Man, 40, suffers concussion after diving into shallow pool

In 2006, Derek Amato suffered a violent head injury after he dived into the shallow end of a swimming pool. He lost his memory,  35 percent hearing loss in one ear and headaches. But he grew an extraordinary musical talent. Amato found out that he could all of a sudden play piano -- and he could do it well.

Amato writes in a blog post, ” As I close my eyes, I found these black and white structures moving from left to right, which in fact would represents a fluid and continuous stream of musical notation in my mind. My fingers started to play the piano keys as if I had done it all of my life. I can't explain the feeling of wonder that overpowered my entire being, although I can tell you the appearance on my friend's face were enough to put us both in tears."

Dr. Darold Treffert from University of Wisconsin School of Medicine identified that he is in a condition of "acquired savant syndrome" -- a condition where a mental impairment results in superhuman skills, according to Popular Science.

And so, the 39-year-old sales trainer from Denver decided to drastically change his life and became a professional pianist.

Video Via TED TALK

This past August, Amato told his story in a TED Talk. When asked what he would do if he suddenly lost his musical gift, he said that he would still be equally grateful for the experience.

"I've had seven years [with this syndrome]. Not too many people get to see this much life in seven years. I've been pretty lucky," he told HuffPost Live. "Hey, if it goes away, I've had seven beautiful years to enjoy it."

Amato is a father of three. He lives in Colorado and, when he’s not making music, he enjoys fly fishing and philanthropy.

References:
WHEN BRAIN DAMAGE UNLOCKS THE GENIUS WITHIN
Man, 40, suffers concussion after diving into shallow pool