Musical roots run deep for child prodigy

For Shane Parde of Adams, Nebraska, playing music has come easily. The 6-year-old child prodigy wowed attendees of the Perkins County Fair recently with his amazing self-taught talent on the banjo. He also taught himself to plays the electric and acoustic guitar, and he can also play the drums.

For many people, Shane’s natural abilities are incredible. However, for his family, his gifts aren’t too much of a surprise, because musical roots run deep in his family tree.

A heritage of music

The son of Jeff and Laura (Wright) Parde of Adams, Shane is the grandson of Bill and Carolyn Wright of Grant, Nebraska, great-grandson of Harold and Verlene Wright and Bud and Vivian Todd, all from Imperial, Nebraska, and great-great-grandson of William and Elva Akers-Wright from Wauneta, Nebraska. Bill, Elva and Harold, along with Shane’s great-great-uncle Loran and aunt Sherry and uncle Randy, are all musically inclined, according to Shane’s mom.

The early love of music

Laura said Shane has enjoyed music from an early age.

“I tell people we could always keep track of Shane because he was, and still is, always humming,” she said. “Also, if music was playing, he would be moving, whether it was just his fingers moving to a beat or all-out dancing.”

Laura said when Shane was a baby, the only way his parents could get him to quit crying was to play a song by Charley Pride called “Roll on Mississippi.” “He would listen to it so intently,” Laura said.

Right before Shane was born, his dad, Jeff, who had never played an instrument but has always loved music, decided to buy a banjo and taught himself some of the basics, Laura said. “Shane always wanted to play his dad’s banjo, even as a baby,” she said.

When Shane turned 4, Santa brought him his own smaller banjo, and his natural music abilities just took off, she said.

“His Grandpa Wright and Aunt Sherry have given him many pointers, but he pretty much has taught himself how to play,” Laura said.

Shane tunes his own instruments by ear, and plays by ear, which at this early age has helped, since he can’t read yet, Laura said.

“One day on our way to school, Shane was in kindergarten, we were listening to a song, and he told me what key they were playing it in. I was like ‘oh, ok’, but as soon as I got home I had to look it up, and he was right,” she said.

Shane also decided to play for his kindergarten’s talent show.

“His plan was to play a song he had made up, but at that age, things change pretty quickly,” Laura said. “What he made up on the spot turned out to be something completely different.”

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