Yo-Yo Ma on Child-Prodigy Syndrome

This was a real community. I am so glad I didn't opt for a music school.

"Often," he continues, "I meet young people getting really involved in music early. You know, the child-prodigy syndrome. Based on my own experience, I tell these kids and their parents: 'Remember that what you do between the ages of, say, 12 and 21 is creating your emotional bank account. You'll be withdrawing from that account the rest of your life, so make sure you put in stuff that really counts. If you do nothing but tour during those years, if you are center stage from concert hall to hotel to limo rides to the airport, that is what you will be withdrawing from because that is all you'll know.'" And competitions? He laughs. "Are you kidding? I lost every competition, except once when I was five. Today, I won't even be a judge. I'm against them."

http://harvardmagazine.com/2000/03/yo-yo-mas-journeys-html