Derek Paravicini and Adam Ockelford at TEDx

“Born three and a half months prematurely, Derek Paravicini is blind and has severe autism. But with perfect pitch, innate talent and a lot of practice, he became an acclaimed concert pianist by the age of 10. Here, his longtime piano teacher, Adam Ockelford, explains his student’s unique relationship to music, while Paravicini shows how he has ripped up the ‘Chopsticks’ rule book.”

In the key of genius

About article author

Adam Ockelford

Adam Ockelford

Professor Adam Ockelford is Director of the Applied Music Research Centre at the University of Roehampton in London. He trained as a musician at the Royal Academy of Music in the 1970s before developing an interest in music psychology. One of his main areas of research is in children with special...More about Adam Ockelford