Summary Of chapter " Musical Intelligence”

BOOK NAME: FRAMES OF MIND

THE THEORY OF MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES
HOWARD GARDNER

UNIVERSITY OF HELWAN – DBA

MOHAMED MOHAMED ABDELRAHMAN ALASRIGY
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Introduction to "Musical Intelligence" chapter’s

In "Musical Intelligence" chapter of "Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences,"

Howard Gardner discusses the nature of musical intelligence and its relationship to other
forms of intelligence. He begins by defining musical intelligence as "the capacity to perceive,
discriminate, transform, and express musical forms." Gardner notes that musical
intelligence is closely related to linguistic and logical-mathematical intelligence, as music
involves complex structures and patterns. He also points out that musical intelligence can
be found in individuals who are not necessarily musical performers, but who have a strong
sensitivity to music and an ability to create and appreciate it.

Gardner also highlights the different ways in which musical intelligence can be
demonstrated, including:

- The ability to create new musical compositions

- The ability to improvise
- The ability to recognize and remember musical patterns
- The ability to appreciate and make judgments about different styles of music
- The ability to play a musical instrument or sing.

Additionally, Gardner argues that musical intelligence is a separate and distinct form of
intelligence, and that it is not reducible to other forms of intelligence, such as linguistic or
mathematical intelligence. He notes that musical intelligence is not necessarily correlated
with other forms of intelligence, such as verbal or mathematical ability.

In the end, Gardner concludes that musical intelligence is an important aspect of human
intelligence and plays a significant role in human culture and society.

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Summary Of Musical Intelligence

1) The author starts the chapter by discussing the early emergence of musical talent and
the nature of musical intelligence. He poses the question of why musical talent emerges
so early and what the nature of this gift might be. He also mentions that a study of
musical intelligence can help understand the special flavor of music and its relation to
other forms of human intellect.
2) The author describes a hypothetical musical audition in which three preschool children
are performing. He notes that these three performances by three musical prodigies are
not necessarily arrived at by the same routes, and that musical precocity can be
exhibited as a result of involvement in a superbly designed instructional regime, by
virtue of life in a household filled with music, or despite (or as part of) a crippling
malady. He also notes that the extent to which the talent is expressed publicly will
depend upon the milieu in which one lives.
3) The author states that these early performances mark the barest beginning and that
each of these children may go on to achieve a high degree of musical competence, but it
is also possible that one or another will not realize such heights.
4) He begins by examining instances of unambiguous musical accomplishment in
adulthood, those skills most lavishly found among individuals who make their livelihood
as composers.
5) The author describes some of the core abilities that underlie musical competence in
ordinary individuals. He talks about the abilities of a relatively microscopic sort, as well
as those that involve larger passages of music.
6) The author discusses aspects of normal development, as well as the training of musical
skills in an effort to gain further purchase on the kinds of talent exhibited by the opening
trio of children.
7) The author investigates musical breakdown and touches upon the brain organization
that makes possible musical achievement.
8) The author surveys the evidence for an autonomous musical intelligence, in our own
and other cultures.
9) He concludes by considering some of the ways in which musical intelligence has and can
interact with other human intellectual competences.
10) The author starts with a quote from Hoene Wronsky "Music is the corporealization of
the intelligence that is in sound." and then describes the process of composing by Roger
Sessions, an American composer, which he sees as a revealing account of what it is like
to compose a piece of music.
11) The author states that there is consensus among composers about the naturalness of
the act of composition, but not necessarily about the source of the germinal idea.

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12) Roger Sessions emphasizes that language plays no role in the act of composition, as he
was only able to describe the source of his difficulty in composition to a friend using
words, but these words were not helpful in finding the precise pattern he was seeking.
13) Igor Stravinsky takes it a step further, stating that composing is doing, not thinking and
that it is accomplished naturally.
14) Arnold Schoenberg quotes Schopenhauer's view that the composer reveals the inmost
essence of the world through a language that their reason does not understand, but
criticizes Schopenhauer for trying to translate this language into understandable terms.
15) Schoenberg believes that it is the musical material that must be dealt with and that a
composer can't compose if given numbers instead of tones.
16) The author states that for those who do not readily compose music, these processes
have a remote air and they can identify more easily with those who perform works
written by others or are charged with interpretation.
17) Aaron Copland argues that the skills involved in listening to music have a clear link to
those involved in musical creation and that the intelligent listener must be prepared to
increase their awareness of the musical material.
18) Edward T. Cone suggests that active listening is a kind of vicarious performance and that
an adequate performance can be achieved by discovering and making clear the rhythmic
life of a composition.
19) Stravinsky states that when he composes, he expects it to be recognized for what it is
and understood by those who have followed music to where his contemporaries and he
have brought it.
20) The author concludes that there are several roles that musically inclined individuals can
assume and that there may be a hierarchy of difficulty involved in these roles, with
performing demanding more than listening.
21) There is consensus among composers about the naturalness of the act of composing
music, but disagreement about the source of the germinal idea.
22) Many composers believe that language plays no role in the act of composition and that
composing is a natural process, not one of thought or will.
23) There are various roles that musically inclined individuals can assume, such as
composing, performing, and listening to music.
24) Research shows that even those without much musical training or sensitivity can
appreciate the structure of music and have schemas or frames for hearing music.
25) The development of musical competence has been studied in Europe, but not as much
in America.
26) During infancy, normal children have the ability to sing and babble, and can imitate
prosodic patterns and tones sung by others with accuracy.

