Man becomes musical genius after head injury

Six years ago, Denver man Derek Amato's musical ability was limited to mediocre guitar skills.

Then he dove headfirst into the shallow end of a pool.

Amato suffered a serious concussion, some memory loss and lost 35 per cent of his hearing — and became a musical savant.

Amato sat down at a piano just days after the accident "and beautiful, fully structured, original music flowed from his hands," the NY Daily News reports.

"It just all came out," he told TODAY. "It was almost like it was just flowing with no limitations. Really."

Despite never taking lessons, he can play eight instruments.

The "musical genius" is considered one of just 30 "acquired savants" in the world, each of them having discovered incredible abilities following head trauma.

"Upon being diagnosed with acquired musical savant syndrome and Synesteshia, this condition and miraculous discovery would now make me one in seven billion, and the only medically documented case of this particular nature on the planet!" Amato wrote on his blog.

Amato now pursues music professionally.