At the tender age of 5, Mozart stunned audiences with his compositional prowess. Franz Liszt began performing professionally

as a pianist for the nobility at the tender age of nine. When President John F. Kennedy was 7. Yo-Yo Ma performed for him on cello.

The mesmerizing abilities of young musicians known as ‘prodigies’ have captivated audiences for generations.

I think we can all relate to the following questions: how and when were their talents first noticed?

Where does it come from, if anything, nature or nurture? Is it possible to deliberately produce prodigies, or is it an unpredictable and uncontrollable phenomenon?

While every musical genius has an extraordinary backstory, one family is sharing footage of their infant son’s remarkable musical talent with the world.

Gavrill Sherbenko’s piano playing extends much beyond the realm of sound experimentation, which is something that many 1-and-a-half-year-olds enjoy doing.

He is able to synchronize notes between his two hands and create real chords with his plump tiny fingers.

Further footage of Gavrill playing the piano reveals that his musicianship has developed gradually over time. He comes from a musical family,

just like the majority of musical prodigies. In certain recordings, he perches on his sister’s lap and pays close attention to her fingers as she plays and sings.

In others, he plays around with the piano’s sounds while perched on his parents’ laps, either with or without them.

However, when he plays entirely by himself, it’s evident that he already possesses an amazing grasp of note connections and chord formation from both seeing his family play and practicing by hand.

However, once more, this level of musicianship at such a young age is remarkable, even in highly musical families.

The amount of love and happiness in each of the videos featuring Gavrill playing the piano is what makes them the finest.

Beethoven is not being punished for an error he made at the piano in this instance. It’s true that his family is helping him learn how to play the piano,

but he seems to like it and so do they. A family that enjoys sports would kick and toss a ball around with a toddler; this family also enjoys making music together.

Prodigious talent is the result of a supportive environment that satisfies an innate sensibility. And when those components are paired with sincere joy, it’s the best scenario ever—and a pleasure to watch.

See how Gavrill can mimic his sister’s singing of the solfege on the violin. It’s astounding that he not only understands the notes to accompany her pitches,

but also possesses the manual dexterity and fine motor control to perform at a level commensurate with his age.