A head injury made me an overnight musical prodigy

In 2006, Derek Amato was a 39-year-old corporate sales director visiting family in South Dakota when he hit his head in a diving accident. After recovering from his concussion, he found he could suddenly play the piano, despite having never played or practiced it before. Doctors diagnosed him with ‘acquired savant syndrome’ – an extremely rare condition in which ordinary people gain extraordinary skills after suffering head injuries. He tells Jo Fidgen his story.

Sarah Vallance's story also starts with an accident and a brain injury. After a disastrous horse ride in 1995, she went from being an incredibly bright PhD student in Sydney, Australia to someone who struggled with the simplest tasks - like shopping, counting money, even reading her own thesis. She told Jo Fidgen how she painstakingly managed to put the pieces of her life back together - with the help of her dogs. This interview was first broadcast in 2019.

Presenter: Jo Fidgen

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