I don't know. What would have happened if she'd had a normal childhood and then had lots of support and teaching when she went to college and studied music then? Do you think she would have lost interest in composing, or would she just have become a well-known composer later? (I mean this as a serious question. I really don't know.) I kind of feel in these cases like I do about instrument-playing prodigies who spend their childhoods practicing instruments: the world needs musicians, but the world does not need child musicians.
But maybe she would have lost interest. On the other hand, the world doesn't really need another composer. So I guess the question is whether in the long run, she would have been happier having had a normal childhood and a less illustrious career. How will she feel about all of this when she's 30? Or maybe her parents were reacting to a passion that was so intense she would have had a miserable childhood if her interests and talents weren't developed.
This kind of thing is just very tricky for parents. (I mean, not that I know what it's like to parent an actual prodigy.) Like parenting in general, it's frequently impossible to know the best thing to do, and even after the fact it's impossible to know if you did the best thing. You don't get a do-over to try it again a different way. I think the only thing you can do is try to subtract all of your own ego from any decisions you make, or any thought about what other people will think, or any feeling that there is a rush or a race, and make sure you're always following your kid's passions rather than trying to lead them anywhere. The goal is not to maximize achievement but to end up with a maximally well-adjusted and fulfilled adult. Although for some very driven people this might mean max achievement, I guess.
Anyway, Alma's parents know her best. I don't really mean to second-guess them. It's just an interesting issue in general, what to do about kids who show talent at a young age.
