Parent, Peer, Socio Economic Influences On The Development Of Child Music Prodigy Case Study Of Arthur Kam

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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Mink D.F (2013) stated that child prodigies have been portrayed as the phenomenon of
children who perform at an exceptionally high level in a particular domain or field compared
to normal performance at their age. She also stated that a child music prodigy is a child who
shows an advanced and high level of musical abilities and performance usually in their bright
childhood years. As eloquently stated by Goldsmith (2000), the term growing-up prodigy has
been used to address prodigies older than their teenage years. The standard application of
adjectives such as exceptional and extraordinary for a child music prodigy highlighted the
outside of the ordinary and standardizing ways of being.
A great contrast to other categories of non-ordinary being, such as savants and autists,
is that prodigies are understood to present a positive exception to the norm. As indicated by
David Henry Feldman (1986), a most cited definition states that a child music prodigy is a child
who performs at the level of an adult professional in some cognitively demanding field. The
age requirement turned out useful to challenge the ten-year rule of deliberate practice, which
was and remains a most common explanation of expert performance (Ericsson et al. 1993).
The optimal development of exceptional ability in any domain requires the special
coordination of resources and involvement of many individuals for it to be developed to a high
degree (Olszewski-Kubilius, Grant, & Seibert, 1994, p. 21). Research suggests that children
who are especially gifted, whether in the arts or academics, often need the substantial support
of other people in their lives in order to develop their talents and fully achieve their potential

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(e.g., Bloom, 1985; Csikszentmihalyi, Rathunde, & Whalen, 1993; Feldman, 1986; Olszewski-
Kubilius et al., 1994).
Parents, peers and socio-economics influence in the development of a child music
prodigy (Goldsmith, 2000; Feldman 1986). These factors play an essential role, particularly in
a gifted child’s early education years. As stated by Chin, C. S., & Harrington, D. M. (2007),
the musical development of musically talented teenagers had been supported by important
people in their lives. They identified a wide range of musically supportive behaviours that have
been provided by parents, peers and the socio-economic influences on the development of child
music prodigy. Being a gifted child can be joyful, but sometimes it is harrowing, too. According
to Webb J.T, Gore L & Amend E.R (2007), parents can help children know that other family
members share their abilities, concerns, and ways of viewing the world. They can also help
gifted children develop an appreciation for their family and peers. Most importantly, parents
can make their home a stimulating and safe harbour where gifted children know there are
always people like families and friends who love them, who understand their dilemmas, and
who care for them.
A versatile drummer laying down grooves and beats that drives the music to another
dimension, Arthur Kam, a 27 years old drummer from Petaling Jaya, Selangor. He discovered
his music talent at the age of 6 and started his formal music lesson at the age of 7. He then
successfully pass his Grade 8th
(Pro Zone) drum exam at the age of 11 in a record time of only
6 months and remained the highest ever since its inception in the country in 1996. He was the
first and youngest candidate to sit for this professional exam since its introduction in Malaysia.
In 2003, his achievements got him into the Malaysia Book of Records as ‘’The Youngest
Person to Complete a Professional Drum Course”. As a result of his achievements, The Royal
Commonwealth Society of Malaysia awarded him a “Certificate of Merit” and a full
scholarship to Sri Cempaka International School in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, from secondary

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school to A-Levels. He then graduated from Berklee College of Music with Bachelor’s Degree
in Contemporary Writing and Production the United States of America in 2010 and graduated
in 2014.
Arthur has built a name for himself on drums and percussion by his many public
performances and winning competitions in and outside of school. Arthur has performed with
many international artists such as Hong Kong superstar, Jacky Cheung, a world renown
Japanese saxophonist, Sadao Watanabe; from Indonesia, Harvey Malaiholo; from Singapore,
Ramli Sarip and Anita Sarawak; from Taiwan, Fong Fei Fei; from Philippines, contemporary
jazz legend, Boy Katindig, Jerico Rozales and Sarah Geronimo under renown music director,
Louie Ocampo. Among world-class drummers he had played alongside were, Teddy Campbell
(resident drummer of the ongoing American Idol show), Akira Jimbo, Billy Cobham and
Tommy Campbell. In the local scene, Arthur has performed for most of the country’s top artists
such as Siti Nurhaliza, Mawi, Jaclyn Victor, Zainal Abidin, M.Nasir, Ning Baizura, Lisa
Hanim, Dato’ Shafinaz, Camelia, Reshmonu, Adibah Noor, Vince, Aizat, Faizal Tahir, etc. He
has sessioned for many big award shows like Anugerah Juara Lagu (AJL), Anugerah Bintang
Popular Berita Harian (ABPBH), Anugerah Industri Muzik(AIM), Chinese Golden
Melody(CGM), Astro Star Quest and Astro Talent Quest(ATQ). In 2008 he was selected by the
top arranger, Ramli MS to be the drummer for the biggest reality show in the country, Akademi
Fantasia 6 which ran for 10 weeks. Later in the same year, Arthur achieved a world record. He
was acclaimed the undisputed winner of the “Undiscovered Drummer Contest 2008” (under 18
categories), organized by the Modern Drummer Magazine based in New York. Arthur beat
hundreds of drummers from all over the world to win this coveted title, thus making him the
1st Asian and the 1st drummer outside the Americas to achieve this fantastic feat. In 2009, in
the Rakan Muda Programme, Arthur was selected as a role model for the youth and for those
who aspire to take up music professionally like him.

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Arthur has been interviewed by most of the television and radio stations in the country.
Documentary films on him and his music such as “A Day in The Life Of Arthur Kam” were
aired on television programmes like Obor, Music Wave, You Ask For It, and Wira Remaja. He
has also appeared in most of the nation’s newspapers such as News Straits Time, The Star
Online and in magazines like Kidz, Seventeen, Harpers Bazaar, Malaysia Airline (MAS)
inflight magazine and Going Places as the Malaysian child music prodigy. Over the years, he
went for a concert tour with a rock star, Faizal Tahir nationwide, promoting his album,
Adrenalin, which just captured the “Best Album of the Year” award in Anugerah Muzik
Industri (AIM) on May 2010.
Arthur also performed for the Berklee Singer Showcase, Gospel Night and The Harry
Belafonte Tribute. He does many of the Berklee Recitals, plays for a General Business (GB)
Band as well as recordings for the Contemporary Writing & Production department and Music
Production & Engineering (MP&E) Projects involving students and faculties. He had the
opportunity to perform in the Berklee Commencement 2014 alongside Jimmy Page, Valerie
Simpson, Geri Allen and Thara Memory being the honorary guest. In 2014, he was on two
European Tours with Cluttered Clarity for 3 weeks all over Europe and performed at the
Montreux Jazz Festival and with Irma Seleman in Finland and St. Petersburg for the Close
Encounters Music Festival. He sessions for singer, songwriters, artists and bands from different
genres in New York, Boston, China, Malaysia and all over the world.

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1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
According to Galbraith J (2000), parents of child music prodigies were struggling to
find information and helpful resources for their gifted children. These parents know that their
gifted children are different from the others, but they don’t know where to find good
information and guidance. To whom can they talk openly about them and struggle to find
support within the school or the community. Parents of other children are seldom supportive
and may be unsympathetic. They often think that they were exaggerating their gifted child
accomplishments and putting pressure on the child to achieve. They may be jealous or resentful
upon bearing about gifted child’s accomplishment. Hence, parents of gifted children become
reluctant to discuss child-raising concerns with other parents. Apparent-children from
unsupportive families tends to give up playing at an earlier age (Sloboda &Howe, 1991). Other
than that, they may have mixed reactions to the traits of their gifted children. Their parents are
often concern about the extra scrutiny they or their children may receive, and they worry about
the gifted children feeling “different” or “out of step” because of their abilities. They also worry
about the child’s extreme sensitivity, intensity, idealism or concern with fairness, knowing that
these traits can lead to difficulties for the child later in life (Galbraith J, 2000).
Gifted children with unusually high intellectual abilities, intensities, and sensitivities
can have even more difficulties finding friends among children their age. They may prefer
playmates who are two or three years older or even prefer interacting with adults. (Webb J.T,
Gore J.L, Amend E.R 2007). Peer relationships are the issues for almost every gifted child
because his / her interests and behaviours are often unusual and different from age peers. Thus,
they may find few peers of their own age in their school or neighbourhood. Some of the
extroverted gifted children tend to be anti-social and have few issues with friends because their
nature leads them to interpersonal fantasy since everyday life seems boring. Peer problems for
some gifted children appear early. A preschooler may not relate well to his classmates. A

