WATCH: ‘He’s Beyond Special’: 11-Year-Old Autistic Musical Prodigy Receives $15000 Grand Piano

ByQuyen Anne

Sep 8, 2023

Some people say that all of our good deeds come back to us in some way. Bill Magnusson hopes that, in the long run, his generosity will benefit not just himself, but the entire world!Bill is a professional piano tuner from Colorado.
Recently, he saw a news story about Jude Nyame Yie Kofie, an 11-year-old from Aurora, Colorado who shocked the world with his prodigious piano-playing skills without ever taking a single lesson.
Bill Magnusson tuning a piano
Denver7

The newscast told the story of how Jude’s father, who had dreams of becoming a musician himself in his native Ghana, walked into the basement one day and found his son playing a song perfectly on a long-forgotten electronic keyboard. He quickly realized that Jude is gifted; the child can play just about any song he hears, all without ever reading music or even learning which keys correspond with which notes!

Autistic Music Prodigy Receives Grand Piano From Generous Piano Tuner [Video]

The proud father shared a video of Jude playing the keyboard on YouTube, and it went viral.

The viral video earned Jude a lot of attention. He now has well over 10,000 subscribers on YouTube, plays professionally at weddings, and is the lead pianist for his church choir.

11-year-old prodigy with autism receives $15000 grand piano as gift from stranger

All of his success is especially impressive, since Jude had a lot of health problems as an infant. He was born prematurely, needed heart surgery as a baby, and lived with a feeding tube until he was eight. Today, he’s a healthy tween who lives with autism.

As Jude’s musical career took off, the only thing he lacked was a proper piano. That’s where Bill came in!

Bill Magnusson chatting with Jude Nyame Yie Kofie
Denver7

“[My] first reaction was, ‘This kid is Mozart level,’” Bill recalled of first seeing Jude play. “And he deserves the very best.”

Bill reached out to the Denver television station that aired Jude’s story with an incredible offer. He’d recently gotten an inheritance from his father, and Bill could think of no better way to spend the money than to buy Jude a grand piano.

Jude and his family were thrilled to receive such an incredible gift. They could never have afforded such an expensive piano without Bill’s help! But the piano tuner wasn’t finished ensuring that Jude’s talents got a foothold in the world. He also connected Jude with Mr. Sullivan, a piano teacher who can help hone his craft.

Jude Nyame Yie Kofie studying piano with teacher Mr. Sullivan
Denver7

“He’s so eager,” Mr. Sullivan said of his new student. “He’s so hungry to learn more.”

Bill is happy to see his money working to benefit the entire musical world. He truly believes he’s the benefactor of the next Mozart-level prodigy, and that his gift will ultimately help all of humanity. No pressure, Jude!

“The ripple effects for the next 70 or 80 years are incalculable,” Bill said. “It’s not just for him. It’s for all the people he’s going to touch.”

Jude Nyame Yie Kofie playing his grand piano
YouTube

What an altruistic gift! Jude is already putting his grand piano to excellent work by frequently uploading videos to his YouTube channel. We agree with Bill; this is money well-spent.

Watch Jude playing some Beethoven on his new piano in the video below, and don’t forget to share.

An 11-year-old autistic piano prodigy in Colorado received the gift of a lifetime from a total stranger with a big heart.

“He’s beyond special. He’s Mozart level. It’s coming from somewhere beyond,” piano tuner Bill Magnusson said of Jude Kofie, Fox News reported Monday.

The man used inheritance money from his father to give a $15,000 grand piano to the child once he learned of his talent.

Jude was clearly beyond excited the day the piano was delivered to his home. When asked how he explained his musical abilities, Jude said, “It’s a miracle. That’s what I prefer.”

Prior to the gift, the Aurora boy found an old keyboard and began playing without attending one lesson. He was able to listen to any music and figure out how to play it, almost with no effort.

Jude told reporters, “I was inspired. I was inspired by God.”

When Magnusson learned about him, he wanted to help because he was afraid the child could not afford to keep honing his musical skills. Along with the gift, he promised the family he will tune the piano regularly for the rest of his life and pay for lessons.

“Somebody just to love your son like that, by making sure his future is secure, we are super thankful,” his father said.

Jude lives with autism, which is considered a spectrum disorder that means each individual has different strengths and challenges to navigate, according to Autism Speaks.

“The ways in which people with autism learn, think and problem-solve can range from highly skilled to severely challenged. Some people with ASD may require significant support in their daily lives, while others may need less support and, in some cases, live entirely independently,” the site read.

Jude plans to practice on the instrument every day, telling reporters, “I never stop. Three hours a day.”

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