Teen excels in music and fitness
Jack Rodwell plays a wide range of musical genres on the piano. • Photos Submitted
By Tom Victoria
Jack Rodwell can’t be accused of being a typical 14-year-old. He plays the piano superbly and is athletic enough to pass the United States Navy Seal Fitness Test.
The British teen demonstrates his musical ability and physical prowess on YouTube. He posted videos of himself playing a wide range of music, including ’80s hit band A-ha’s “Take on Me,” the Beatles’ “Let it Be,” Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” and “Mia and Sebastian’s Theme” from the movie homage to musicals: “La La Land.”
He described his passion.
Jack Rodwell
“What I love about music is that it has the power to amplify your emotions like if you were watching a movie and it was a sad part,” Jack said. “Without the music, you most likely wouldn’t be as sad. And if you were in the gym, you wouldn’t feel as motivated if you weren’t listening to music. It’s almost like a different language with what music has to offer. It’s so diverse: happy, sad, motivational, calming, etc. You can tell so many different stories with the range of styles you can play. Music is just such a fascinating, amazing art, which - whether you can play a musical instrument or not - is there for you to enjoy because it is really great.”
He was drawn by the piano as the method to express his artistry.
“My older brother played the guitar, so it kind of seemed right for me to play a different instrument,” Jack said. “Also, I much preferred the sound of the piano, the way the piano was laid out and the way it worked seemed easier for me to understand than all the other instruments.”
Jack improvises when he plays the keys in his free time.
“I enjoy playing,” he said. “I do that every day for long periods of the day.”
Jack has played as part of a school band and solo.
“I’ve performed a few concerts,” he said.
Roughly two years ago, Jack’s mother Naomi offered a suggestion.
“My mother said why don’t you start putting up videos,” he said.
Mom was onto something. People liked what they saw.
“You use today’s failure to do better tomorrow.”
“I kept getting more subscribers,” Jack said.
The Devon prodigy started playing the piano when he was 9.
He comes from a family with musical inclinations, including a younger sister strumming guitars and a younger brother beating drums. However, Jack stood out.
“As a family, we look to him with awe,” Naomi said. “We’re all musically inclined, but Jack was special. You can just tell what a natural gift Jack has.”
Jack works out with weights.
Jack does a pull-up.
In addition to musical talent, Jack is more than pretty fit. He took the Navy Seal test which entails numerous reps of exercises that are timed. Jack had no difficulty passing the test, including push-ups, pull-ups and laps in the pool.
“I saw other people do it,” he said. “It wasn’t hard or easy.”
Jack pointed out actual Seal training for Navy recruits would more arduous.
In a later video, Jack followed the daily regimen of pro wrestler and actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, setting the alarm for 4 a.m. The repeated physical training throughout the day didn’t bother him. The challenge was ingesting Johnson’s food intake, including the drinking of raw egg whites.
“The workouts weren’t that tough,” Jack said. “It was his meals have a lot of carbs and calories. It was hard.”
Jack swims as part of his lifeguard training.
He got into fitness the same way as music: his family.
“It’s enjoyable,” Jack said about working out. “I got more confidence doing it.”
He also is in training to be certified as a lifeguard for his region of England. The minimum age is 16. Jack is set for the physical demands of saving someone in the water, but has more education to absorb.
“There’s a bit more theory,” he said.
Jack has other interests as well.
“I’m quite into cooking,” he said.
Jack may add some food preparation to his channel.
“I would love to prepare anything I haven’t tried before, so I can expand my knowledge of cooking and cook more different types of meals,” he said about future culinary forays in the kitchen.
Jack does have one preference in meal preparation.
Jack also likes to cook.
“I don’t really mind what meals I prepare,” he said. “Obviously, the less cutting I have to do, the better, but I don’t mind to be honest.”
Despite liking to cook, Jack is not too picky as an eater.
“I love to eat a lot of stuff,” he said. “I’m not fussy with food. My mum is a really good cook and always cooks fresh meals which contain all the stuff needed for gym training as well as keeping healthy. There isn’t anything in particular I’d like to try that I haven’t before. But I do love to explore different cultures, so I am sure I will find something new I haven’t tried which I will want to eat.”
Whether performing a beautiful rendition of a melody or acing a fitness challenge, Jack said the key is to overcome any challenges that may arise. He encouraged others to not let adversity stop them from succeeding.
“It’s not the end of the world,” Jack said. “You use today’s failure to do better tomorrow.”
The link to Jack Rodwell's YouTube channel is: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrNLROBSKYpsG_xQr8aVJvw