Famous fan: Matt Lauer quizzed Amato about his bizarre experiences on the Today Show(dailymail.co.uk)
A man who suffered concussion after diving into a shallow pool has made a seemingly improbable discovery: it made him a musical genius.
Derek Amato, from Denver, Colorado, is just one of 30 people in the entire world suffering from Acquired Savant Syndrome, where people display profound abilities after suffering head trauma.
After years of failed jobs and homelessness, the 40-year-old is now enjoying a career in music and can play eight instruments - despite never having a lesson in his life.
He has now recounted the startling moment he felt drawn to a friend's piano after the October 2006 accident and immediately began playing.
'It was one of those moments when you just knew,' he told Matt Lauer on the Today show. 'It was just drawing me to it.'
Amato, who can not read music, explained that he knew what to play as he could see black and white squares in his head that triggered his fingers to move.
'That's my notation,' he said. 'When those black and white squares are going, that's what my hands do. I'm convinced it's all for a reason and it's my job to do it right.'
Amato, who is recording his second album, plays eight instruments he could not play before, as well as brushing up on his guitar skills, which he described as being a '2.5 out of 10' before the accident.
In October 2006, he was partying with friends when he jumped into the pool and hit his head. 'I remember the panic set in that I knew I hurt myself,' he said. 'I knew it was something bad.'
In a post for the Wisconsin Medical Society, he added: 'As I dove into the swimming pool, I remember coming up out of the water complaining that my ears were bleeding.'
'As I looked to my friends for explanation, I recall their lips moving but without sound. As I touched my ears to check for bleeding, I realised there was no blood, and I couldn't hear anything at all.'
After collapsing, Amato was rushed to hospital and diagnosed with a serious concussion. Doctors also found he had a permanent 35 percent loss of hearing, as well as memory loss.
But, Amato told the Today show, this is a small price to pay for what he can do now. 'The headaches and the loss of hearing are the price tag for this gift,' he said. 'I'd like it to stay.'
美国一名男子在一个较浅的游泳池跳水导致脑震荡，之后却意外发现这起事故使他成为了音乐天才。
来自科罗拉多州丹佛的德里克•阿马托是全球30名患有“后天性学者症候群”的人之一，这种症候群的表现是在脑部受到创伤后，展示出非凡的才能。
在数年的工作失意和无家可归之后，这位40岁的男子现在很享受自己的音乐事业，而且会弹奏八种乐器，尽管他从没接受过音乐训练。
他回忆起自己2006年10月受伤后的令人惊奇的时刻，当时他突然被朋友家中的钢琴吸引，立刻弹奏起来。
他告诉《今日秀》节目的马特-劳尔，“在那种时刻，就像我突然意识到了什么。看到钢琴，我忍不住走过去坐下弹奏。”
阿马托看不懂乐谱，他解释说他知道如何弹奏是因为他能在脑海中看到黑白琴键，而且手不自觉地跟着琴键动起来。
他说，“那就是我的乐谱。脑海中的黑白琴键如何移动，我的手就会怎样弹奏。我相信这其中一定有某种原因，而且我应该这样做。”
阿马托正在录制自己的第二张专辑。他现在会弹奏之前不会的八种乐器，而且还在温习自己的吉它演奏技巧。他描述称自己在事故前的吉它演奏水平只能打2.5分（总分10分）。
在2006年10月，阿马托到朋友家参加聚会，在游泳池跳水时头部撞到池底。他说：“我记得当时的恐慌场景，因为我把自己伤到了。我知道这很糟。”
在写给威斯康星州医学协会的文章中，他补充说，“我跳进游泳池里时，记得浮出水面后抱怨耳朵流血。”
“我想听一下朋友的解释，但我记得他的嘴唇一张一合，我却听不到任何声音。我摸了摸自己的耳朵想看一下流血情况。我意识到已经不流血了，但我什么也听不见。”
在晕倒后，阿马托被送往医院，医生诊断他患上了严重的脑震荡。医生还发现他失去了35%的听力及部分记忆。
但他告诉《今日秀》节目，这是为自己如今的音乐才能付出的小小代价。他说：“头疼和听力损失是这份特别礼物的代价。我愿意这样。”
concussion: 脑震荡