Having experienced some mothers at the Special Music School, who are obsessed with creating a Lang Lang, I think he was just a male version of what I see is somewhat common in that venue.

And I was confused because they told me dd had this talent and we were preparing for that concert when she was 7, I didn't call her names, but I crossed the line. I had to step back. And didn't Amy Chua talk about this when she was at the piano with her younger daughter trying to get her to play a piece her older sister had played at the same age? She yelled, called names, hit her hands.

It is horrible but getting from prodigy with potential to international concert tour at 14 requires a horrid parent, in my opinion, having skimmed that world and still have contact with one mother training her violin playing daughter. She has admitted that the kid doesn't have enough to be a star, but she will makes the kid practice 2-3 hours school days, at least 4 hours weekend days. And I assure you the practices are not "please, again".