Concussions Give High School Athlete Musical Gift He Never Had Before

If you asked Lachlan Connors' mother about his musical talent growing up, she would say he had none. But music is all the Denver teen who once dreamt of being a professional lacrosse player thinks about these days.

Lachlan Connors might have lost the ability to play contact sports, but he gained an impressive -- previously unknown -- musical talent. (Image source: KCNC-TV)

“I would say ‘Can’t you hear what’s next?’ with something like ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’ or ‘Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star’ and he’d say ‘No,'" Connors' mother Elsie Hamilton told KCNC-TV.

So what changed? A major head injury several years ago.

“I fell backwards and hit the back of my head on the ground,” Connors told the local news station of the event that happened in the sixth grade while he was playing his favored sport. “I remember getting up and feeling really dazed. I didn’t really understand something bad had happened.”

After getting the green light to play again, only to receive about two more big blows to the head, issues started to become apparent. KCNC reported that Connors began to have seizures and hallucinations.

No more sports for the now Kent Denver High School junior.

But remember Connors lack of musical talent? He found he not only had some, but that he can play "roughly 10 to 13 instruments," including piano, guitar, mandolin, ukulele, and bagpipes to name a few.

Watch Connors show off his skills:

Dr. Spyridon Papadopoulos told KCNC the brain injuries, however damaging, uncovered a "talent laying latent in his brain."

The teen doesn't know how to read music but plays by ear.

“Music is the thing that gets me up in the morning," Connors told KCNC.

(H/T: Gawker)

--

[related]