The Spark: Underpinnings of Musical Talent

The musical spark that I have discussed in theoretical terms, sought through research, and personally reflected on now requires simple definition. What are the basic underpinnings of musical talent that we can recognize, “kindle,” and develop? If we take away the technical intricacies of musical training, a set of talent criteria emerge that describe how one musically “knows” and the behaviors that develop this musical “knowing.” These musical underpinnings are the ability to be keenly aware of sounds, to inwardly sense and manipulate these sounds, and to communicate them to others through personal interpretation. These are the simple basics, from kindergarten to the Van Cliburn Competition. Take away the technical trappings, and there you have it. This chapter puts ideas gathered from earlier chapters into a simplified musical talent framework that can be used as a cohesive reference for musical talent identification. Each criterion is explained, with talent indicators and procedures to trigger this recognition. The criteria that describe the basic underpinning of musical talent consist of: • Musical awareness and discrimination perceptual awareness of sound rhythmic sense sense of pitch • Creative Interpretation metaperception • Dynamic of performance • Motivation and commitment To support active use of this chapter as a way to recognize musical talent, Sparkler Activities that highlight each talent criterion are offered throughout the chapter. Asterisks (*) indicate key talent behaviors, and there are follow-up activities to expand opportunities for identification. Musical “knowing” begins with the ability to listen. Musical awareness describes the perceptive sensitivity to sounds. Musical discrimination is the sensing of differences in sounds. These inherent sensory capacities are described as music aptitude by music psychologists and music intelligence by cognitive developmental psychologists. The capacity to sense musical components of rhythm, loudness, pitch, and the tonal quality of sounds may be psychometrically measured through the administration of a music aptitude test. These capacities can also be assessed through activities that focus on aural perception, rhythmic movement, and tonal memory of melodies or songs. Musical awareness and discrimination consists of three basic sensory components—the perceptual awareness of sound, a rhythmic sense, and a sense of pitch.