Michael Jackson – a musician by nature or by nurture? Ex B Key and notes
| 1 prodigies | 6 whipped into | 11 resistance | 16 might have been |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 emotional torture | 7 over (= at an end) | 12 on top of | 17 may have had |
| 3 constantly | 8 practise | 13 drive | 18 could have been |
| 4 sets ……… apart | 9 bedtime | 14 siblings | 19 wholly |
| 5 reign of terror | 10 belted | 15 may not have realised | 20 genes |
In context
The singer Michael Jackson’s story is illuminating when considering musical prodigies 1. Accounts suggest that he was subjected to a cruel regime of beatings, emotional torture 2 and tyranny and that he was humiliated constantly 3 by his father. What sets Jackson’s abusive family apart 4 is that his father used his reign of terror 5 to train his children as musicians and dancers.
The Jackson Five spent all their hours outside school being whipped into 6 a top-class pop act. They were not allowed to socialise with other children, Instead, they were required to return home as soon as school was over 7 in order to practise 8 their act until bedtime 9, and they were belted 10 if they showed any resistance 11. Michael was picked out by his father for special attention, required to achieve the highest standards and to practise the most. This is probably the reason he was also the most talented.
On top of 12 his extra ability, Jackson also had more drive 13. This may have been the result of being the closest of his siblings 14 to his mother. Michael’s mother said of him he seemed different to her from the other children – special. She may not have realised 15 that treating her son as special might have been 16 part of the reason he became like that. Michael Jackson may have had 17 a higher IQ and greater musicality than his siblings, but this could have been 18 wholly 19 due to the special treatment (bad as well as good) that he received from his parents and nothing to do with genes 20.