Rex: A Musical Savant's Remarkable Strides

60 Minutes Catches Up With A Musical Savant Who's Making Great Strides Against All Odds

(CBS)  A perfect example is 14-year-old Rachel Flowers, who Stahl first met three years ago, when she and Rex worked on movement together with Pinto.

Back then, Rachel had just begun teaching herself to play the flute. Today she’s composing elaborate pieces of music for Jazz ensembles, recording every track herself.

Pinto considers Rachel "super talented."

Rachel is much higher-functioning than Rex, but still, David says, she has similar problems connecting her music with stories or feelings.

"I asked her, 'Tell me some possible lyrics.' She had no idea," he says. "Any lyrics whatsoever.' Okay, so I said, 'Let's give a story about something that made you angry.' She couldn't."

"I said, 'Okay, play me something sad.' She couldn't. And that astounded me, to see how deep these kids go. But if you just move 10 degrees to the left, how shallow. They are fonts of wisdom and you're amazed. But move a little bit left, they don't have anything to say," Pinto adds.

Asked if he thinks it's possible for him to teach Rex and the other children to imitate emotion, Pinto tells Stahl, "Yes. And I think like all things, there's a hope that imitation will lead to understanding. "

So when Pinto has Rachel play Rex’s new composition, he's trying to use the extraordinary musical bond they share to build something that does not come naturally: a simple friendship.

"It's still very hard for him to be friends. To have that deep connection," Rex's mom explains.

Cathleen hopes that music can help create a place for her son in the mainstream world, and it's already happening Rex leaves his special ed classroom every day for the school choir and band, and while he still can't fully relate to the other kids, with Rex, you never know when there's going to be a breakthrough, as Cathleen learned from David Pinto about something she'd given up on because of Rex’s continuing aversion to touching things.

"I saw this twinkle between David and his wife. And, 'What's going on?' And he said, 'Well, we were gonna keep it as a surprise for you. But Rex is reading Braille,'" Cathleen remembers. "First I didn't believe it. I said, 'I'd like to see that. Now.'"

"And at that point, you know, to see the tears in her eyes. She was deeply moved," Pinto remembers of Cathleen witnessing this breakthrough.

[bmcafee3]

How about a CD by Rex and Rachel?

[tedcab]

If you designed your "post a comment" better you wouldn''t have all these people clicking the "publish" button multiple times. When it is pushed we get a message that says in essence that our attempt to post didn''t work, so we do it again, and again and again. Hello? Is anyone there? Get your act together!

[tedcab]

The Rex Clack story is wonderful, but I was very frustrated to have Lesley Stahl''s narration drown out all of the music. We know Lesley can talk %u2014 she''s no savant %u2014 but we would love to have heard more of Rex''s playing and less of Lesley talking.

[tedcab]

The Rex Clack story is wonderful, but I was very frustrated to have Lesley Stahl''s narration drown out all of the music. We know Lesley can talk %u2014 she''s no savant %u2014 but we would love to have heard more of Rex''s playing and less of Lesley talking.

[pdabbs-2009]

Watching this amazing story brought to mind questions raised in my mind when I learned that in dogs, like English setters, when pigmentation was missing in the auditory nerve during the embryonic stage of development, the dog would be deaf. Does this cross-dimension (auditory-visual) effect have any connection to the development of musical savants among blind children?

[naomitickle]

Many of our innate abilities can be seen in the structure of the face at day one. Note how many of the autistic children''s outer edge of the ear is C shaped. This indicates the love of music. When they are cupped out, they hear sound very clearly. Put the two together, here is the musician. Rex has both of these features including the aesthetic appreciation, which is the straight underside of the eyebrow. This indicates the need for balance and harmony and has a natural feel for how things flow. Often observered in musicians and artists. I have worked with several people with various disablities, the results have been amazing and very moving.

[deweytoo]

Your reporting on Rex Clack was one of the most inspirational things I''ve ever see. What a talent and what a delightful good young man. I hope you continue to follow up on his progress.

[deweytoo]

This is one of the most inspirational pieces I''ve ever see. Keep up the good work and keep following Rex. What a marvel and talent. I''m so glad you did this piece!

