DESCRIPTION: 

Alma Deutscher has loved music ever since her parents gave her a violin for her third birthday. The 14-year-old is now a world-class composer and she performed her original compositions in a sold out show at Carnegie Hall.

TRANSCRIPT:

Reporter: THERE’S GOOD NEWS TONIGHT ABOUT AN AMAZING PERFORMANCE THAT SOLD OUT CARNEGIE HALL A FEW NIGHTS AGO. A COMPOSER WHO PLAYED VIOLIN AND PIANO. SHE HAPPENS TO BE JUST 14. SHE’S AMONG THE YOUNGEST COMPOSERS EVER TO PLAY HERE. Alma: EVER SINCE I WAS VERY LITTLE, THERE’S ALWAYS BEEN THIS WORD, CARNEGIE, CARNEGIE HALL. THIS PERFORMANCE DEDICATED TO ALMA’S WORK, A CONCERTO SHE WORK WROTE WHEN SHE WAS 9. TWO DUETS FROM HER OPERA "CINDERELLA." ALMA’S MOM, JANY, SAYS SHE’S BEEN OBSESSED WITH MUSIC FROM THE BEGINNING. Alma's Mother: WHEN SHE WAS TINY, SHE WOULD SAY DANCE TO IT. VERY ENTHUSIASTICALLY. Reporter: DO YOU HEAR MELODYS ALL THE TIME? Alma: YES, AND MELODYS JUST COME WHEN I’M LEAST EXPECTING THEM. Reporter: DO YOU THINK YOU SEE MUSIC DIFFERENTLY THAN THE REST OF US DO? Alma: WELL, I CAN HEAR ALL THE HARMONY IN MY HEAD. SO I CAN HEAR THE WHOLE -- Reporter: THE WHOLE ARC EXTRA? Alma: YES, THE WHOLE ORCHESTRA. SHE COMPOSES FULL SCORES IN HER HEAD AND THEN PUTS THEM ON PAPER. AND SINCE SHE LIVES IN VIENNA, SHE’S OFTEN COMPARED TO ANOTHER FAMOUS COMPOSER. I’VE HEARD THAT YOU DON’T LIKE THE COMPARISON TO MOZART. Alma: I KNOW IT’S MEANT TO BE FLATTERING, BUT I REALLY DON’T WANT TO BE A SECOND MOZART. 01:48 Reporter: WHY? 01:48 Alma: I THINK IT WOULD BE MORE INTERESTING TO BE ALMA AND WRITE NEW MUSIC. Reporter: YOU WANT TO BE ALMA? 01:55 Alma: YES. I JUST WANT TO BE ALMA. Reporter: CONDUCTOR JANE GLOVER SAYS IT’S A MISTAKE TO THINK OF HER AS A CHILD COMPOSER. HER MUSIC IS AS SOPHISTICATED AS AN ADULT’S. Conductor: SHE HAS A TREMENDOUS FEEL FOR STRUCTURE, ORK ADMINISTRATION, SHAPE, PASSION, EMOTION, COLOR. Alma: ONE THING THAT I ALWAYS WANT TO DO IS WRITE BEAUTIFUL MUSIC, THAT COMES OUT OF MY HEART AND SPEAKS WHAT IS IN MY HEART. [ APPLAUSE ] Reporter: IT WAS A GREAT SHOW. ALMA IS WORKING ON A NEW OPERA NOW AND SHE LOVES TO SEE ON MUSICAL ON BROADWAY. SHE IS DELIGHTFUL.

QUESTIONS: 

1. Who is Alma Deutscher? Talk about her passion in detail and how it differs from others.

2. Discuss this young composer's viewpoint when people equate her to Mozart. 

3. If you could magically gain the ability to play any musical instrument well, which would you choose? Explain your answer.