Nathaniel Ayers is an extremely gifted musician. He also suffers from schizophrenia. As a young man he attended the prestigious Juilliard School. But he was institutionalized after a mental breakdown in his second year. After his mother’s death in 2000, he ended up on the streets.

In 2005, Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez met Ayers. He wrote several columns and eventually a book about Ayers. The two formed an unlikely friendship. Their relationship was adapted into to a Hollywood film. But you can learn the real story straight from the source.