[frankhartzell1]

Fantastic report, great sound, film and reporting. One ommission, you should have mentioned the story of Blind Tom, a slave boy from the 19th century whose story is nearly identical to Rex (blind, DD and able to play anything on the piano after hearing it once)
http://www.wisconsinmedicalsociety.org/savant_syndrome/savant_profiles/tom_bethune

[frankhartzell1]

Fantastic report, great sound, film and reporting. One ommission, you should have mentioned the story of Blind Tom, a slave boy from the 19th century whose story is nearly identical to Rex (blind, DD and able to play anything on the piano after hearing it once)
http://www.wisconsinmedicalsociety.org/savant_syndrome/savant_profiles/tom_bethune

[frankhartzell1]

Fantastic report, great sound, film and reporting. One ommission, you should have mentioned the story of Blind Tom, a slave boy from the 19th century whose story is nearly identical to Rex (blind, DD and able to play anything on the piano after hearing it once)
http://www.wisconsinmedicalsociety.org/savant_syndrome/savant_profiles/tom_bethune

[denoble79]

I''ve been watching 60 Minutes for as long as I can remember--from the age of 4 or 5 it was a Sunday night ritual for my father and me. I''ve been fascinated by so many of the stories you''ve done over the years, but few touch me like Lesley Stahl''s pieces with Rex. Every once in a while, that heartwarming scene (from the first piece) of Lesley and Rex at the piano playing "Do You Know the Way to San Jose" pops into my mind, and I choke up at just the thought of it. I was so glad to see you go back a third time to Rex''s story. I could watch Lesley and Rex endlessly. I absolutely despise reality TV, but following Lesley and Rex around is one reality show I could get behind! With the barrage of bad news these days, it''s such a relief to spend a few minutes thinking about the miracles in life, like Rex. His enthusiasm and talent are so incredibly moving and inspirational. Every time you guys run one of tho se pieces I end up in tears. Please keep up these reunions every few years. I want to know what happens next in Rex''s story, and I get such a kick out of seeing his interaction with Ms. Stahl. Thank you again, not only for Rex''s story, but for all the years of amazing stories you''ve brought to my life.

[ronffg]

Dear Ms. Stahl: Having just watched your piece about Rex, I would like to congratulate you on a most wonderful production. In this day and age of bad news about our crumbling economy, worldwide strife and unrest, learning about Rex was a bright and heartwarming experience. We need more pieces like this and more people like you and Rex. Thank you.

[mstegman2]

I was fascinated by the story about Rex. When he was struggling to fasten his shoes I wondered if they had ever had him try this and other physical things using music. It seems to me that if he sang a very rhythmic song while trying these physical tasks, it would make it easier for him.

[mstegman2]

I was fascinated by the story about Rex. When he was struggling to fasten his shoes I wondered if they had ever had him try this and other physical things using music. It seems to me that if he sang a very rhythmic song while trying these physical tasks, it would make it easier for him.

[jcarsmith]

Ms. Stahl, I enjoyed your program on Rex. I am an educator and it reminded me of a quote from my favourite educator, Charlotte Mason. She said, "We attempt to define a person, the most common-place person we know, but he will not submit to bounds; some unexpected beauty of nature breaks out; we find he is not what we thought, and begin to suspect that every person exceeds our power of measurement." Thank you.

[jcarsmith]

Ms. Stahl, I enjoyed your program on Rex. I am an educator and it reminded me of a quote from my favourite educator, Charlotte Mason. She said, "We attempt to define a person, the most common-place person we know, but he will not submit to bounds; some unexpected beauty of nature breaks out; we find he is not what we thought, and begin to suspect that every person exceeds our power of measurement." Thank you.

[jcarsmith]

Ms. Stahl, I enjoyed your program on Rex. I am an educator and it reminded me of a quote from my favourite educator, Charlotte Mason. She said, "We attempt to define a person, the most common-place person we know, but he will not submit to bounds; some unexpected beauty of nature breaks out; we find he is not what we thought, and begin to suspect that every person exceeds our power of measurement." Thank you.

[jcarsmith]

Ms. Stahl, I enjoyed your program on Rex. I am an educator and it reminded me of a quote from my favourite educator, Charlotte Mason. She said, "We attempt to define a person, the most common-place person we know, but he will not submit to bounds; some unexpected beauty of nature breaks out; we find he is not what we thought, and begin to suspect that every person exceeds our power of measurement." Thank you.

[jcarsmith]

Ms. Stahl, I enjoyed your program on Rex. I am an educator and it reminded me of a quote from my favourite educator, Charlotte Mason. She said, "We attempt to define a person, the most common-place person we know, but he will not submit to bounds; some unexpected beauty of nature breaks out; we find he is not what we thought, and begin to suspect that every person exceeds our power of measurement." Thank you.