Child Piano Prodigy Commits Suicide

[Homicidalheathen]

Child Prodigy, 14, Commits Suicide

Finished High School At 10, Shoots Self At 14, Organs Go To 4 People

OMAHA, Neb., March 19, 2005

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Child prodigy Brandenn Bremmer, then 11 years old, receives music instruction from Janet Landreth, music professor at Colorado State University on Jan. 18, 2002. (AP)

Quote

"We're rationalizing now."

mother Patricia Bremmer

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(AP) A musical prodigy who completed high school at age 10 apparently killed himself at 14, authorities said.

Brandenn E. Bremmer, who taught himself how to read at 18 months and began playing the piano at 3, was found dead Tuesday at his home in southwest Nebraska with a gunshot wound to the head, sheriff's officials said.

Patricia Bremmer said her son showed no signs of depression, had just finished the art for the cover of a second CD of his music, and had plans for Wednesday. She did not disclose details of how he was found.

"We're rationalizing now," she said. "He had this excessive need to help people and teach people. ... He was so connected with the spiritual world, we felt he could hear people's needs and desires and their cries. We just felt like something touched him that day and he knew he had to leave" so his organs could be donated.

She said Brandenn's kidneys went to two people, his liver to a 22-month old and his heart to an 11-year-old boy.

Brandenn had decided in December he wanted to be an anesthesiologist, his mother said. He started taking a biology class at Mid-Plains Community College in North Platte, where he had also taken courses in 2001. She said he had planned to eventually attend the University of Nebraska.

Reached at home late Friday afternoon, Perkins County Sheriff James D. Brueggeman said the investigation was ongoing and declined to comment.

David Wohl, one of Brandenn's professors at Colorado State University at Fort Collins, Colo., where he had been taking classes and lessons since age 11, said Friday he was shocked to learn of Brandenn's apparent suicide.

Wohl, who last saw Brandenn in December, recalled him as an unpretentious young man who had an easy smile. "He wasn't just talented, he was just a really nice young man," Wohl said.

Brandenn was home-schooled through high school and completed his junior and senior years in seven months. For his high school graduation photo, Brandenn darkened his hair, wore round wire-rimmed glasses, and threw on a red cape to look like one of his favorite characters — Harry Potter.

Like most kids at that age, he loved cartoons, playing video games and going swimming. But he also loved playing the piano and began taking independent study classes at CSU because he was interested in the school's music department.

[TrixieGothGirl]

When you read something like that, what CAN you say? I mean there are no words to express what's going on in your head. That is not only sad, but really tragic. I've read other articles where other young kids have done the same thing. You have to wonder if the pressure of being a child prodigy just finally got to him & he felt trapped. Look at Motzart. He too was a child prodigy & he pretty much self destructed at the age of 35. Although, it DID take him years to do it.

[Destroit]

Maybe so much pressure to be something more than your average kid? I dunno, that's why I'm so against stuff like that usually, like the mental parents that force their kids into stuff like gymnastics and beauty pagaents and stuff like that, pretty much so they can soak up all of their kid's attention and live their life through their child. I dunno, that doesn't fully sound like that was the case here, the kid was naturally very smart and talented and it's not to say his parents like forced him to do all that sort of stuff, but he probably just felt overwhelming pressure from society when really all he wanted to do was be a kid.

[jadnifer]

All I can say is I want to cry. Really.

Its just a tragic thing for a child that young to think that he has to end his life, especially when his future looked so promising.

[hunhee]

There is definitely a thin line between insanity and genius. *sighs*

[sass_in_the_pants]

I'm seriously gonna cry. That is so sad.

[Sybil]

Okay, damn that hurt!

Cant say anything but damn.

[pomba gira]

Reminds me of the Dallas Egbert case back in, what? '78- '79? He was at MSU just before I went there... I knew people there who'd known him. Really sad story, and there was a LOT that didn't get publicized, too... about just how much pressure this poor kid's parents put on him. Makes me wonder every time I hear about one of these genius kids.