Matt Savage
Encyclopedia
Matthew "Matt" Savage is an American
autistic savant musician
. Born in Sudbury
, Massachusetts
, he is the son of Diane and Lawrence "Larry" Savage.
, a form of autism
, at age three. Matt did not like any noises or music during his early childhood.
At age six, Matt taught himself to read piano
music. He studied classical piano for less than a year before discovering jazz
, which became his main focus. He began studying at the New England Conservatory of Music
in Boston, Massachusetts
in the fall of 1999. He continued his classical studies as well. He and his younger sister, Rebecca, are both home schooled. Among Matt's talents are hyperlexia
and perfect pitch
. Coupled with his extremely high intelligence, these abilities have allowed him to achieve other distinctions as well, such as winning a statewide geography bee.
Despite his young age and his autism, and even without formal instruction in musical composition, Matt is an accomplished musician and composer. He has released several album
s, both as a solo performer and as part of the Matt Savage Trio. By the age of 14, he had also performed with Chaka Khan
and other popular singers. Matt's compositions tend toward the technical, but they are still very approachable and often humorous.
Matt has received many awards, including being signed in 2003 to Bösendorfer
pianos. He is the only child to be so recognized in the company's 175-year history.
Matt has toured the world, performing for heads of state
and others, and appearing on numerous television and radio programs such as Late Show with David Letterman
, Late Night with Conan O'Brien
, The Today Show, and All Things Considered
. In 2006, at age 14, he was featured on a CNN report about the human brain, in which he was defined as a prodigious savant, as opposed to the other types of savant
s. Matt has also appeared in several documentaries about savants.
In 2007, he played with Scottish folk songwriter/singer Al Stewart, on piano .
In 2009, Matt enrolled at Berklee to continue advancing his musical career. The following year, in November, he is preparing to release his ninth CD .
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
autistic savant musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
. Born in Sudbury
Sudbury, Massachusetts
Sudbury is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, population 17,659. The town was incorporated in 1639, with the original boundaries including what is now Wayland. Wayland split from Sudbury in 1780. When first incorporated, it included and parts of Framingham, Marlborough, Stow...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, he is the son of Diane and Lawrence "Larry" Savage.
Background
Matt was a precocious infant who walked early and learned to read by age 18 months. He was diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorderPervasive developmental disorder
Pervasive developmental disorders is a diagnostic category refers to a group of disorders characterized by delays or impairments in communication, social behaviors, and cognitive development.Pervasive developmental disorders include Autism, Asperger's syndrome, Rett's syndrome, Childhood...
, a form of autism
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
, at age three. Matt did not like any noises or music during his early childhood.
At age six, Matt taught himself to read piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
music. He studied classical piano for less than a year before discovering jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, which became his main focus. He began studying at the New England Conservatory of Music
New England Conservatory of Music
The New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, is the oldest independent school of music in the United States.The conservatory is home each year to 750 students pursuing undergraduate and graduate studies along with 1400 more in its Preparatory School as well as the School of...
in Boston, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
in the fall of 1999. He continued his classical studies as well. He and his younger sister, Rebecca, are both home schooled. Among Matt's talents are hyperlexia
Hyperlexia
Hyperlexia was initially identified by Silberg and Silberg , who defined it as the precocious ability to read words without prior training in learning to read typically before the age of 5. They indicated that children with hyperlexia have a significantly higher word decoding ability than their...
and perfect pitch
Absolute pitch
Absolute pitch , widely referred to as perfect pitch, is the ability of a person to identify or re-create a given musical note without the benefit of an external reference.-Definition:...
. Coupled with his extremely high intelligence, these abilities have allowed him to achieve other distinctions as well, such as winning a statewide geography bee.
Despite his young age and his autism, and even without formal instruction in musical composition, Matt is an accomplished musician and composer. He has released several album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s, both as a solo performer and as part of the Matt Savage Trio. By the age of 14, he had also performed with Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan , frequently known as the Queen of Funk, is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career...
and other popular singers. Matt's compositions tend toward the technical, but they are still very approachable and often humorous.
Matt has received many awards, including being signed in 2003 to Bösendorfer
Bösendorfer
Bösendorfer is an Austrian piano manufacturer, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Yamaha. The brand is known for producing pianos with a uniquely rich, singing, and sustaining tone...
pianos. He is the only child to be so recognized in the company's 175-year history.
Matt has toured the world, performing for heads of state
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
and others, and appearing on numerous television and radio programs such as Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
, Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
, The Today Show, and All Things Considered
All Things Considered
All Things Considered is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio. It was the first news program on NPR, and is broadcast live worldwide through several outlets...
. In 2006, at age 14, he was featured on a CNN report about the human brain, in which he was defined as a prodigious savant, as opposed to the other types of savant
Savant
Savant may refer to:* An expert or wise person* Savant syndrome* Marilyn vos Savant* Savant publications* Doug SavantIn popular culture:* Characters in the Noble Warriors Trilogy...
s. Matt has also appeared in several documentaries about savants.
In 2007, he played with Scottish folk songwriter/singer Al Stewart, on piano .
In 2009, Matt enrolled at Berklee to continue advancing his musical career. The following year, in November, he is preparing to release his ninth CD .
See also
- Child prodigyChild prodigyA child prodigy is someone who, at an early age, masters one or more skills far beyond his or her level of maturity. One criterion for classifying prodigies is: a prodigy is a child, typically younger than 18 years old, who is performing at the level of a highly trained adult in a very demanding...
- Nick van BlossNick van BlossNick Bloss is a British classical pianist and author who has Tourette syndrome. He studied at the Royal College of Music in London....
- Tony CicoriaTony CicoriaAnthony Cicoria, Md, PLLC, , is a doctor specializing in orthopedic medicine, orthopedic surgery, orthotics, prosthetic supplies, and sports medicine. He is best known for acquiring an unusual affinity for music after being struck by lightning...
- Beautiful Minds: A Voyage Into the BrainBeautiful Minds (TV miniseries)Beautiful Minds: A Voyage Into The Brain was a 2006 documentary on super-talented savants. Prof. Gerhard Roth of the University of Bremen in Germany, and Dr. Darold Treffert of the University of Wisconsin Medical School in USA introduced savants from different countries...
, a documentary produced in 2006 by colourFIELD tell-a-vision, a German company
External links
- Official website — contains a biography, press coverage, tour information, and store
- Profile of Matt Savage and other savants at Wisconsin Medical Society — includes videos of the Matt Savage Trio and an excerpt from the documentary Expedition ins Gehirn (Beautiful Minds: A Voyage Into the Brain)