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Watch a 5-year-old piano prodigy absolutely shred the ivories... while blindfolded

He's preparing to play Carnegie Hall before his 6th birthday.

Canva Photos

A 5-year-old piano prodigy has been invited to play at New York City's most prestigious concert call.

When I was five, the year was 1992. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was my whole world, I was getting ready to start kindergarten, and the most pressing issue on my mind was what to put on my Christmas list (Answer: A Sega Genesis). I took piano lessons around that age, but gave it up after a few years because I was more interested in other things (like my Sega Genesis).

Five-year-old Armenian-American Alec Van Khajadourian has taken a slightly different approach. His natural talent, passion, and work ethic have turned him into one of the most skilled pianists of his age in the entire world. In other words, he's a prodigy.

The child began showing his natural talents at the age of two. By age three-and-a-half, his piano teacher discovered that Alec has "perfect pitch" which is a rare and unique ability some people seem to be born with that allows them to correctly identify any note they hear. Think of it like photographic memory for music. Only about 1 in 10,000 people have the ability, which comes from a combination of genetic predisposition and early exposure to music.

When he was four, he performed his first recital alongside fifth graders (usually age 10-11). By five, he had won multiple international music competitions.

“When he started walking, he’d go right to the piano, tapping keys and smiling from ear to ear,” his father said in an interview. “We could tell right away that he had a special connection to music, and his skills have developed incredibly quickly.”

His parents have been posting some of Alec's incredible performances online to a social media account they manage, including one where he attempts an extremely challenging piece while wearing a blindfold.

The selection, one of Alec's favorites, is "Flamenco" by W. Gillock. It's an extremely inventive and upbeat piece that's fun to play and relatively easy to learn due to its composition and symmetry, but it requires some advanced hand, wrist, and finger techniques to pull off at a high level.

It also helps if you have your eyesight available. But that doesn't seem to hinder Alec very much in this clip.

After a video of Alec showing off his incredible perfect pitch skills went viral, local news stations around the country started picking up his story.

People just couldn't believe what those tiny hands could do on the ivories, and they got so much joy out of watching how much Alec loves to play.

"bravo to this young boy! The future looks bright" one commenter wrote.

"Cuteness overload and a little prodigy!" someone said.

"So cool, keep up the good work dude!" added another.

Did you know that there's actually a specific definition of the word "prodigy"?

I always thought a prodigy was any young kid who showed exceptional abilities in a given field. While that's accurate, the true definition is a little more specific.

Prodigy specifically refers to a child under the age of 10 who can perform at the level of a highly-trained adult.

Watching Alec play, it's clear that at the age of five he's well beyond the level that most adults could reach without serious training. The finger movement, wrist positioning, and playing speed are remarkable. And he does it all while his arms are too short to reach the whole set of keys—watch him slide up and down the bench so that he can play the full scale. It's incredible.

The obvious question that Alec's parents get a lot is whether they're pushing him into it. They say that Alec is completely self-driven and motivated, and that their job is to nurture his talent—as long as he wants them to.

“As long as it brings him joy, we’ll continue to support him," Alec's father said.

In interviews, they say Alec is really a normal five-year-old in most ways. He plays with the family dog, loves video games, and goes to pre-school. But his entire demeanor changes when he sits down at the piano. He brings an intense focus to his craft while still managing to take joy in playing.

“It makes me feel good,” Alec told NBC Los Angeles. “It feels calm.”

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What's next for Alec? Well, his whole life, for starters. But more immediately, he's been invited to perform at Carnegie Hall and Disney Concert Hall.

The pianist was four years old when he decided he one day wanted to play at New York City's Carnegie Hall, one of the most storied and legendary musical venues in the United States. When his skills began going viral, it wasn't long before he received an invite to perform there. Achieving his lifelong dream before he even turns six—not bad!

He'll play at the NY Classic Debut Awards Gala Concert in July 2025.

Alec is also beginning to compose his own music. For reference, Mozart wrote his own first composition when he was only five and, suffice it to say, it still slaps.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

I've always wondered why we're so fascinated with child prodigies.

It's inherently fun and surprising to see tiny people excelling at things far beyond their years. But I think it's also enjoyable to imagine what it would be like to find something you're passionate about and extremely good at from a young age. For many of us, it takes years and years, decades even, to find even one or the other—let alone both.

Prodigies, especially in the social media age, always face a critical transition at some point. When the novelty of their young age begins to wear off and people stop being amazed at their precociousness, what do they do? Do they double down on their craft and solidify themselves as a true master, or do they take the opportunity to let go of the fame and go live a more "normal" life?

Alec has a bright future ahead of him in music, that much is for sure. We can't wait to see where his talents take him, on the piano or otherwise.

Images via Canva and Wikicommons

Justin Timberlake was ready to make every seat first class

Imagine you're on a flight to Argentina, getting settled into your seat and preparing for a boring (albeit important) safety rule announcement. Suddenly, a familiar voice pops up on the overhead speakers and you think… "Wait… that's not… could that be?" Why yes, it isJustin Timberlake, and he's ready to give you safety instructions and the flight route, usually delivered by the pilot.

