Justin Tweito Justin Tweito's mom, Denise, was surprised when she heard him singing an unfamiliar song. When she asked him where he heard it, Justin replied, "I got it out of my head."

Denise, a high school music teacher in Irmo, sat with Justin at the piano and began to map out his song. He made corrections and told her specific chord changes. The strange thing was Justin was eight at the time. He said he wrote the tune in memory of a friend who died young, Jacob Amick.

Justin now 14 years old has learned to play piano and guitar with ease and has written more than 50 songs. He has two CDs available and more on the way.

Justin's grandmother, Alice Edwards, gave him piano lessons early but soon realized he was different from her other students. Even at an early age he played by ear and was able to understand music.

The entire Tweito family is musically inclined. Family patriarch Daniel plays guitar and works on a sound design business in his spare time.

Brother Josh, who Justin calls his inspiration and "quality gauge" is more interested in music theory. Justin says Josh's blessing on a new song is proof it is a good song.

Justin is inspired by John Williams, long time movie composer, and Han Zimmer, known for helping fuse traditional orchestral sound with electronics. Zimmer's credits include "The Last Emperor," "Rain Man," and the "Lion King."

Denise considers Justin's talent a gift from God and she wants him to enjoy it and let it take him where he is destined to go. She says her son would rather play than eat, which is significant for a 14- year- old. Justin also plays basketball and football at school and hasn't decided if music is his chosen path. He says both music and sports demand practice, dedication, and hard work.

Justin is also the youngest current member of the Musicians and Songwriters Guild of South Carolina.

For more information about Justin and other Columbia area performers, visit scsongwriters. com.