Born in December 2015, two-year-old Matt Karaberidis from Port Lincoln in South Australia has become the new internet sensation as he claims the honour of being the youngest and most talented self-taught drummer in the world.
According to Matt’s parents, Con and Annie Karaberidis, their little boy was just 18 months old when he started banging on everything in sight, and unlike most toddlers of his age, his skills seemed far superior and removed from the usual ‘noise’ that most young children make when attempting to create music.
“Matt’s fascination with making sounds started way too early. He just loved to sit on the floor for hours on end and use kitchen utensils, pots and pans to make music before he could even properly articulate his words to us,” his mother Annie told Neos Kosmos.
Recognising their son’s talent and having noticed his natural ability to keep a beat around the house, they decided to buy him a toy drum set for his birthday last December.
“The toy lasted all of three weeks before it was completely destroyed,” says Annie who originates from Croatia, while her husband Con comes from the Greek island of Chios and Kavala in the country’s north.
“Matt was using his drum kit all the time, therefore, we decided to buy him his own proper drum set in January.
“Initially, he couldn’t even reach the bass drum pedal, but he gradually managed to get past the physical constraints and learnt to sit on the edge of the seat so that he could reach the pedal.”
Since then she says that not a day has gone by that they haven’t heard him play.
Although everyone who comes across Matt’s abilities in Australia, the USA and Europe seems to be blown away by his drumming ability, the Karaberidis family has decided to look into signing the two-year-old up for some proper drum lessons in the near future so that he doesn’t injure his little fingers from the drumstick vibrations.
“Matt is an energetic and enthusiastic little boy that loves being active, but he is still only two years of age, so although music seems to play an integral role in his short life and upbringing, we want to ensure the novelty doesn’t wear off in the next few months,” says the mother of three.
“We are also very wary that he doesn’t injure himself whilst playing.”
If Matt continues to show the same passion and his enthusiasm doesn’t fade as time progresses, Annie says they will be encouraging their son to take up proper drum lessons.
“In the meantime, we are just incredibly proud to watch our little boy play and have fun and we can’t be anything but inspired by his ability to focus, his passion and the determination he displays at such a young age,” she said.