Brittany Maier A New York State of Mind

Brittany Maier’s entry into the world was a heartbreaker: Born four months prematurely and weighing only a few ounces more than a pound, she was blind and diagnosed with autism. Yet she soon began to show signs of a truly exceptional talent. Brittany is one of the world’s very few female musical savants: By the time she was five, she could play back music on the piano after just one hearing, and the youngster rapidly committed thousands of songs to memory, developed perfect pitch, and began to compose -- in a reflective, impressionistic style reminiscent of one of her musical heroes, Jim Brickman. Now 16, she shares her gift by performing across the nation and recording her her first CD, called 20/20.