Meet Jude Kofie, an incredibly talented pianist who taught himself to play. He went viral on YouTube when he started uploading videos of his piano performances. Jude’s dad, Isaiah, explains how he found out about his son’s exceptional ability. While at home one day, he heard piano music coming from the basement.
He crept downstairs and found Jude, who was only ten, playing a tune on the piano. He was not a virtuoso yet, but Isaiah was still surprised as Jude had never had lessons, and the family had no idea he could play. He learned that Jude had an amazing ear for music. He could figure out how to play songs across all genres, from jazz to classical.
Dad, Isaiah, was a musician in Ghana before emigrating to America, though, so maybe it’s just in the blood.
All of this is impressive enough, but it gets even better when you hear what a difficult start he had in life. His oxygen levels were low at birth, and he had a hole in his heart that he needed surgery to repair. He had to be fed by a tube directly into his stomach until he was eight years old, and he is autistic. That’s quite a lot for a young boy to deal with.
His early struggles and innate ability already make for a remarkable story, but just wait, there’s more! Jude’s story caught the eye of a reporter in Denver, Colorado, who decided to write about Jude’s amazing talent. That’s when a piano tuner called Bill Magnusson steps in. He was blown away by Jude’s amazing natural ability and felt his talent was simply too good to go to waste.
He found that Isaiah had four children to raise, as well as regularly sending money to his family in Ghana. He wanted to support the family and little Jude in particular. Bill had an inheritance from his father and spent $15000 buying Jude a grand piano. It’s a bargain, as the piano is apparently worth $45000, but it’s an incredible thing to do for a child you’ve never met.
Bill’s generosity did not stop there, though. He has promised to tune the piano for free every month for life and has spent more money on lessons for Jude. Isaiah was utterly overwhelmed, exclaiming, “All for free. Who does that?”
This is a beautiful story, and Jude has uploaded a video of him trying out his new piano. He plays Beethoven, and his playing is truly remarkable. He seems so confident, and his fingers fly over the keys. He is absorbed in his music, and it must be wonderful to have this beautiful piano to practice on.
If one video is not enough, you should also check out his video from the day the piano arrived. It is the first time he laid his hands on it, and it’s so beautiful. It’s also sweet that his sister is sitting beside him, clearly not wanting to miss out. Let’s hope we hear lots more from this talented young man. If you would like to see more from Jude Kofie, you can subscribe to their YouTube channel.