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school-age youngster may irritate others with his advanced vocabulary or puns. A gifted child
with a strong personality may emerge as a leader, or they may find it difficult to tolerate other
children. The child music prodigy is often being rejected by peers, dealing with bullying,
buying their friendship, ignoring social feedback, perceiving betrayal and trying to impress
rather than connect with their peers. (Moore E. K & Lowenthal M.S 2011). They might have
trouble separating what is real from what is not. They might go off in his / her own direction
instead of following instructions from other people and apparently, they might show off. Child
music prodigies are able to empathize with others and the scarcity of intellectual peers, they
often form strong attachments to only one or two friends (Baska 1989). Many seek out older
children and adults for companionship or seek to be alone (Clark 2002, Davis & Rimm 2004;
Lewis and Louis 1991). According to Galbraith J (2000), when gifted kids have social
problems, it's usually because they don't have real peers to interact with—children with similar
interests, abilities, passions, and talents, not just kids the same age. Sometimes, in an effort to
fit in, gifted kids pretend to be less smart than they are, which can lead to underachievement.
She also stated that some gifted kids find it hard to get along with children their own age.
Parent’s income, education, and emotional risks might have a short term impact on a
child’s understanding of emotion. Parents with lower household income and lower levels of
education were more likely to be more negative in their play and interactions with their
children. A parent’s level of education, occupation income, and depressive symptoms have
direct, lasting effects on her child’s social competence in early childhood. When a child is
having a hard time at home they have more difficulty following rules at school, which puts
them at a disadvantage compared to their peers. A parent’s education level was the strongest
and most direct predictor of children’s emotional understanding. Parents who completed higher
levels of education had children who were better able to identify emotions. Demographic and

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emotional risk factors associated with poverty affect children’s social and emotional
competence over time.
According to the Department of Statistics in Malaysia (2017), there are three different
income groups which are Top 20% (T20), Middle 40% (M40), and Bottom 40% (B40). (T20)
refers to the monthly average income households of RM8319 and above; (M40) refers to the
monthly average income households of RM3860 – RM8319; (B40) refers to the monthly
average income households of RM3860 to RM950, and Poverty (PGK) refers to the monthly
average income households of below RM950. Throughout the years, the level of income for
every group has increased and it’s also signs of economic growth and had a great impact on
Malaysian education. Over the years, the bar for each group’s income level has increased and
this is one of the indicators of economic growth.
The rise in the cost of living, which is not matched by wage increases, has left the
middle-income group (M40) with a decline in real wages. This group of people, with household
incomes between RM3,900 and RM8,300, now have to pay a lot more for healthcare,
education, childcare and housing. Some have also made their way into the B40 household
group. According to Khazanah Research Institute Report, the household income of the B40
group, with a household monthly income of RM3,900 and below, grew faster than the income
growth of M40 and T20 groups.
A University of California at Davis Center for Poverty Research study shows that how
a parent responds to economic stress affects her child’s social and emotional health. Parents
that respond negatively were more likely to have negative communication with their children.
Researchers found over the long term, a parent's depressive symptoms are a better predictor of
social competence than both income and education. The way how parents cope with financial
stress can have a stronger effect on children’s social and emotional development.

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1.3 PURPOSE OF STUDY
The purpose of this study is to investigate parent, peer and socio-economic influences
on the development of a child music prodigy.
1.4 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this study are:
1. To study the parental influences on the development of a child music prodigy.
2. To study the peer influences on the development of a child music prodigy.
3. To identify the socio-economic influences on the development of a child music prodigy.
1.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The research questions for this study are as follows:
1. How do parents influence the development of a child music prodigy?
2. How do peers influence the development of a child music prodigy?
3. How do socioeconomic factors influence the development of a child music prodigy?
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This research may help child music prodigies to exceed their development by having a
better environment influence and support from their parents, peers and socio-economic factors
for their future.
The findings of this study would serve as a guide for parents, peers and parent’s socio-
economics in supporting and motivating child music prodigies. The significance of the findings
will help to give the child music prodigies with the ways and means of the problems to expect
during their childhood years. These resources are given in terms from their parents, peers and

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socio-economic factors of the child music prodigy of Malaysia.
1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
There were several limitations faced by the researcher in completing this study. These
limitations are stated as follows:
1.7.1 Time Constraint
Time was the only factor that hindered this research to have more accurate and reliable
data. Due to the small amount of time allotted for this research, the researcher had to improvise
the method of acquiring data.
1.7.2 Limited Subject
Due to the nature of the research questions and the limited area of Malaysia, this
research is based on largely qualitative research methods. The participants in this research only
limited to the child music prodigy in Malaysia called Arthur Kam. Hence, the participant is
chosen during their teenager or adult age where he passes his childhood prodigiousness so that
they are able to reflect for the feedback and result for findings of this study.

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1.8 DEFINITION OF TERM
There are several key terms being used in this study. The terms are as follow:
1.8.1 Prodigy
The dictionary definition of the term Prodigy is “a child who, by about age 10, performs at the
level of a highly trained adult in a particular sphere of activity or knowledge (Encyclopedia
Britannica, 2012).
1.8.2 Child Music Prodigy
In this paper, the term Child Music Prodigy is referred to “children who show an advanced
and high level of musical abilities and performance usually in their bright childhood years”
(Mink D.F, 2013)

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CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
The purpose of this literature review is to provide the reader with a general overview of
influences on the development of a child music prodigy. Over the years, this research has
become a popular debate in many childhood music education fields. The chapter gives a
literature of heredity and genetics of a child prodigy, parents’ musicality and support received
from a parent. Next, influences and challenges from peers are presented. Moreover, the
literature of parents’ socio-economic and educational background is presented. Finally,
literature of the emotional development of child prodigies is given.
2.1 HEREDITY AND GENETICS OF A CHILD PRODIGIES
Observing the patterns of appearance and disappearance of giftedness in family trees,
genetics have noted that the extended family appears to have a sort of ‘hidden agenda’ – the
production of a genius. For genius occurs as the realization of the foreordained ‘destiny’ of a
family, its role in the greater human scheme of things. Giftedness builds up over time in a
family, broadening and deepening its roots until the tree in question presents the world with a
full-fledged genius. This idea was expressed by the Russian genetics Nikolai Dubinin and has
been confirmed by the example from the biographies of leading lights in the music world
(Dubinin and Glembotsky 1967).
A term that requires definition is genetics or significantly related to hereditary.
According to the Encyclopedia Britannica (2019), heredity is the sum of all biological
processes by which particular characteristics are transmitted from parents to their offspring.

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The concept of heredity includes two seemingly contradictory observations about organisms
— the constancy of a species from generation to generation and the variation among individuals
within a species. Constancy and variation are actually two sides of the same coin, as becomes
clear in the study of genetics. Both aspects of heredity can be explained by genes, the functional
units of heritable material that are found within all living cells.
Musical abilities have a more direct relationship with biology and genetics than the
abilities of other fields. Music appears much earlier than many other human occupations;
familiarization with and mastery of various musical forms happened and happens spontaneous,
involuntary, in a process that might be called musicalization — a process that requires no
special educational institutions. Some psychologists and part of the general public assume that
the genetics determine the subsequent development of talent and its very existence (Dowling
1988; Miller 1989; Starcheus 2003; Szabo 1999; Welch 2000)
While denoting the broad field to which most prodigy research relates, hereditary differs
from a prodigiousness through the absence of a particular age range and the significance of
cognitive, academic forms of intelligence. An inherited child music prodigy contributes one
factor that deserves distinct consideration, particularly with respect to science in that
intelligence has indirectly been shown to have strong genetic transmission. Although it is only
one of the cognitive factors involved and therefore not causally sufficient in itself, the high
degree of complexity and the breadth and quantity of scientific knowledge particularly has
required a well above average level of intelligence for creative accomplishment. Their genetic
and developmental patterns are clearly coordinated with genetic factors of intelligence and
other undefined types of capacities, developmental factors involving nurture with upbringing
very likely played an important role. (Dina Kirnarskaya 2009).
According to Francis Galton, it was in fact heredity which dictated the inequality of
ability and the resultant level of achievement. He announced that among certain human

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communities and even certain races the appearance of genius was less likely than among others
and that neither poor teaching nor poor social conditions could be blamed for this: it was simply
Mother Nature had, over hereditary baton-passing. (Pearson, K. 1914) For most of its history,
the debate over what leads to genius has been dominated by a bitter, dual argument: is it nature
or is it nurture — is genius genetically inherited, or are geniuses the products of stimulating
and supportive homes? And somehow the debate of “Are child prodigies are the result of nature
or nature” is still popular among researchers over the centuries.
2.2 THE MUSICALITY OF THE PARENTS
The psychologist has tried to predict the degree of the musicality of a child based on a
known level of musicality of the parents. As Rosamund Shuter-Dyson and Clive Gabriel noted
from their study of English schoolchildren, it could be argued that the parents who had music
lessons and kept up their playing were those who had a talent and their children had inherited
their gifts (Shuter-Dyson, R and Gabriel, C. 1981). A family’s path toward the production of
genius is connected with a significant concentration of giftedness. The greater this
concentration becomes, and the more self- evident the giftedness, the closer the family is to the
birth of a genius. (Dina Kirnarskaya 2009). All the same, methodologist for the inheritance of
musical talent are by no means limited to the multi-generational strengthening of giftedness
and its movement into and throughout extended families (Jablonski 1987). The musicality of
the family lineage of an outstanding musician is, as a rule, very broad; it includes not an only
musician himself, his parents, and other relatives of the preceding generation, but his siblings
as well. There may be some comfort in the fact that each human being figures somewhere in
an invisible ‘line of genius’; with the birth and upbringing of children, every parent brings
closer the point of appearance of the genius genetically programmed as the acme of this

