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S37E1: Roberta Flack | Clip

Roberta Flack was a child piano prodigy

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Growing up, Roberta Flack was known as a musical prodigy who “could play anything” on the piano. She grew up in the church, where her mother was an organist, and started studying classical piano repertoire at just nine years old.

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(tranquil music) - [Roberta] I was very popular because I could play anything.

- [Interviewer] On the piano? - [Roberta] On the piano.

(tranquil music) My mother was a church organist and I did grow up in the church.

Being a little girl and being in such awe of my mother's ability to play the organ and make such beautiful sounds, which I did not understand, but which I loved.

And then it seemed like it was only a matter of a little, tiny bit of time and I was sitting on the organ bench myself.

(tranquil music) I started studying classical piano repertoire when I was about nine years old.

But we had a sort of high form of church liturgy.

And the music that I grew up playing was, you know, the Handel Messiah and the Bach Christmas Oratorio, and parts of the Mozart Requiems.

I mean, that's what I grew up hearing.

All of these beautiful, beautiful melodies that were available when I was like nine and 10 and 11.

♪ In a full moon and empty arms ♪ ♪ Da Dee Da Dee Dee Dee ♪ Chopin Nocturnes and Preludes and, oh my goodness, I just would just sit and cry silently when I played Chopin.

(dramatic classical music) When I played, that was when I felt the presence of God and I felt very grown up.

That stayed with me for a long, long time.

But my mother used to look at me and shake her head because she didn't understand my mind, you know?

I've always been, in my family, considered sort of different.