Child Prodigy's Nine-Hour Practice Secret Revealed

A pianist's extraordinary talent was forged through a strict regimen of nine hours of daily practice, enforced by her domineering father. She recounted in her autobiography, "Forbidden Childhood," that any deviation from her musical studies resulted in chilling reprimands. At just 15 years old, she made a radical decision to abandon her burgeoning concert career. She severed ties with her father, enrolled in a psychology program at the University of California, and eloped with a fellow student. Following her divorce in 1953, she began teaching piano to support herself. This period marked the end of a decade-long hiatus from performance before she eventually returned to the stage. She later toured with the Boston Pops orchestra for four years, engaging in a spirited rivalry with conductor Arthur Fiedler, where she eventually earned equal acclaim. This experience highlighted her ability to connect with and manage an audience. However, her tenure ended after a critic favored her over Fiedler, leading to her contract not being renewed.