Alicia's gift - Jessica Duchen

Alicia is four years old when she sits down at the family piano and plays by ear a classical piece she heard earlier that day in nursery. Her parents, a couple of slightly above average musical ability, are amazed - and increasingly stunned as Alicia grows older and they realise the extent of her talent.

How do you deal with a child like this? Do you help her to fufil her amazing potential, hectoring them to practice their scales at 6 in the morning, not letting her play sport in case she damages her hands, or go out with friends in case she's distracted? Or do you let her have a normal childhood, and run the risk of her growing up unfulfilled, and the world losing an amazing talent?

What's for sure is that Alicia's family are already showing stress fractures, and though they'll try to do the best they can, it's an impossible situation for mother, father and brother, and for Alicia herself, who doesn't seem to get a say in what goes on...