By Desiree Kaur
“I came across this book when researching my thesis topic about music and autism. Little did I realise, this particular story would be etched in my mind and hold a special place in my heart for the foreseeable future.”
The Author & The Story
This book, “In the Key of Genius. The Extraordinary Life of Derek Paravicini” was written by Adam Ockelford. The author is a Professor of Music and Director of the Applied Music Research Centre at the University of Roehampton, London. He is an accomplished academician having founded the zygonic theory, continues to research and build on the Sounds of Intent and published various books and journal articles on music psychology. However, when Professor Ockelford wrote this book, it was from his perspective as a music teacher to a young boy with different needs and how their journey together, impacted both their lives.
Derek Paravicini was born premature and struggled for his life. He beat the odds as an infant and still had quite a journey ahead. It was his trusty nanny that noticed something amiss on his reflexes and led to his family discovering that his sight was impaired. He was blind but his gifts lay beyond anyone’s grasp. He played the piano by ear – he could listen to a song and play it to a tee just after listening to it. Another discovery later on was his autism. Struggles ensued in his education, whether he should go to a school for the blind or children with special needs like autism. This dilemma was overcome when he was sent to the same school where his music teacher taught music to blind students, Professor Ockelford. Today, Derek Paravacini is known as a blind-autistic-musical savant who is pitch perfect. His musical mentor, the author of this book, guided him on his journey. Today, Derek Paravicini has a YouTube channel. He has travelled with his trusty music teacher to perform in different place across the world.
Perspective: Researcher vs Mother
Reading this book, I was torn between my perspectives as a researcher and as a mother. There is no denying, my son is my greatest inspiration behind what I do, from my Master in Education (Special Education) to running this Website. So, I decided this book would be that bridge between my perspectives as a researcher and a mother who loves her son!
The researcher in me admires the great work done (and still ongoing) by Prof Ockelford. I came across this book as I was researching music for children with autism. There were many research articles and different types of research. This book, “In the Key of Genius” made me take a closer look at the Sounds of Intent (SoI) and led me to adapt parts of the framework for my Master’s thesis. I have since completed by Masters, and published academic articles on it with the hope of publishing more.
Ultimately, it was mother in me that was drawn to this book. The mother in me was touched by Derek’s special bond with his nanny. Their bond was built on love and mutual trust. She was portrayed as the most nurturing person who only ever did what was in his best interest. Without giving up too much of the storyline, suffice to say, I think the true hero of this story is Nanny.
Why read this book?
I read this book a couple of years ago, when I was still new to autism, special needs and special education. While this book is about an autistic musical savant, the narrative focuses on the characters, the challenges and the journey. It does no focus on the diagnosis. After all, this book is a biography of Derek Paravicini’s musical journey and life. It is good read for anyone who enjoys biographies. This is not a book about autism, or being blind. This is a book about Derek Paravicini, a boy who loved music who grows into an accomplished musician guided by his teacher.
This book can be purchased online from Book Depository , Amazon and Amazon (ebook).
English 
Malay