Jacob Velasquez, a five-year-old pianist from Florida, has only been practicing his craft for one year. But that's proved just long enough for the miniature musician to make waves in the child prodigy world, earning the overused but nevertheless adorable nickname "Baby Beethoven."
The tiny player caught the attention of media outlets like Good Morning America and The Daily Mail this month with his knack for learning an entire piano sonata in just a few hours. Despite the fact that Velasquez can't reach the pedals of the piano, he gave a rousing performance for the GMA crowds last weekend, wearing both a tuxedo and a permanent smile.
Little Velasquez was also recently admitted to the National Musician’s Guild after learning 10 classical music pieces... by heart. In the GMA video shown above, the tyke's mother describes how her son, previously diagnosed with high-functioning autism, revealed his ability to recognize songs by sound when he took over their household piano and performed a song played by his father one night before.
This was the first time the family realized they were living with a mini Mozart. The kid soon learned Beethoven's Sonata in just three weeks, and began absorbing songs in just one lesson with piano teacher Jaffird Sierra.
Check out more of the baby genius below and let us know your thoughts on Mr. Velasquez's talent in the comments.