A six-year-old child from Ohio, who is blind, taught himself to play the piano by ear and now performs impressive renditions of famous songs. While most children start learning to play instruments around age five or six, typically picking out basic tunes, Avett Ray Maness stands out for his extraordinary talent.
His ability to master the piano despite being blind makes his musical prowess even more remarkable. Based in Dayton, Ohio, Avett has emerged as a prodigy on the piano at a young age.
Avett was born with a retinal condition called optic nerve fibroplasia, which resulted in total blindness in one eye and near-total blindness in the other. Despite his visual challenges, he learned to read Braille and began playing the piano remarkably early in life.
At just eleven months old, Avett started playing his first tunes on the piano, drawn to the instrument as soon as he could reach it. Even at that young age, he could independently recognize and play simple melodies like “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.”
One of Avett’s early viral moments came when he requested his mother to send his piano performances to his favorite artist, Adele. His adorable insistence on his mother texting Adele caught the attention of many, quickly spreading across the internet. Local news stations picked up on his story soon after, further amplifying his musical journey.
Sara Moore, Avett’s mother, shared with CBS News that “music is in his body.” She noted his continuous dedication to improving his musical skills, with many people enthralled by his exceptional talent and eagerly requesting his performances.
Avett has already showcased his talents to nearly 900 faculty and staff at schools in Centerville, Ohio, and he’s slated to perform at an upcoming Ronald McDonald House fundraiser in April.
In his latest viral video, the remarkably gifted Avett performs his own rendition of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” playing the piano and singing with impressive confidence. Despite his young age and visual impairment, Avett barely reaches the keys from the piano bench, yet he introduces his performance with poise before diving into the song.
Avett’s determination to pursue his passion for playing the piano is evident; he approaches the instrument with enthusiasm and skill, undeterred by his disability. His ability to play with such confidence, despite being unable to see, is truly inspiring.