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particular lineage, its yet unrevealed goal. The development of talent, granted by nature, and
the search for pairs capable of genetically strengthening that talent, comes about at the behest
of after itself – for only destiny knows in advance of a coming burst of a genius, the appearance
of a talent whose very parents have no idea they are matched to create even as they search
determinedly for one another. (Dina Kirnarskaya 2009) Generally, it could be held that the
parents playing had contributed to raising the children musical level and that parents who have
themselves had music lessons are more likely to encourage their children to learn.
2.3 SUPPORT RECEIVED FROM PARENTS
As stated by Chin, C. S., & Harrington, D. M. (2007), the musical development of
musically talented teenagers had been supported by important people in their lives. They
identified a wide range of musically supportive behaviours that had been provided by their
parents. During the early stage of music instruction, children who are provided with parental
support and encouragement that emphasize intrinsic rewards tend to persist in their music
learning. Such children possess an underlying motivation with intense concentration and
passion. Passion provides a desire, a need, or a longing that persists long after discipline or
motivation pass. In contrast, the opposite is apparent-children from unsupportive families tend
to give up playing at an earlier age (Sloboda &Howe, 1991). The idea of family support
suggested as one of the preconditions of any child’s success is also far from being faultless.
Thus, for example, the well-known musical psychologist Jane Davidson and her colleagues
state that all the parents of children who later become successful musicians were, in fact, their
charges great friends and allies from earliest childhood (Davidson et al. 1996). According to
Webb J.T, Gore L & Amend E.R (2007), the most effective guidance and problem prevention
lies with caring, knowledgeable, and supportive parents.

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The musical environment provided by music-loving parents facilitates the
establishment of musical talent. Differences among these attribution patterns are surprising but
are consistent with research that suggests that individuals often make casual attributions that
are self-serving giving a good deal of credit to their own characteristics of influence (Evans
R.J. 2000). Parents must be sensitive and skilled, tailoring the curriculum to the child’s abilities,
and serving as mentors. In early childhood it is possible to stimulate a person’s natural
giftedness; if it is a question of musical talent, then the child must be surrounded by stimulating
a musical environment that derived from their parents and families. Their musical ear and sense
of rhythm should nurture musical impressions even as they become more and more accurate
with practice. The conditions of the musical development of a child in their early years
determine the child’s musical future. According to Olszewski-Kubilius et al., (1994) parents
can play critical roles in nurturing a child’s talent. Ideally, parents would advocate for the
child’s needs at school, provide appropriate activities to supplement the child’s education in
school, and arrange opportunities to interact with peers, friends, and adults with similar
interests. Most of the parents of academically gifted children in one study reported assisting
their children to reach their potential by participating in such activities as reading together,
going on family excursions or trips, doing recreational activities, and attending performing arts
events (Hertzog & Bennett, 2004).
2.4 INFLUENCES AND CHALLENGES FROM PEERS
Peers generally are those who share an interest and have a similar skill level. Gifted
children often need different peers to meet the different athletic intellectual or emotional needs,
or they may need someone who makes them laugh at life. Because their ability and interest

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levels can vary widely due to their asynchronous development, gifted children, perhaps more
than any other group, will need a variety of peer groups.
According to Webb J.T, Gore J.L, Amend E.R 2007, other gifted children are the best
peers particularly if the other gifted children are about the same age and intellectual level and
share many of the same interest. When a gifted child finds a friend who shares her ability and
interests, the situation is exciting, although the level of energy is usually exhausting for adults
who happen to be around. The enthusiasm is palpable, and the noise level is usually quite high.
The intensity of two or three gifted children grouped together is magnified and live each other’s
enthusiasms from the gifted child point of view, it is very exciting to find a peer who can jump
from topic to topic as rapidly as they and who has new information, interests or skills to share.
Gifted children with unusually high intellectual abilities, intensities, and sensitivities
can have even more difficulties finding friends among children their age. They may prefer
playmates who are two or three years older or even prefer interacting with adults. (Webb J.T,
Gore J.L, Amend E.R 2007). Ideally, a child will find peers who will not force them to choose
between the need for affiliation and the need for achievement. The ideal peer will appreciate
both aspects of the gifted child’s being.
2.5 CHALLENGE OF ACQUAINTANCES, PEERS AND FRIENDS
Peer problems for some gifted children appear early. A preschooler may not relate well
to his classmates. A school-age youngster may irritate others with his advanced vocabulary or
puns. A gifted child with a strong personality may emerge as a leader, or they may find it
difficult to tolerate other children. The child music prodigy is often being rejected by peers,
dealing with bullying, buying their friendship, ignoring social feedback, perceiving betrayal

17
and trying to impress rather than connect with their peers. (Moore E. K & Lowenthal M.S
2011). According to Burleson, Leach, & Harrington (2005), some of the teenagers, who have
attended the “California State Summer School for the Arts” described being inspired by the
talented peers they came into contact with them. Child music prodigies are able to empathize
with others and the scarcity of intellectual peers, they often form strong attachments to only
one or two friends (Baska 1989). Whereas young children usually regard as friends the children
with whom they play the most, gifted children tend to be able to develop true reciprocal
friendships far earlier. This pattern is apparent, however, only when gifted children can find
true intellectual peers. To do this, many seek out older children and adults for companionship,
or seek to be alone (Clark 2002, Davis & Rimm 2004; Lewis and Louis 1991).
According to Galbraith J (2000), when gifted kids have social problems, it's usually
because they don't have real peers to interact with—children with similar interests, abilities,
passions, and talents, not just kids the same age. Sometimes, in an effort to fit in, gifted kids
pretend to be less smart than they are, which can lead to underachievement. She also stated that
some gifted kids find it hard to get along with children their own age. Their vocabularies are
more advanced, and their interests are more sophisticated, intense, and diverse. But they're not
social misfits. Gifted kids can form close friendships and lasting, meaningful relationships.
They may need adult help finding the right people and developing social skills.
As eloquently stated by Galbraith J (2000), parents can help contribute their help with
the process accomplished by helping your child connect with other gifted kids. Talk with your
child's teacher or the gifted program teachers at other schools. Consider Joining the National
Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) or a state organization dedicated to gifted children.
Other than that, get your child involved in activities and programs outside of schools such as
groups, clubs, and organizations where they will meet people who share their interests. Next,
look for science, art, or music classes that mix older and younger children. In addition, help

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your child find a mentor—a caring adult or teenager who will guide and encourage him. Thus,
parents may encourage and allow him to have friends of all ages—older and younger.
2.6 PARENT’S SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
Studies in the framework of the socio-cultural approach mainly centralize on the study
of social and cultural factors such as family, school, society, and other related environments
contributing to the appearance of child prodigies (Goldsmith, 1990; Howe, 1990, 1993;
Radford, 1990). The literature on achievement consistently has shown that socio-economic of
their parents is important in predicting children’s achievement (Klebanov, Brooks-Gunn, &
Duncan, 1994; Haveman & Wolfe, 1995; Smith, Brooks-Gunn, & Klebanov, 1997).
According to Klebanov et al. (1994), one of the most important characteristics of both
highly creative persons and geniuses, intense motivation to discover and create, develops from
particular kinds of family socioeconomic factors. These factors consist of the presence of at
least one influential family member, usually the parents, whose occupation was the
performance or applied equivalent of the offspring's field of scientific accomplishment. He also
eloquently states that both parent’s education and family incomes were important predictors of
the physical environment and learning experiences in the home. Likewise, Smith et al. (1997)
found that becomes. The mediation effect was stronger for maternal education than for family
income. Thus, these authors posited that education might be linked to specific achievement
behaviours in the home.
Parent’s income, education, and emotional risks all have a short term impact on a child’s
understanding of emotion. Parents with lower household income and lower levels of education
were more likely to be more negative in their play and interactions with their children. A
parent’s level of education, occupation income, and depressive symptoms have direct, lasting

