'He's the most talented musician I've ever encountered as a student'
Not everyone will get in. You can bet Nick Baker will.
When your professor says things about you like: "He's the most talented musician I've encountered as a student ever," then you know your chances are good.
Nick Baker is a savant. Some call him a genius. The 25-year-old can listen to a piece once, like a Mozart concerto, and he can play it back perfectly. Nick hears the orchestra in his head, and he would play all the parts if it was humanly possible.
"He has only the limitation of his 10 fingers, his mind is able to hear all the parts," says Prof. Spitz.
Nick has been blind since birth, and talented forever. Just ask his mom
"Six months old. He would start to play and pick out tunes," says Kathy Passage.
They didn't know it then, but Nick has a form of autism that gives him extraordinary musical abilities.
"My mind is like a complete computer chip. It's like I pull data files or sound or memory out of, like my own brain," Nick says.
And there's no measuring what's in his heart. He gets choked up thinking about the day Marvin Gaye was killed.
"Ever since I was three years old I can remember, I can remember the death of him during the month of April," says Nick holding back tears "God, I was completely saddened. I never thought I'd lose such a great legend of Motown."
There was never any doubt Nick Baker would make the cut. He'll be taking Professor Spitz' Music 144 class this fall. A class I suspect Nick could teach.
For more information about Nick and his music, you can go to www.nickbakermusic.com.
Nick has recorded two CDs and he's working on his third. And he keeps busy playing piano at the South Snohomish County Senior Center in Edmonds almost every Friday.