EMILY BEAR TRANSCRIPT

Rockford is home to a young lady with a lot of talent. WTVO Channel 17's Christine Long
introduces us to our very own five-year-old piano prodigy. You'd never guess that the
talented musician playing these Ebony's and ivories is such a little lady. Meet Emily Baer.
She's only five years old and can play 40 songs by heart. She studies the greatest classical
piano composers but also loves to shake it up and play some jazz.

So how does someone this small create such big music? Music and, of course, the help of a
special footstool flown in from China to help her reach the pedals. Emily's mom says when
Emily was just two years old and still in diapers, she sat down at the family's piano, and
simple as that, the child prodigy began to play what she heard.

"My mom sang lullabies to me, and I fit in perfect," says Emily. "So then I would try and
show her little phrases or little parts of music, and she'd pick it up like in a second. He saw
something right away. I mean, she never sounded like a kid playing. I really think she
believed in reincarnation and old souls."

Emily formally started piano lessons at the Music Institute in Chicago about a year ago. She's
already jammed with jazz legend Ramsey Lewis. "It's gone so quickly. She eats music. She
absolutely loves it," said her mom. "When she gets her teeth into a new piece, she just
doesn't let it go till she has it amazing. Always a student to the music."

Emily's favorite piece changes from time to time. "Every new piece, that's my favorite right
now." She's beginning to learn the love song "All the Things You Are," but she'll be on to
something new very soon. It takes Emily only three days to memorize most songs and throw
out the sheet music.

And Emily is no one-talent gal. She's not only a pistol on the piano but also a competitive
figure skater and an all-around active kid. "Play tennis, play basketball, swim, she loves so
many things and she just learns things quickly. She's a little bit of a sponge and she just loves
life and loves learning. Very happy, so just bounces everywhere. She's like Tigger."

Even at such a young age, Emily says she already knows her one true lifelong love. "Do you
want to keep playing the piano?" "Yeah, and I get too old for it?" "How's 2 over if you know,
like 89?"

If you'd like to hear Emily perform live, there are a few opportunities coming up. She'll play
a 40-minute solo set on Sunday, July 1st, at Ravinia in Highland Park, just outside of Chicago.
It's an outdoor venue known for presenting world-class music. It starts at noon, and
admission is free.

But if you'd like something closer to home, she's playing here in Rockford tomorrow at the
Mendelssohn Club at 11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. For more information, go to our website,
mystateline.com.

Reporting live in the newsroom, Christine Long, WTVO Channel 17 News, Rockford.