6 Year Old Boy Born Without a Hand Learns to Play Piano
Courageous mom wouldn't let her child's physical limitations stop him from achieving his dream to play piano. When he was 3 years old, she found a teacher at RBR Muzik who wouldn't accept excuses
IRVING, Texas, Sept. 20, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- When Kareem was laid in his mom's arms, she knew their journey would be challenging. Manar held her son closely as she looked at his left arm, missing a hand, and wondered how difficult his life would be. Would he be bullied in school? Would he be able to play sports, or learn a musical instrument? She made a decision that moment in the hospital. Anything he wanted to achieve in his life, she would tell him it would be possible, and support him no matter what.
When he was 3 years old, she knew learning an instrument would help him have something special, a way to express himself and his emotions without words. She asked him which instrument he wanted to learn, and he said right away the piano. She didn't hesitate. All she needed to do was find the right teacher.
She found Miss Zoe, a mom and Suzuki teacher with 30 years of experience, who had recently opened a music school in their city. There was a group piano class for children age 3-5, where students got an early start learning piano, before they could read. She approached her and asked if her son could take the class. Without hesitation, Miss Zoe said yes. She too saw Kareem's limitless potential.
After a year in the group class, music school owner Miss Zoe took Kareem on as her one private lesson student. Each week, she challenged Kareem to focus on one main point during the lesson. To work on one skill, doing many repetitions, achieving musical confidence and ability in small steps. She noticed right away that he was willing to work harder than students who were born without any handicap. During the weekly piano lesson she would often ask Kareem how many times could he do a reptition of the "tricky spot" he was trying to master. One lesson he said "100 times!". So, his teacher allowed him at 5 years old to show her he could do it 100x.
3 years later, with help from his early start, he is now playing "two hands together" as he is working on learning his favorite song "Old Town Road" for the Halloween recital.
His mom says she has never seen him so excited to practice, now that he can finally be learning to play a song that he loves.
When asked where she sees Kareem and his musical future, his piano teacher Miss Zoe said " Kareem's courage and incredible passion inspire me to be a better teacher, but even more imporantly a better human being. His mom is my inspiration. When a mother sees limitless potential in her child, there is no dream that her child can't achieve."
SOURCE RBR Muzik
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