructor took my mom to the side and told her he didn't need lessons, and that at some point he could teach himself! After the guitar, Baby Brother taught himself how to play the bass. One day, on a whim, he bought himself a fancy-schmance professional keyboard from a musician moving out of town. That night, he taught himself to play the piano on his highly, highly sophisticated keyboard.

Fast forward to this morning: Middle Brother decides he is going to buy a drum set off of Craig's List. He enlists Baby Brother's help since Baby Brother has been in several bands and is adept at recognizing good equipment from bad, etc.

So, my brothers pull up and begin unloading the drums. Baby Brother takes on the task of setting up the set. Middle Brother, who constantly feels in competition with Baby Brother, decides to criticize and claim the set is not set up properly. Baby Brother is the baby of the family so naturally there is an ego issue at hand. He goes online to research the set up. Middle Brother continues to criticize. I can see where this is going.

The brothers decide to take a break from the bickering and go about their days. Middle Brother leaves explicit instructions that nobody (read: Baby Brother) is to touch the drums. Of course, the second Middle Brother leaves, Baby Brother jumps right on there.

Naturally, he has taught himself how to drum in the span of 15 minutes. This? Amazes me. Perhaps my mom's dream of having her own Partridge Family just might come true. Mr. Case owns a bass and longs to learn to play it, ha! But really, the point of this post is to sing the praises of my brother. he is a true musical savant. Not only did he teach himself a popular song, but he then began writing his own beats. In school Middle Brother and I both tried different instruments as part of the curriculum but it is clear neither of us ever stood a chance-all the skill went to Baby Brother. Obviously.