In the video below, Avett Ray Maness is only 6 years old. He is a 100% self-taught piano-playing prodigy from Drayton in Ohio, USA.
Avett Ray learned the piano completely by ear because he has been blind since birth. The aspiring musician was born with Optic nerve hypoplasia, a medical condition arising from the underdevelopment of the optic nerve(s). However, he hasn’t allowed any of this to hinder his musical progress. Avett’s mother said, “The moment he could pull himself to reach the piano, he was playing the melody to ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”.
The youngster’s first video that went viral was picked up by a local news company. In the video, he asks his mother to send his performance to superstar singer, Adele, who was also Avett’s favorite singer at the time. The video spread quickly online being shared by millions across the world.
Avett has recorded many other cover songs since his viral upload on January 6th, 2019. He uploads his videos to his YouTube channel (link at the bottom of this article) and spreads his talents with the world. Below is his cover of Sir Elton John’s classic “Rocket Man”.
If you do a Google search for “Avett Ray Maness” you will find lists of news companies, music magazines, and local media outlets who have reported on the little man’s musical journey. He has done very well in such a short space of time, bringing many smiles to many faces. Avett says on his YouTube channel, “Playing music is my favorite thing to do! I hope you love my videos.”
If you want to see more from this great piano player go to his YouTube channel and subscribe to keep up-to-date with his latest videos.