Timberlake is continuing his "The Forget Tomorrow World Tour", his first world tour in five years. Of course, he's playing lots of hits, but the tour is to support his latest album Everything I Thought it Was, his sixth studio record.

On Justin's TikTok, posted on March 19th, we see him clad in a mint green hoodie with splashes of orange and darker green print, baggy trousers, and sneakers. He takes to the flight attendant's interphone with a sheet of instructions and begins: "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to JT Live South American Leg."

@justintimberlake

South America, we’re coming for you!

The phone camera pans to the somewhat attentive, though possibly confused, rows of passengers and a flash of his name on the back of a seat. He continues while the flight attendants demonstrate how to use the life jackets, "The lifejacket is located in the pouch at the side of your seat. To inflate the lifejacket, pull firmly on the red toggles. If you have any questions, please keep them to yourselves."

This gets only a small laugh, so he verifies, "Oh, we're just kidding. Please ask the crew."

He then proceeds to share the flight path. "We will be flying over the beautiful countries of the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia, until we make our way into Argentina." Adding, "We thank you for flying JT Live 25 Air — it’s gonna be lit."

This is met by clapping and cheers from many passengers, though others remain seemingly disinterested.

The TikTok comments, however, were filled with true fans. "You know what? There's nothing he can't do," says one. Another exclaims, "I'd give anything to be on that plane with him."

And this person hopes it means that Justin is adding something new to his already full career plate: "OK, so this is a preview of you narrating audiobooks for us, am I right? Please say I’m right!"

But there's more. Whether the reactions were good or indifferent on the actual flight didn't stop Justin from having a blast. At one point, he decides to use the aisle as his own personal putting green. With his putter, he gently hits a golf ball down the aisle, then excitedly takes a back-and-forth victory run, high-fiving some people on the way.

This was also shared on Justin's TikTok, underscored by a recording of the "Better than Most" PGA commentary when Tiger Woods famously made a 60-foot putt at TPC Sawgrass.

@justintimberlake

We love you, Big 🐅!!! Get well soon!

We hear, "I have seen a number of players putt from the back of this green. And the results have not been good." Justin takes the shot, then runs the aisle, and we hear, "Well, that's better than most. Better than most! You could hit that putt 50 times, and maybe make it once."

Adam Sandler Golf GIFGiphy

Again, the comment section blew up. "Imagine tryna nap on your flight and wake up to JT playing golf." And yet another suggestion for Justin's career? "JT needs to make a Happy Gilmore 2 cameo!"

Pop Culture

Italian gibberish song from 1972 offers uncanny impression of the English language

If you've ever wondered what English sounds like to non-speakers, look no further.

Le Pietre Rotolanti/YouTube, @HarrietMould/Twitter
In 1972, an Italian singer wrote a hit song with English-sounding gibberish and it's so trippy

You've probably heard plenty of people doing impressions of other languages, speaking gibberish that sounds vaguely Chinese, French, or German. However problematic and offensive those impressions might sometimes be, it speaks to the fact that every language leans on certain sounds, cadences, and vocal inflections that help define it. Even if we can't speak or even understand those languages, we often inherently understand those key markings.

But have you ever wondered what it might sound like if someone were to speak in gibberish that sounded kind of like English? Even better, what if someone sang a whole song that sounded like a jazzy, upbeat American bop — without using any actual English words? If so, you're in luck!

Apparently, a song many of us have never heard of shot to the top of the charts in Italy in 1972 for the most intriguing reason. The song, written and performed by Adriano Celentano and is called "Prisencolinensinainciusol" which means...well, nothing. It's gibberish. In fact, the entire song is nonsense lyrics made to sound like English, and oddly, it does.


mary poppins, silly songs, music, musicals, songs, gibberish, funnyPrisencolinensinainciusol is the new SupercalifragilisticexpialidociousGiphy

Occasionally, you can hear what sounds like a real word or phrase here and there—"eyes" and "color balls died" and "alright" a few times, for example—but it mostly just sounds like English without actually being English. It's like an auditory illusion and it does some super trippy things to your brain to listen to it.

Here, Celentano performs the song in all of its glory, in a bizarre but passionate display. You just have to watch and listen to fully appreciate the artistry on display here:


- YouTubewww.youtube.com

Wow, right? In a 2012 interview on NPR's All Things Considered, Celentano explained how the silly pop song came about.

"Ever since I started singing, I was very influenced by American music and everything Americans did," he told Guy Raz, through interpreter Sim Smiley.

"So at a certain point, because I like American slang—which, for a singer, is much easier to sing than Italian—I thought that I would write a song which would only have as its theme the inability to communicate," he said. "And to do this, I had to write a song where the lyrics didn't mean anything."

