sleepnever.com

The word “genius” is overused. A word once reserved for describing, well… genius, has been abused and re-inserted into our modern lexicon as a throw away term to describe just about anything that’s remotely cool.

Sure your new, extremely limited edition Nike kicks with the Iron Maiden “Eddie” character on the side are hot shit, but are they genius? No.

Sure Cocaine Rick putting an adult-size moon bounce in his back yard is awesome in a “look at how crazy Cocaine Rick is when he’s high on cocaine” way. But is it “genius?” No.

Lykke Li makes great music and everybody wants to make out with her, but is she a genius?

Einstein was a genius. Da Vinci… genius. Sir Isaac Newton, Oppenheimer, Beethoven, Michelangelo, Tesla (not the band), Marconi, Bell, Bjork, Dr. Albert Hofmann, Stephen Hawking… “The Real World: Cancun” is genius.

Derek Paravicini is undoubtedly a genius. Saw this guy on “Nova” the other night and was soon reminded of how not genius I am.

He was born weighing 1 lb. 5 oz., technically died 3 times while in the hospital and then, to make a seamless dramatic entrance, came back to life. He’s blind and autistic and, as a child, rocked the piano like Jimmy Hendrix did guitar in his prime, (with fists, elbows, face…) and now he’s an ivory-tickling “Rain Man” of sorts.

Sure he walks funny and sounds, oftentimes, like he’s answering the final question on a million dollar quiz show, but can you play “Flight of the Bumblebee” on two pianos at the same time?

To see Derek Paravicini - True Musical Genius Part 2/5 CLICK HERE.