NPR - Music and the Mind
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Reprinted from NPR Intern Edition

Williams Syndrome Helps Explain Music and the Mind
 

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Reporter: Rhitu Chatterjee
Producer: Jacob Baum

Courtesy of Jeremy's parents
 

Fairy stories from around the world, tell of pixies, elves, fairies and other kinds of wee folk who spend their time singing and dancing. Some scientists now think that these stories are based on real life people -– people with a rare genetic disorder called Williams Syndrome. They have small bodies and elfin features and they LOVE MUSIC. Many of them are even good musicians, although they struggle with many aspects of everyday life. By studying the syndrome, researchers are finding out more about how the human brain works. Rhitu Chatterjee went to meet Jeremy. He is a drummer with Williams Syndrome.
 

Inset: Jeremy, a drummer with Williams Syndrome, started playing around on the piano when he was two years old.

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Last modified: April 15, 2007