19
effects on her child’s social competence in early childhood. When a child is having a hard time
at home they have more difficulty following rules at school, which puts them at a disadvantage
compared to their peers. A parent’s education level was the strongest and most direct predictor
of children’s emotional understanding. Parents who completed higher levels of education had
children who were better able to identify emotions. Demographic and emotional risk factors
associated with poverty affect children’s social and emotional competence over time.
In a study of the childhood of concert pianists, parents would do such things as buy a
grand piano instead of a car, regularly drive 80 miles to a music lesson with the right teacher,
or move the entire family in order to be in an environment with better opportunities related to
music (Sosniak, 1985). Family income has a major influence on the opportunities children
could have. It will impact the area which a child lives, the quality of food they eat, the toys
they have access to in the home and learning opportunities they experience outside the home.
A University of California at Davis Center for Poverty Research study shows that how
a parent responds to economic stress affects her child’s social and emotional health. Parents
that respond negatively were more likely to have negative communication with their children.
Researchers found over the long term, a parent's depressive symptoms are a better predictor of
social competence than both income and education. The way how parents cope with financial
stress can have a stronger effect on children’s social and emotional development.
According to Linver, Brooks-Gunn, & Kohen, Yeung, Linver, & Brooks-Gunn (2002)
family process models have examined how parent’s socio-economic status, such as the
education, occupation and income, influence the children’s achievement outcomes. There has
been less work on how factors like parental beliefs such as achievement expectations or
efficacy might function as links between socioeconomic status and achievement outcomes
(Halle, Kurtz-Costes, & Mahoney, 1997)

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2.7 EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF GIFTEDNESS
Emotional development is particularly important because it is clear that non-intellective
factors are crucial to understanding the emergence of giftedness (Tannembaum, 1983).
According to K. A. Heller, F. J. Mönks, R. Subotnik, Robert J. Sternberg (2000), the social-
emotional needs of gifted students are a byproduct of one of two possibilities. The first
possibility is that needs will exist as a function of specific individual characteristics
(endogenous) the gifted student possesses. For example, excessive perfectionism is a
personality characteristic that can influence a child’s experience of the world in a certain way.
Consequently, in this child’s experience, this personality characteristics reflect needs he or she
has. The second way social-emotional need can emerge is as a function of the child interacting
within a specific environment. This interaction of characteristics with the environment yields
exogenous needs. For example, a child who’s self-critical and who exists in a school
environment that encourages competition might experience a greater sense of self-doubt or
poor self-image due to the struggle that is associated with those personal characteristics as it in
interacts with that setting. In other settings, however, the characteristic may elicit no social-
emotional need. (K. A. Heller, F. J. Mönks, R. Subotnik, Robert J. Sternberg, 2000)
A common topic appearing in the research lore that considers the endogenous social-
emotional characteristics and needs of gifted students is that they experience uneven
development: sometimes called asynchronous development (Delsile, 1992; Silverman, 1993).
This can be seen in differences between the level of their general aptitude, or specific aptitude,
and other aspects of their development such as their physical abilities, or social and emotional
development. Many in the field believe that asynchronous development represents a need in
and of itself, regardless of the student’s environment.

21
A second often mentioned social-emotional need described in the literature emerges
from some gifted children's tendency toward perfectionism (Webb. Meckstmth & ToIan,
1982). Perfectionism is being dissatisfied with the difference between one's ideal performance
and one's perception of his or her actual performance. This characteristic is also described as
having unreasonably high expectations for one's performance. Numerous manifestations of
problems have been attributed to perfectionism, such as high levels of stress, uncompleted
projects and an unwillingness to engage in healthy risk-taking behaviours (Baker, 1996).
Another frequently discussed endogenous need for gifted children results from their tendency
for excessive self-criticism (Anderholt-Elliot, 1987). This need emerges from their pattern of
being highly critical of themselves when they fall short of accomplishing an ideal performance.
Since they may also have perfectionistic tendencies, their self-assessment will often he very
disappointing, yielding excessive self-criticism. Lastly, an often discussed characteristic of
gifted students is called multi-potentiality (Silverman, 1993). Multi-potentiality describes the
way in which many gifted students show great promise and interest in numerous areas. Being
successful in numerous areas is very difficult, and requires vast amounts of time and
commitment to each area. According to some, multi-potentiality often becomes problematic in
the social-emotional lives of gifted students because it can lead to higher levels of stress and
emotional upset.
According to Mendglio (1995), it should not be surprising to see young gifted children
being very upset by social injustices around the world. Hence, the level of emotional intensity
might appear more common to an adolescent than a child of elementary age. Understanding
that these strong reactions are an aspect of their gifted personality rather than a behavioural or
emotional disorder has implications for teachers, counsellors and parents.

22
In conclusion, based on detailed interviews with the children and their family members,
David Henry Feldman and Lynn Goldsmith concluded that the prodigy phenomenon is the
result of a lucky “coincidence” of factors, including the following: the existence of a domain
matched exceptionally well to the prodigy’s proclivities and interests, family aspects (birth
order and gender), education and preparation (informal and formal), cultural support,
recognition for achievement in the domain, access to training resources, material support from
family members, at least one parent completely committed to the prodigy’s development,
family traditions that favor the prodigy’s development, availability of the domain in the
prodigy’s geographical location, healthy social/emotional development, and historical forces,
events, and trends.

23
CHAPTER 3
METHODOLOGY
The research will utilize the qualitative method that presents the information on
research design, research sample, research instrument, data-collection procedures and data
analysis of the study. This research study is based on the influence of parent, peer and socio-
economic influences on the development of child music prodigy.
3.1 RESEARCH DESIGN
The research method employed in this study was an interview with a grown-up child
music prodigy in Malaysia, with a set of core questions prepared in four (4) sections. This
instrument consists of fifth teen (15) questions that were divided into four different sections
which are sections A, B, C and D.
Section A consists of questions regarding the subjects’ demographic information.
Section B focuses on the influences from parents influence the development of a child music
prodigy. Section C focuses on the influences from peers influence the development of a child
music prodigy. Meanwhile, section D focuses on the socio-economic factor influence the
development of a child music prodigy.
Each section is shown as follows:
i. Section A: Demographic Profile
This section consists of the demographic information of Arthur Kam which consist of
the age of he discovered musical talent, his first music lesson, his highest music qualification,
his earliest music achievement and highest music achievement as a child music prodigy.

24
ii. Section B: Parent Influences
This section consists of five (5) interview questions that focused on the first objective
which is to study the parent influence the development of a child music prodigy.
iii. Section C: Peer Influences
This section consists of three (3) interview questions related to the second objective
which is to study the peer influence the development of a child music prodigy.
iv. Section D: Socio-Economics Influences
This section consists of two (2) interview questions. This section will identify the socio-
economic factor influence the development of a child music prodigy.
3.2 SUBJECT
The sample chosen is one (1) sample person that is selected as the Malaysian child
music prodigy. The Malaysian child music prodigy is Arthur Kam, a 27 years old drummer
from Petaling Jaya, Selangor. He discovered his music talent at the age of 6 and started his
formal music lesson at the age of 7. He then successfully pass his Grade 8th
(Pro Zone) drum
exam at the age of 11 in a record time of only 6 months and remained the highest ever since its
inception in the country in 1996. He was the first and youngest candidate to sit for this
professional exam since its introduction in Malaysia. In 2003, his achievements got him into
the Malaysia Book of Records as ‘’The Youngest Person to Complete a Professional Drum
Course”. As a result of his achievements, Arthur was awarded a full scholarship to Sri Cempaka
International School in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, from secondary school to A-Levels. He then
graduated from Berklee College of Music, the United States of America in 2014.

25
3.3 RESEARCH INSTRUMENT
This study was conducted through interview with a case study due to a limited number
of a child music prodigy in Malaysia and one selected grown-up child music prodigy to able
the subject to review and reflect the result of this study.
The interview is the best method for this study to feel the need to meet face-to-face with
the subject to interact and generate ideas in a discourse that borders on mutual interest. It is an
interaction in which oral questions are posed by the researcher to elicit an oral response from
the participant. Specifically, with research interviews, the researcher identifies a potential
source of information and structure the interaction in a manner that brings out relevant
information from the participant. The creation of a cordial atmosphere is therefore vital to the
success of such an interaction.
The study also used an interview as in history, stories and life stories from the
participant. The social science technique where the participant directly or indirectly shares
about his life, surrounding, environment, education, work, social status, religion, believes,
history and personal social factors related to his life. The researcher also triangulates these
versions to have a clear idea of the indicators that have been observed. Childhood, adolescence,
and adultness stories, background and references are also used for this study.
An in-depth interview takes place to studied population (individually or in groups) so
that it freely expresses any idea, feelings and motivations about the topic being studied (Oxman
C.1998:9). It also establishes a relationship among participant.
3.4 DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURE
The administration of the interview question is conducted by the researcher, whereby
the subject is guided through the interview. This was to ensure that all sections in the question
were clearly understood. The interview was conducted by the researcher with direct or indirect

26
interaction with individuals on a one to one basis. The interview session was recorded with
permission from the participants. Participants will be given a brief introduction before they
proceed to answer the questions. This process is to ensure that the participants understand how
to answer the interview questions.
To study the participant background, the researcher has gained information from a
newspaper, article, magazine, diaries, PC, cellphone, software, social media such as Facebook,
Whatsapp, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube channel, e-mails, and any written material that exists
related to this individual. The researcher also considers the autobiographies written by the
participant in question-related to the unit of observation. The participant also tells from life or
life story with narrations done by the person talking about his own life or two individual talking
about this very own person narrating what they know or remember, as well as a discussion
about a topic where the unit of observation is involved.
3.5 DATA ANALYSIS
This study is to analyze the data through the interview and the result will be concluded
based on the responses. This is to investigate the influences from parent, peer and socio-
economic influences on the development of a child music prodigy.

