‘Prodigy’ is a story of reconciling with one’s nostalgia over failed love. The artist Jude Grant performs music from his album ‘Protagony’ as he goes through his journey of tearing off the rose-colored fabric of his memories from a relationship that never was and surrendering to the reality of what it actually was: unrequited love. As the “prodigy in romance” soon discovers, there is a triumph to be had amidst the throes of disillusionment.

Jude Grant’s Statement

The idea of prodigiousness is certainly one that’s a sensitive topic to me. As a 12-year-old, I was wrapped up in a life on fashion design that was reported on by The Today Show, The New York Times, Huffington Post, etc., as well as having a reality TV show about my life in the works at one point. It was exhilarating at first, but later on, I often found that the focus of how young I was and my story of triumphing against bullies, was vastly more important than my skills in design. I left that period of my life behind feeling that my prodigiousness was more a narrative of ambitious youth than actual fact. I moved on with a more normal life for me and my family, and discovered my love for writing and producing music during that time. Not to mention, came out and fell in love hard and fast.
Ironically, I found that those feelings of uniqueness and accolade resurfaced through my reckless romances at 17 and 20. And voilà—Prodigy was born.

As is the case with my love of sound design, many of the sounds you hear in the song are reflective of physical spaces and memories. The fast panning reverb for the sounds of passing cars, the fluttering percussion for the sound of book pages or a powdered donut package flapping in the rush of wind through car windows, amped harp to sound like the lobby of a motel, and ultimately the sound of a xylophone-like song for young children.