In fact, Celentano didn't even write down any lyrics for the song at first, but just improvised the sounds. And people didn't appear to care. "Prisencolinensinainciusol" reached number one on the charts not only in Italy, but also in France, Germany, and Belgium.

adriana celentano, italian singer, singer, opera, rock and roll, funny musicA young Adriano Celentano singing on stageBy Collezione Biblioteca Comunale G.D. Romagnosi, Salsomaggiore Terme, Public Domain,

Celentano is known for a lot more than just his English gibberish. He's been an incredibly unique and innovative talent in the Italian music scene, credited with bringing new moves and flavors of dancing and also introducing rock and roll to Italy. He's also a renowned actor, having appeared in dozens of comedy films. If you watch the performance above, you'll see how his physical, goofball style could fit right into a slapstick movie.

He's also a serious musicians, quite often considered one of the most prolific and influential artists in Italian history.

Celentano's ability to sound like he's singing in English without actually saying anything in English is pretty impressive. Especially when you hear him sing in Italian, like this:

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

Adriano Celentano is still alive and well as of this writing, kicking around at the ripe age of 87. A fun fact to consider after watching his brilliant English gibberish: Celentano can not actually speak English! In a 2009 interview he admits to trying to learn the language but finding it extremely difficult (same, honestly). But his deep study did lead to his absolutely incredible mimicry of the sounds and cadences of English.

Languages are fun. And funky. And frustrating when you don't understand them. Celentano was purposefully making a point with "Prisencolinensinainciusol" to break down language barriers and inspire people to communicate more. Whether he succeeded in doing that or not, it sure is entertaining to see him try.

This article originally appeared five years ago.

Roe Ethridge

For fans of Selena Gomez and her fiancé (record producer, songwriter) Benny Blanco, it was a treat that they sat down for their first joint interview with Interview magazine's Mel Ottenberg for the piece, Benny and Selena Against the World.They got as candid as two people can get, but it's not surprising. Their vulnerability as individuals is part of what makes them both such talented artists.

It was their behind-the-scenes TikTok video at the interview that grabbed a lot of people's attention. It was there that Benny admitted he gets "death realizations" in the shower. Let me back up. First, he asks Selena, "Have you ever cried in the shower? It's incredible." After she laughs, he gets more serious. "Sometimes you just have to have a good cry. I always get death realizations in the shower. Like, I realize I'm gonna die, but it's in the shower. And then I cry about it a little bit, and then it goes away. And then I feel great because I'm (he gestures) the warm water."

@interviewmag

We love a good shower cry 🚿 @Selena Gomez and @benny blanco answer a few questions about each other behind the scenes of our March issue cover shoot. #selenagomez #bennyblanco

This leads to Selena reading a prepared question: "Who cries the most?" They both agree that it's Selena. Benny touchingly explains, "She cries if she sees any video early in the morning that's like— a dog, a child." Selena adds, "A grandparent." Benny concurs. "A grandparent. Some hybrid of all three that we've never even seen before. She cries."

The printed interview reveals so much about their relationship.

ON THEIR INITIAL FRIENDSHIP

Benny Blanco and Selena GomezPhoto by: Roe Ethridge www.interviewmagazine.com

They met when Selena was about 16 or 17 and still with Disney Records, after her mom set up a meeting. Benny admits, "That's right when I became big and she wasn't a singer yet."

He was drawn to her music, calling her "the original sad girl." But it was their underlying friendship that sealed their fate. Ottenberg asks when they "knew" they were into each other. Selena confesses, "It was really simple. We got in the studio to work on a song, and we just talked; that’s how easy it was for me. I liked him before he liked me."

Benny had no idea. But on their second hangout, he got it. "Our second date, I was like, 'Wait, does she like me?' I was clueless. From then on, it was easy. You know when you think you met the right person, you’re like, 'Oh my god.' But it feels so different. The second we started hanging out, I was like, 'This is my wife.' I was telling my mom, 'This is the girl I’m going to marry.'"

ON MUTUAL RESPECT

selena gomez GIF by Interscope RecordsGiphy

When it comes to her music, Selena is incredibly humble and admits she has had trouble in the past asking for what she wants on an album. Of Benny, she says, "Sometimes it’s difficult for me to speak up. Most of my anxiety right now is wanting him to speak because I feel like he’s more talented than I am in this field. It’s like working with a great filmmaker. Whether we were together or not, I think he still would’ve listened to everything that I had to say, and he was able to almost transcribe it into music, into what the feeling of what I was talking about should be. And I really found that to be helpful because this album definitely feels just as much mine as I’m sure it does his."

Benny is in awe of Selena's talent. "The thing that Selena does that not a lot of artists do is she’s never afraid to tell the truth, even if it might not be the most popular thing. Sometimes she’s sad, sometimes she hasn’t figured out love, but she always says it in the realest way that so many people can connect with. So many pop stars are unattainable, but somehow she’s the largest person in the room and makes each person feel like she’s exactly like them."

ON HOW TO MAKE IT WORK

Selena Gomez and Benny BlancoPhoto by: Roe Ethridge www.interviewmagazine.com

Benny makes this one simple. "Happy wife, happy life. Shut the f up and listen to your partner." Selena cuts to the chase too. "Find your best friend and don't settle."