27
CHAPTER 4
FINDINGS
The findings and the results of the analysis will be provided in this chapter. The purpose of
this study was to investigate the parent, peer and socio-economic influences on the
development of a child music prodigy. Data were collected from a total of one participant who
was selected as a child music prodigy of Malaysia for this research project.
The four (4) sections in these findings are described by Sections A, B, C and D. Section A
consists of questions regarding the subjects’ demographic information. Section B focuses on
the parent influences on the development of a child music prodigy. Section C focuses on peer
influences on the development of a child music prodigy. Meanwhile, section D focuses on the
socio-economic factor influences on the development of a child music prodigy.
RESULT OF THE INTERVIEW
4.1 A: Demographic Profile
Section A, a total of five (5) interview questions were asked. Question three (3) is an
open-ended question and required the participants to tick the answer.
1) How old were you when you discovered your music talent? And how did you
discover your musical talent?
The participant responded that he discovered his music talent at the age of 6. He
accidentally discovered his talent by watching his family rehearsing and play the piano and

28
guitar for their friend’s wedding at their house a few times a week. Apparently, they park their
instruments at his house and he started to play and practising quietly when the drummer was
absent without anyone knowing until everyone realised that the drum machine was not broken,
but it was actually him been playing the drum the whole time.
2) How old were you when you receive your first music lesson? What was the music
lesson?
The participant responded that he received his first formal music lesson at the age of
seven with the guidance of Mr Shawn Kelley in the International College of Music (ICOM).
Back in those days, the participant was offered by his sister to play for her recital with the song
entitle Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple. That was the time when Mr Shawn and the
participant’s mother knew he had incredible talent at such a young age and offered him private
lessons in his house. Mr Shawn also added that the participant was very young and talented.
Without Mr Shawn telling him what to do, he picked up skills quickly. He has a lot of ideas of
his own and asked him to be on his own now and play professionally with his sister and her
band. He definitely had the talent because at that age not many can do what he could do. The
rest is history. He had no doubts that the participant could go far and become a world-class
musician. The participant’s mother took him to Ampang Hilir for one hour lesson with him
every weekend. Happily, Mr Shawn surmised that he took up the drums first and a year later
was introduced to Steve Thornton, an American percussionist who resides and also teaches in
Malaysia. It took about a year and a lot of practice before he was ready to play as a professional
at functions. After just three lessons he was already playing alongside Thornton and Sadao
Watanabe in the Philips Jazz Festival held a few years ago in Malaysia.

29
3) What is your highest music qualification?
The participant responded that his highest music qualification is Bachelor’s Degree in
Contemporary Writing and Production at Berklee College of Music, the United States of
America in 2010 and graduated in 2014.
4) What is your earliest music achievement? Please specify the age.
The participant responded, at the age of 11, he passed his Grade 8 called (ProZone)
drum exam. During that time, the Pro Zone that equivalent to a performer’s certificate with
distinction under the Rock school Examination Board, which were validated by Trinity
College, London. The participant also responded that he eventually enrolled in the Roland
Music School in Kuala Lumpur and breezed through Grade 1 to Grade 8 in six months,
achieving an impressive score of 92% in my final exam. Back then, he constantly trying to
figure out his next move and what creates a good rhythm. He tried to feel the music. The more
he practices, the more he feels confident of what he’s been doing. Even with all the practice,
this precocious talent still finds many pieces difficult to handle. By that time, he was the first
and youngest candidate to sit for this professional exam since its introduction in Malaysia. He
also managed to complete his Grade 1 to Grade 8 in a record time of only 6 months. He started
with a simple Ludwig book which had no grade. As he was about to finish the Ludwig book,
his teacher decided to jump him to Grade 3 and then to Grade 5. I had my Grade 8 exams in
July under the performance certificate. The participant was told that his score remained the
highest ever since its inception in the country in 1996. From what the participant could
remember, in 2003, he got himself into Malaysia Book of Records as ‘’the Youngest Person to
Complete a Professional Drum Course’’. The participant also received The Royal
Commonwealth Society of Malaysia that awarded him a Certificate of Merit for this
achievement. As a result of the achievements, he was awarded a full scholarship to Sri

30
Cempaka International School in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, where he went from secondary school
to A-Levels. Back then, he played other percussion instruments such as the bongos (two small
drums originated from Africa that is played sitting down, held between the knees), Conga (also
from Africa, a tall drum) and Djembe (a medium-sized African drum that is held between the
knees). The participant often gets invited to play the djembe at various events and
performances. There are very few djembe players in Malaysia and he’s one of them. There are
a lot of drummers but less professional percussionist. Some of them are too expensive to get
for gigs or are hard to get.
5) What is your highest music achievement? Please specify the age.
The participant responded that his highest music achievement is the winner of drum
competition and a famous magazine called “Modern Drummer” in 2008. The festival held
every year and probably the biggest festival of the year. They had a drum competition called
“Undiscovered Drummer”. He was acclaimed the undisputed winner of the “Undiscovered
Drummer Contest 2008” (under 18 categories), organized by the Modern Drummer Magazine
based in New York. Arthur beat hundreds of drummers from all over the world to win this
coveted title, thus making him the 1st Asian and the 1st drummer outside the Americas to
achieve this fantastic feat. They had 2 Categories of “Below 18” and “Above 18”, that openly
and receive worldwide participants from all over the world when he was just 16years old.

31
4.2 B: Parent Influences
Section B, a total of five (5) interview questions were asked. Question six (6), seven (7)
and nine (9) is an open-ended question. Question ten (10) are answered depending on the
questions that have been asked in question nine (9).
6) Are both of your parent’s musicians? Yes or no. If yes, please specify.
The participant responded that his mother plays the piano and his dad plays the guitar.
He also highlighted that they’re actually not a performer but more likely as a music teacher.
7) Is anyone from your family is a musician? If yes, please specify.
The participant responded that both of his siblings are musicians. Firstly, his older
sister, Genervie Kam, a violinist, pianist, music director and arranger. She received her formal
piano lesson at Yamaha Music School in Petaling Jaya at the age of 3. Later at the age of 12,
she managed to pass the Advanced Certificate Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music
(ABRSM). She then continues to learn and excel for her Performer's Licentiate Diploma at the
Trinity College of Music, London when she was fourteen. Later, she enrolled herself at the
International College of Music (ICOM) and received her degree in Music in Arranging, which
is validated by Westminster University, London. Also, the participant’s older brother took his
formal piano lesson at Yamaha Music School in Petaling Jaya and managed to pass the Grade
8 of Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM).
8) Do your parents support and motivate your early years of music lesson? Yes or
No.

