Description
An account of the life of the autistic musical savant describes the early manifestations of his abilities in childhood, graduation with honors from the Berklee College of Music, and international performances as an improvisational jazz musician.
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For everyone whose heart was touched by the movie Rain Man, here is the inspiring true story of an exceptional autistic savant whose musical gifts thrill audiences the world over.Ever since he was born-blind and weighing less than two pounds-Tony DeBlois has been defying the odds and wildly surpassing others' expectations. Diagnosed early on as autistic, at two years old his talent for music was revealed when he played "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" on a toy piano. Going on to graduate with honors from the Berklee College of Music, today Tony leads an improvisational jazz ensemble and performs solo shows from Dublin to Taipei and even Washington, D.C.'s Kennedy Center. Some Kind of Genius weaves details of Tony's amazing musical accomplishments--he can play 20 instruments and his sixth CD, also titled Some Kind of Genius, is set to be released at the time of this book-with a fascinating look at savant syndrome, in which a person with certain developmental limitations exhibits brilliance in some other aspect of his life. Tony's fiercely devoted mother, Janice, also tells of her own crusade-not only for the rights of her son but on behalf of all those with special needs.Tony's story will hold special appeal for all who have seen him on the Today show and Entertainment Tonight; watched the Lifetime movie based on his life, Journey of the Heart; heard him in concert; or read about him in Dr. Darold Treffert's book Extraordinary People: Understanding Savant Syndrome.
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