By Michael Morton
Her fingers effortlessly glided over the keys as she performed, and when she stopped, the audience burst into applause, appreciative of her rare gift.The 15-year-old pianist, Brittany Maier, is one of perhaps 50 people in the world who are musical savants, an unexplainable gift possessed by some, but not all, of those who have autism. Although she is also mentally retarded and blind, she can instantly play all but the most complex songs and currently has 15,000 in her continuously expanding repertoire.”It's important to understand that skills like Brittany's are ever so rare and need to be encouraged,” said Dr. Andrew Adesman, an autism specialist and the director of the hospital's Division of Developmental Pediatrics. Brittany, who lives near Columbia, S.C. with her parents Tammy and Chuck Maier, came with them to Schneider after a friend with a hospital contact suggested they visit. Her parents said she had been counting down the days to the trip, the first time she had performed before the media.”We want to show the world what the potential is for children who have disabilities,” said Chuck Maier, whose wife has written a book on the family's experience entitled “Embracing a Miracle.” The family's motivation proved to be a perfect match with Schneider's mission.”Our goal is to help children realize what they can do with their lives,” said Dr. Frederick Bierman, associate chief of staff. “Today we have an opportunity to meet a young lady that is teaching us that things are not always as they seem.”Brittany's gift places her in the category of a savant, people who have neurological or developmental disabilities but display an extraordinary talent not found in the general population. The 15-year-old is able to instantly recreate and later recall most songs she hears on the radio by ear, while other savants can compute complex mathematical calculations or quickly name the day of the week when given a specific date. Though the phenomenon continues to be studied, researches are not yet sure of the origins of the talents, but they suspect the answer will unlock mysteries of the human brain.Brittany was not expected to live when she was born four months early, and despite several surgeries she soon lost her eyesight. She was diagnosed with autism at age 5, but her parents did not discover her musical gift until a year later. They had bought her a toy keyboard, and did not take too much notice when she played “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.” But when she came home from school one day and played “The Ave Maria,” they realized she could play 100 songs from memory. That number quickly increased, and now she adds about 1,000 songs a month, able to instantly recreate pop tunes and play more complex music after some practice.Far from being a one-hit wonder, Brittany also composes her own music, a skill she developed at age 10 with the help of a University of South Carolina professor. The 15-year-old is helped along with another gift, perfect pitch, an ability to appreciate subtle tonal differences that only 1 in 10,000 people possess. Brittany plays 10 to 12 hours a day on her own accord and has her own CD, “20/20.” Her family says they do not want to push or exploit her, and are not sure whether or not Brittany will become a professional musician. They said her composition ability has not been fully evaluated yet. “Whether it can translate to a career is anybody's guess,” Dr. Adesman said of her unique gifts.Reach reporter Michael Morton by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by calling 718-229-0300, Ext. 154.