32
The participant responded that both of his parents support and motivate his early year
of music lesson. This is because his parents went all out for him by seeking in for every class
that he goes just to make sure that they know what his practising and what he’s supposed to
practice. So, through the dedication on their side, the participants' parents definitely supported
his music lesson. His family backs me up completely. They take him to live shows and
workshops, giving him the exposure that will nurture his talent.
9) Do you believe that your parents’ support and motivation helped in your
development as a child music prodigy? And why?
The participant agreed that parents support and motivation helped him as a child music prodigy.
He also responded that parents are foundation and backbone in the house. If other musicians
don’t get support and motivation, it’s always hard. He respects people who do not have that
support but yet, they actually strive and do well in their music lesson. The participant mom
letting his son take up the drums was not as expensive compared to her sister music education,
but she prepared for the noise. She prepared for sacrifice of time and a whole load of dedication
towards her kid. It will be easy during the early stages, but as things progress, and the level of
work increases, that's where the real test begins. For example, they will want to give up at one
point in time — that's where the discipline comes in. The participant just wanted to bang it all.
He loves rhythm and he had never done it before, so he thought for once it would be good to
try playing the drums, and that started his love affair with.
10) If yes, explain in what ways does your parents influence and motivate your music
lesson.
The participant responded that his parents influence and motivate his music lesson by
showing dedication and effort to drive all the way from my house at SS1 to Ampang Hilir to

33
take a class. Their effort to seek in a class to really understand their child interest because he
was performing in such at a young age. Back in that day, the participant’s mother will follow
him to the club, and all of his shows such as Anugerah Juara Lagu (AJL), Anugerah Industri
Muzik (AIM), Anugerah Bintang Popular Berita Harian (ABPBH), dari Studio 1 and so on.
They waited for him for like 7 to 10 hours and it’s very tiring. Just being by his side and
implanting the values, not just be a good musician but also by having good values as a son.
The participant's parents have played a big part in helping him manage his time, taking time
off work to help his development. The participant father Henry, a flamenco guitarist, push him
to whatever his limits are. The participant mother believes that the child must have the gift.
Our child cannot decide at a young age, so as a parent, we need to decide for them. It won't be
sunshine all the way. In the early stages, the child may find it taxing because they may see their
friends going shopping and doing other fun things while they will have to stay home and
practice. The sacrifice is great. They may also need to be restrained from aggressive sports
because an injury can be a real setback. If our child doesn't have the talent, do not push him as
he must have some other form of talent and at the same time desire a different instrument”. The
participant mother viewed his talents as a gift from heaven. When she discovered my talents,
she went all out.
His talents (in drums and percussion) have helped him overcome his inferiority complex.
Despite the experience of sharing the stage with star artists. His path to musical excellence was
not without hitches. He was born with ear deformity. His left ear used to stick out (commonly
referred to as 'bars ears") while the auricle (external ear) of his right ear is attached to the
cochlea, leaving it with only a small hole. He underwent corrective surgery on the left ear.
However. his right ear remains uncorrected. Resulting in him 30% deaf. He used to have low
self-esteem because of his deformity. On a serious note, people recognize him with his ear like
this. He did not think the deformity would be a hindrance in a musical career. He also studied

34
percussion under percussion maestro Steve Thornton at the age of seven. The first bongos that
he used were given to him by his late grandmother. However, after his performance with Sadao
Watanabe in 2000, he received news of his grandmother's death. The participant mom said the
family had decided not to inform him of the news until the show had finished. He knew my
mother would have wanted him to play. He cried so much that he had sore eyes the next
morning. After his grandmother's death, his interest in percussion grew. He started to work
hard on playing with his bongos and remembering grandma, who aspires to be a drummer-
cum-percussionist.
4.3 C: Peer Influences
Section C, a total of three (3) interview questions were asked. Question eleven (11) is
an open-ended question. Question twelve (12) and thirteen (13) are answered depending on the
questions that have been asked in question eleven (11).
11) Do you encounter any problem with your peers during childhood? Yes or No. And
why?
The participant responded that he did not encounter any problem with his peers during
childhood. Most of his schoolmate wanted to be his friends as soon as they know that he played
the drums during a birthday party and several tv shows, Astro Disney Buzz. The participant
attended 2 different primary schools at Sekolah Kebangsaan Kampung Tunku in Standard 1
until Standard 5. During that time, he was just about picking up and starting his drum carrier.
At such an early age, playing the drum was just like another hobby and interest. Many may
wonder how a little boy can juggle my time between his passion and his studies. He tried to
make himself a timetable which fitted everything but sometimes it didn't work. When asked

35
which he would sacrifice, class or performance, if we had to make that choice, he’ll reply, he'll
leave it to his mum, brother and father to decide. But eventually, the participant moved to the
new school, Sri Cempaka International School in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur with a full
scholarship. By going to the new school, he really never encountered any of peer’s problems
and had a good relationship with his peers. He wishes to be something simple so he can get to
go to school normally and see his friends. Being too famous, he doesn't think it would be a
good thing, he doesn't get to go anywhere. Everywhere he goes, he gets mobbed by a crowd.
The participant also highlighted that he really has to maintain himself, any little thing that
happens, the whole world will know. The participants also agreed that his peers shared with
the same interest as he had never impact any of his peers' relationship problems.
12) If yes, what is the problem you may encounter with your peers? (Please tick)
Being rejected by peers
Dealing with bullying
Buying their friendship
Ignoring social feedback
Perceiving betrayal
Trying to impress rather than connect with their peers
Hard to get along with
Often form strong attachments to only one or two friends
Seek to be alone
No similar interests, abilities, passions, and talents
Others: _____________________________________
The participant responded with no answer because he never encountered any peer’s

36
problems during his childhood. He also stated that he did not agree with any of the questions
stated.
13) If yes, explain in what ways you solved and received from your parents to
encounter with peers problems.
The participant responded with no answer because he never encountered any peer’s
problems during his childhood. He also stated that he did not agree with any of the questions
stated.
4.4 D: Socio-Economics Influences
Section D, a total of two (2) interview questions were asked. Question fourteen (14)
requires the participants to tick their answer and answered in the open-ended question.
Question fifth teen (15) are answered in the open-ended question.
14) What are your parent’s monthly household income and highest qualification
of music lesson? And how does it help your development as a child music
prodigy?
Household income (Please tick):
RM950 and below (PGK)
RM950 – RM3860 (B40)
RM3860 – RM8319 (M40)
RM8319 and above (T20)
Highest Qualification (Please tick):

37
Certificate
Diploma
Bachelor’s Degree
Master’s Degree
Doctorate
The participant responded that his parent’s monthly household income is in between
RM3000 – RM8000 (M40). Back then, both of his parents would sacrifice their money and
time just to make sure he received the best music lesson during my early year of music
exposure. His parents had bought him a complete set of drum and placed in their house to make
sure he practises and complete his music certificate. Both of the participant parent’s highest
qualification is Certificate. His mom is a self-taught pianist. Meanwhile, his dad had a guitar
music lesson called Trinity LTCL Music back a few years ago. Both of them guided his music
lesson and motivate him to be a great kid and a striving musician.
15) Do you believe that your parents’ socio-economic and educational background
helps in your development as a child music prodigy? And why?
The participant responded that his parent’s socio-economic and educational background
helps his development as a child music prodigy back then. He also responded that his parents
just gave for whatever they had and put him in the front and care about. When parents love
their children, they will do whatever it takes to the life they wanted to give them even with the
little they had back then. They all out when they gave him everything he needs in his music
lesson as a child prodigy. By any means, both of his parents had an educational background
like music theory and stuff and a stable socioeconomic status to help strengthen the area of his
music lesson as a child music prodigy.

38
4.5 DISCUSSION
Research question 1: Do parents influence the development of a child music prodigy?
In the interview question, section B is based on research Question 1. There were five
(5) questions in section B. As we comprehend from question six (6) in section B, the
participant’s parents are both musicians. As Rosamund Shuter-Dyson and Clive Gabriel noted
lessons and kept up their playing were those who had the talent and their children had inherited
their gifts (Shuter-Dyson, R and Gabriel, C. 1981). According to Kirnarskaya (2009), a
family’s path toward the production of genius is connected with a significant concentration of
giftedness. The greater this concentration becomes, and the more self- evident the giftedness,
the closer the family is to the birth of gifted children.
Other than that, as comprehended from question seven (7), participant’s siblings are
also a musician that received formal music lesson send by their parents. According to Jablonski
(1987), the inheritance of musical talent is by no means limited to the multi-generational
strengthening of giftedness and its movement into and throughout extended families. As
eloquently stated by Kirnarskaya (2009), the musicality of the family lineage of an outstanding
musician is, as a rule, very broad; it includes not an only musician himself, his parents, and
other relatives of the preceding generation, but his siblings as well.
In addition, as comprehended from questions eight (8) and nine (9), participant parents
do support and motivate his early year of music lesson and he believed the motivation helps in
his development as a child music prodigy. As stated by Chin, C. S., & Harrington, D. M. (2007),
the musical development of musically talented teenagers had been supported by important
people in their lives. They identified a wide range of musically supportive behaviours that had
been provided by their parents. The idea of family support suggested as one of the preconditions
of any child’s success is also far from being faultless. Thus, for example, the well-known

