A Prodigy Who Shares Her Gift to Help Others

Brianna Kahane sounds like your typical second grader - that is, until you put a violin in her hands.

Brianna picked up her first violin when she was 3. And she's played nearly every day since.

"What do you like about playing the violin?" asked CBS News correspondent Kelly Cobiella.

"It's like a signing voice to me and I love it because it makes me happy and it makes other people listening to me feel really happy, too," Brianna said.

But this isn't a story about another child prodigy. It's a story about a girl with a gift for giving.

Brianna has played for pop star Jordin Sparks to raise money for Miami Children's Hospital. In the past year, this 8-year-old has performed at nearly a dozen charity events from Florida to Nevada, helping to raise more than $5 million.

"She said before she thinks music comes from the soul and it can make the world a better place," said Brianna's mother. "And she really believes that."

So when Brianna learned the massive earthquake in Haiti brought down a music school, and crushed Romel Joseph, a violinist just like her, she wanted to help.

"I was so sad that he got so hurt and that his beautiful music school actually collapsed on him," Brianna said. "For 18 hours he was stuck in there."

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Brianna Kahane Charitable Foundation

Brianna wrote letters to famous violinists, asking for money to rebuild the school and instruments to fill it. And she made the first donation herself, handing over her old violin.

"I want to bring music back to Haiti and I want to have Mr. Joseph's school rebuilt because I think all people in Haiti were smiling and they need to smile now, too," Brianna said.

A tiny star with big talent - and an even bigger heart.