Thirteen musicians from diverse cultures, time periods, and stations in life are presented here as examples of what gifted and determined young people have achieved in their artistic careers before they turned 25 years old. Students will be inspired as they read the life stories of these musicians, who often had to overcome such obstacles as poverty and racism in order to create and to share their works. Teachers and librarians looking for biographies of truly gifted young people for their students will find an inspiring collection of both classical composers and modern-day talentssome for which little information has been published previously.

Students will meet such individuals as Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart, the classical giants who practiced and composed for hours each day in their early childhood to create the standards of perfection in music to which all composers aspire, as well as people like Ray Charles, who overcame blindness and severe poverty to become a best-selling singer and songwriter, and such popular performers as Charlotte Church and Midori. Entries have been carefully selected to represent men and women of various backgrounds, nationalities and talents to provide a well-rounded sampling. Each entry concludes with a bibliography of resources for students who wish to explore the subject further.