39
musical psychologist Jane Davidson and her colleagues state that all the parents of children
who later become successful musicians were, in fact, their charges great friends and allies from
earliest childhood (Davidson et al. 1996).
Moreover, as comprehended from question ten (10), the participant parent influence and
motivate his music lesson by showing dedication, time spent and effort to drive him to music
class in such a long distance. According to Webb J.T, Gore L & Amend E.R (2007), parents
can help children know that other family members share their abilities, concerns, and ways of
viewing the world. They can also help gifted children develop an appreciation for their family’s
and peers. Most importantly, parents can make their home a stimulating and safe harbour where
gifted children know there are always people like families and friends who love them, who
understand their dilemmas, and who care for them. As stated by Hertzog & Bennett (2004),
parents must be sensitive and skilled, tailoring the curriculum to the child’s abilities, and
serving as mentors. In addition, the child must be surrounded by a stimulating musical
environment that derived from their parents and families. The child’s needs at school, provide
appropriate activities to supplement the child’s education in school and arrange opportunities
to interact with peers, friends, and adults with similar interests. In addition, assisting their
children to reach their potential by participating in such activities as reading together, going on
family excursions or trips, doing recreational activities, and attending performing arts events
could influence and motivate their children development.
Research question 2: Do peers influence the development of a child music prodigy?
In the interview question, section C is based on research Question 2. There are three (3)
questions in section C. As we comprehend from question eleven (11) in section C, the
participant did not encounter any problem with his peers during his childhood years. Instead,
he received a lot of friends during his primary school when he started his music career and

40
went for a tv show. In addition, he also received a full-scholarship to Sri Cempaka International
School in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur and met peers and friends that shared the same music interest
as him. As eloquently stated by Webb J.T, Gore J.L, Amend E.R (2007), other gifted children
are the best peers particularly if the other gifted children are about the same age and intellectual
level and share many of the same interest. They may prefer playmates who are two or three
years older or even prefer interacting with adults. Many seek out older children and adults for
companionship or seek to be alone (Clark 2002, Davis & Rimm 2004; Lewis and Louis 1991).
According to Galbraith J (2000), when gifted kids have social problems, it is usually because
they do not have real peers to interact with—children with similar interests, abilities, passions,
and talents.
As we comprehend from question twelve (12) and thirteen (13) in section C, the
participant does not agree with question eleven (11). Thus, participants did not answer the
question given.
Research question 3: Do socioeconomic factors influence the development of a child
music prodigy?
In the interview question, section D is based on Research Question 3. There are two (2)
questions in section D. As we comprehend from question fourteen (14), the participant parent’s
monthly household income was RM3000 – RM8000 (M40). Back then, both of his parents
would sacrifice their money and time just to make sure he received the best music lesson during
my early year of music exposure. His parents had bought him a complete set of drum and placed
in their house to make sure he practises and complete his music certificate. Both of the
participant parent’s highest qualification is Certificate. His mom is a self-taught pianist.
Meanwhile, his dad had a guitar music lesson called Trinity LTCL Music back a few years ago.

41
Both of them guided his music lesson and motivate him to be a great kid and a striving
musician.
According to the Department of Statistics in Malaysia (2017), there are three different
income groups. (T20) refers to the monthly average income households of RM8319 and above;
(M40) refers to the monthly average income households of RM3860 – RM8319; (B40) refers
to the monthly average income households of RM3860 to RM950, and Poverty (PGK) refers
to the monthly average income households of below RM950. Throughout the years, the level
of income for every group has increased and it’s also signs of economic growth. Thus, the
participant parent’s monthly household income is in the categories of M40 which refers to the
monthly average income households of RM3860 – RM8319. This shows that both of his
parents are capable to prepare him a sufficient formal music lesson with their stable income to
eventually help his development as a child music prodigy.
According to Klebanov et al. (1994), one of the most important characteristics of both
highly creative persons and geniuses, intense motivation to discover and create, develops from
particular kinds of family socioeconomic factors. These factors consist of the presence of at
least one influential family member, usually the parents, whose occupation was the
performance or applied equivalent of the offspring's field of scientific accomplishment. He also
eloquently states that both parent’s education and family incomes were important predictors of
the physical environment and learning experiences in the home. Smith et al. (1997) found that
the association of parents’ education and family income with children’s academic achievement
were mediated by the home environment. The mediation effect was stronger for maternal
education than for family income. Thus, these authors posited that education might be linked
to specific achievement behaviours in the home.
As we comprehended from question fifth teen (15) in section D, the participant does
believe that his parent’s socio-economic and educational background helps his development as

42
a child music prodigy. Studies in the framework of the socio-cultural approach mainly
centralize on the study of social and cultural factors such as family, school, society, and other
related environments contributing to the appearance of child prodigies (Goldsmith, 1990;
Howe, 1990, 1993; Radford, 1990).
The literature on achievement has consistently shown that the socio-economic status of
his parents is important in predicting children’s achievement (Klebanov, Brooks-Gunn, &
Duncan, 1994; Haveman & Wolfe, 1995; Smith, Brooks-Gunn, & Klebanov, 1997). As
eloquently stated by Linver, Brooks-Gunn, & Kohen, Yeung, Linver, & Brooks-Gunn, (2002),
family process models have examined how parenting behaviours, such as the structure of the
home environment, influence children’s achievement outcomes. Thus, a parent’s level of
education, occupation income, and depressive symptoms have direct, lasting effects on her
child’s social competence in early childhood. When a child is having a hard time at home they
have more difficulty following rules at school, which puts them at a disadvantage compared to
their peers. Parents who completed higher levels of education had children who were better
able to identify emotions.

43
CHAPTER 5
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
In this chapter, data obtained from findings are discussed and summarized. Other than
that, this chapter also presents the conclusion from this study as well as the recommendation
needed for future purposes for the related study.
5.1 SUMMARY
Generally, the purpose of this study is to (a) study the parental influences on the
development of a child music prodigy, (b) study the peer influences on the development of a
child music prodigy, and (c) identify the socio-economic influences on the development of a
child music prodigy. The result of this study concluded that parent’s support, motivation,
family music background, parent’s education and socio-economic status influence during his
development as a child music prodigy. Meanwhile, peers do not impact his development of
being a child music prodigy.
5.2 CONCLUSION
As a final point, parents, peers and socio-economics factor play an essential role,
particularly in a gifted child’s early education years. Based on the finding in this study, it was
found that the participant parents influence his development as a child music prodigy. The
respondent concluded that his parents and families music abilities have influenced his
development as a child music prodigy. As Rosamund Shuter-Dyson and Clive Gabriel noted
lessons and kept up their playing were those who had the talent and their children had inherited
their gifts (Shuter-Dyson, R and Gabriel, C. 1981). Besides, the respondent also found that his
parents' support and motivation in his early year of music lesson has left such a big impact on

44
his development as a child music prodigy. The respondent parents show endless motivation
and support by sending him to a formal music lesson, showing dedication and effort to drive
him miles from home and followed him to tv shows and performance all around the world.
According to Webb J.T, Gore L & Amend E.R (2007), parents can help children know that
other family members share their abilities, concerns, and ways of viewing the world. They can
also help gifted children develop an appreciation for their family’s and peers. Most importantly,
parents can make their home a stimulating and safe harbour where gifted children know there
are always people like families and friends who love them, who understand their dilemmas,
and who care for them.
Moreover, it was found that the participant peers did not influence his development as
a child music prodigy. The respondent concluded that he did not encounter any problem with
his peers during his childhood years. Instead, he received a lot of friends during his primary
school when he started his music career and went for a tv show. In addition, he also received a
full-scholarship to Sri Cempaka International School in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur and met peers
and friends that shared the same music interest as him. As eloquently stated by Webb J.T, Gore
J.L, Amend E.R (2007), other gifted children are the best peers particularly if the other gifted
children are about the same age and intellectual level and share many of the same interest.
In addition, it was found that the participant parents socio-economic and educational
background influence his development as a child music prodigy. Thus, the respondent found
that his parent’s monthly household income, his parent’s highest qualification and his parent’s
music lesson and abilities helps in his development as a child music prodigy. According to
Klebanov et al. (1994), one of the most important characteristics of both highly creative persons
and geniuses, intense motivation to discover and create, develops from particular kinds of
family socioeconomic factors. Smith et al. (1997) found that the association of parents’
education and family income with children’s academic achievement were mediated by the

45
home environment. The mediation effect was stronger for maternal education than for family
income. Thus, these authors posited that education might be linked to specific achievement
behaviours in the home.
In conclusion, the respondents concluded that some of the factors from a parent, peer,
and socio-economic influence the development of a child music prodigy. As a result, this study
had achieved research objective 1 and 3 which are to study the parental influences on the
development of a child music prodigy and to identify the socio-economic influences on the
development of a child music prodigy. In contrast, this study had not achieved research
objective 2 which are to study the peer influences on the development of a child music prodigy.
5.3 RECOMMENDATIONS
This research is only limited to child music prodigy of Malaysia, Arthur Kam, a 27
years old drummer. The following are the recommendations in a probable way to be more in-
depth and comprehend the parent, peer, and socio-economic influences on the development
of a child music prodigy:
1. In future research, it would be great to have a larger amount of respondents to
get a broader understanding. This would provide more comprehensive data
collected for generalization determinations.
2. Other than that, a more participant involve would be more suitable for this study
as this topic needed a clearer and further explanation towards the information
given by different background of respondents.
3. In particular, a future researcher should also consider on doing a comparison
between child music prodigy from Malaysia and other countries in order to have
various information to compare and contrast the insights from the child music

46
prodigy so there would be more studies of the influences on the development of
a child music prodigies.
4. Apart from that, future research on IQ test of a child music prodigy in Malaysia
to officially and formally categorized them as a child music prodigy.

47
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52
APPENDIX A
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Section A: Demographic Profile
This section consists of the demographic information of participant which consist of the age
of he discovered musical talent, first music lesson, highest music qualification, earliest music
achievement and highest music achievement.
1. How old were you when you discovered your music talent? And how did you discover
your musical talent?
2. How old were you when you received your first music lesson? What was the music
lesson?
3. What is your highest music qualification?
Certificate
Diploma
Bachelor’s Degree
Master’s Degree
Doctorate
Exam Board (e.g ABRSM, Trinity, Guildhall, LCM, Yamaha, etc) Grade: ___
Other: _____________________________
4. What is your earliest music achievement? Please specify the age.
5. What is your highest music achievement? Please specify the age.

53
Section B: Parent Influences
This section consists of five (5) subjective questions that focused on the first objective which
is to study the parent influence the development of a child music prodigy.
6. Are both of your parents' musicians? Yes or no. If yes, please specify.
7. Is anyone from your family is a musician? If yes, please specify. If yes, please specify.
8. Do your parents support and motivate your early years of music lesson? Yes or No.
9. Do you believe that your parents’ support and motivation helped in your development
as a child music prodigy? Why?
10. If yes, explain in what ways does your parents influence and motivate your music
lesson.
Section C: Peer Influences
This section consists of three (3) questions related to the second objective which is to
study the peer influence the development of a child music prodigy.
11. Do you encounter any problem with your peers during childhood? Yes or No. And
why?
12. If yes, what is the problem you may encounter with your peers? (Please tick)
Being rejected by peers
Dealing with bullying
Buying their friendship
Ignoring social feedback
Perceiving betrayal

54
Trying to impress rather than connect with peers
Hard to get along with
Often form strong attachments to only one or two friends
Seek to be alone
No similar interests, abilities, passions, and talents
Others: _____________________________________
13. If yes, explain in what ways you solved and received from your parents to encounter
with peers problems.
Section D: Socio-Economic Influences
This section consists of two (2) subjective questions. This section will identify the socio-
economic factor influence the development of a child music prodigy.
14. What are your parent’s monthly household income and highest qualification of music
lesson? And how does it help your development as a child music prodigy?
Household income (Please tick):
RM950 and below (PGK)
RM950 – RM3860 (B40)
RM3860 – RM8319 (M40)
RM8319 and above (T20)
Highest Qualification (Please tick):
Certificate

55
Diploma
Bachelor’s Degree
Master’s Degree
Doctorate
15. Do you believe that your parents’ socio-economic and educational background helps in
your development as a child music prodigy? Why?

56
APPENDIX B
INTERVIEW ANSWER
Section A: Demographic Profile
This section consists of the demographic information of participants which consist of the age
of he discovered musical talent, first music lesson, highest music qualification, earliest music
achievement and highest music achievement.
1) How old were you when you discovered your music talent? And how do you
discover your musical talent?
I would say, around 6 years old. During that time, it was actually by accident. So
what happened is, my parents played music. My mom plays the piano and my dad plays the
guitar. So, my mom and her friends were rehearsing for a friend’s wedding. So they park all
the equipment in my house and were rehearsed a few times a week to ready for the wedding.
As a kid, I would always watch and one day, the drummer did not turn up. So they used the
drum machine to rehearse. So I quietly went behind the drums and I was so small, so they
couldn’t see me. And I started to play the song. But when the song stopped, they finish the
song but I still continue because I didn’t know when to stop. And they actually thought that
the drum machine was spoiled. So, that was the time that my mom noticed that “Oh! He’s
been quietly playing”. So that’s when she realized that my son loves this and have something
with these big drums. Since that day, I’ve always started to go on the drums and banging on
it.

57
2) How old were you when you received your first music lesson? What was the music
lesson?
I started my formal music lesson when I was 7 years old. I met a lecturer called Mr
Shawn Kelley and Maximo Soliana, in the International College of Music (ICOM) and my
sister further her study in that college. During that time, the drum lecturer also taught private
lessons in his house. So one day, my sister asked “Arthur, why not you play for my recitals?”
So we decided and played, Smoke On The Water by Deep Purple and I self-thought on how
to play the song. Later on, my mom would send me to class depending on what the teachers
said about me. So my mom asked Mr Shawn, “If you think my son is talented, he’s gifted, I
will send him to class with you. But if you think he’s just good, I would not send him for
classes. But if you tell me, he’s phenomenal and gifted, then I’ll send him”. He then replied
“He is very young and talented. He had something in him. Without me telling him what to
do, he picked up Skills quickly. He has a lot of ideas of his own. I have asked him to be on
his own now and play professionally with his sister and her band. He can play very well
already. Arthur definitely had the talent because at that age not many can do what he could
do. The rest is history.” he said. He had no doubts that I could go far and become a world-
class musician. Later, Mr Shawn accepted my music lesson, and my mom took me to Ampang
Hilir for one hour lesson with him every weekend. Happily, Kelly surmised that I took up the
drums first and a year later was introduced to Steve Thornton, an American percussionist
who resides and also teaches in Malaysia. It took about a year and a lot of practice before I
was ready to play as a professional at functions. After just three lessons I was already playing
alongside Thornton and Sadao Watanabe in the Philips Jazz Festival held a few years ago
in Malaysia. It was difficult to learn the techniques at first but eventually, as you get used to
it, it will be easy.

58
3) What is your highest music qualification?
Bachelor’s Degree in Contemporary Writing and Production at Berklee College of
Music, the United States of America in 2010 and graduated in 2014.
4) What is your earliest music achievement? Please specify the age.
At the age of 11, I passed my Grade 8 called (Pro Zone) drum exam. During that time,
the Pro Zone equivalent to a performer’s certificate with distinction under the Rockschool
Examination Board, that was validated by Trinity College, London. I eventually enrolled last
year in the Roland Music School in Kuala Lumpur and breezed through Grade 1 to Grade
8 in six months, achieving an impressive score of 92% in my final exam. Back then, I'm
constantly trying to figure out my next move and what creates a good rhythm. I try to feel
the music. The more you practice, the more you feel confident in what you are doing. Even
with all the practice, this precocious talent still finds many pieces difficult to handle. By that
time, I was the first and youngest candidate to sit for this professional exam since its
introduction in Malaysia. I also managed to complete my Grade 1 to Grade 8 in a record
time of only 6 months. I started with a simple Ludwig book which had no grade. As I was
about to finish the Ludwig book, my teacher decided to jump me to Grade 3 and then to
Grade 5. I had my Grade 8 exams in July under the performance certificate. I was told that
my score remained the highest ever since its inception in the country in 1996. From what I
could remember, in 2003, I got myself into Malaysia Book of Records as ‘’The Youngest
Person to Complete a Professional Drum Course’’. I also received The Royal
Commonwealth Society of Malaysia that awarded me a Certificate of Merit for this
achievement. As a result of the achievements, I was awarded a full scholarship to Sri
Cempaka International School in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, where I went from secondary
school to A-Levels. Back then, I played other percussion instruments such as the bongos

59
(two small drums originated from Africa that is played sitting down, held between the knees),
Conga (also from Africa, a tall drum) and Djembe (a medium-sized African drum that is
held between the knees). I often get invited to play the djembe at various events and
performances. "There are very few djembe players in Malaysia and I'm one of them. There
are a lot of drummers but percussionist... they're very little and also very few who are up
there (professionally). Some of them are too expensive to get for gigs or are hard to get. So
I guess I'm the only kid.
5) What is your highest music achievement? Please specify the age.
Back in 2008, there was this drum competition and a famous magazine called “Modern
Drummer”. The festival was held every year and probably the biggest festival of the year.
They had a drum competition called “Undiscovered Drummer”. I was acclaimed as the
undisputed winner of the “Undiscovered Drummer Contest 2008” (under 18 categories),
organized by the Modern Drummer Magazine based in New York. I beat hundreds of
drummers from all over the world to win this coveted title, thus making me the 1st Asian and
the 1st drummer outside the Americas to achieve this fantastic feat. They had 2 Categories
of “Below 18” and “Above 18”, that openly and receive worldwide participants from all over
the world. I was about 16 years old at that time as a winner and I would say that pretty kind
of biggest achievement.
Section B: Parent Influences
This section consists of five (5) subjective questions that focused on the first objective which
is to study the parent influence the development of a child music prodigy.

Parent, Peer, Socio Economic Influences On The Development Of Child Music Prodigy Case Study Of Arthur Kam

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