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27) Infants as young as two months are able to match the pitch, loudness, and melodic
contour of songs, and by four months can match rhythmic structure as well. Infants are
more sensitive to the properties of music than speech.
28) Researchers are moving away from only focusing on detail and ornamentation or only
overall form and instead strive for an integrated analysis of musical competence.
29) In the future, assessing musical promise may be able to draw on findings from this
integrated approach to musical competence.
30) The article discusses the pattern of growth for young musical performers. Up until the
age of 8 or 9, children proceed on the basis of sheer talent and energy, learning pieces
easily and gaining applause for their technical skill.
31) Around the age of 9, children must begin to practice seriously, which may cause a
conflict with school and friendships. This may also lead to an initial "crisis" as the child
starts to realize that other values may have to be suspended in order to pursue a
musical career.
32) In early adolescence, there is a second and more pivotal crisis as the youth must decide
if they actually want to pursue a career in music and if they are willing to sacrifice other
pleasures and possibilities for an uncertain future.
33) The article focuses on a small group of children who have been singled out by their
families and communities for their musical talent. It is unknown how this number could
be significantly increased through changes in values and training methods.
34) However, the article cites examples of high-quality musical performances in certain
cultural groups, such as the Kodaly method in Hungary and the Anangu tribe in Nigeria,
suggesting that musical achievement is not strictly a reflection of inborn ability but is
susceptible to cultural stimulation and training.
35) The article also states that music may be one area of human achievement where genetic
background plays a significant role, as music often runs in families and children with a
high genetic proclivity for hearing, remembering, and mastering music tend to excel
with slight musical stimulation.
36) The article highlights the work of the great master Suzuki in Japan, who has shown that
large numbers of individuals can learn to play musical instruments extremely well at a
young age through his training methods.
37) The author also mentions the existence of accomplished singing skill in certain cultural
groups and high-quality instrumental performances in others, suggesting that musical
achievement is not solely based on inborn ability but is susceptible to cultural
stimulation and training.
38) The author concludes by stating that further research is needed to understand the
development of musical competence and how it can be increased in a larger proportion
of the population.

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39) The author also suggests that the integration of different levels of analysis, both local
and global, is crucial in understanding and assessing musical competence.
40) The evolutionary origins of music are not well understood but some scholars believe
that it had common origins with linguistic expression and communication.
41) There is evidence of musical instruments dating back to the Stone Age and speculations
about the role of music in organizing work groups, hunting parties, and religious rites.
42) The study of ontogenesis of music in birds provides insight into the development of
human music.
43) Different species of birds have varying developmental patterns of song, with some being
restricted to a single song learned by all birds, while others have a range of songs and
dialects.
44) Birdsong development has parallels to the steps through which young children pass as
they first babble and then explore fragments from the songs of their environments.
45) Birdsong is one of the few instances of a skill that is regularly lateralized in the animal
kingdom, found in the left part of the avian nervous system.
46) Studies of bird song can provide insight into the organization of core musical
components in humans. It is unclear if there is a direct phylogenetic link between
human and bird music.
47) Birdsong serves different purposes than human song, but the mechanism by which
certain core musical components are organized may be analogous to those in humans.
More research is needed to fully understand the relationship between birdsong and
human music.
48) Unusual musical talents can provide evidence for the autonomy of musical intelligence
and autistic and intellectually disabled individuals often display extraordinary musical
abilities.
49) Examples of exceptional musical talents in young children are common, such as the
ability to remember and play hundreds of songs or recognize familiar melodies on
various instruments. The development of musical talents in children often takes around
ten years to reach mastery level.
50) In traditional cultures, individuals with prodigious memories for tunes and the ability to
elaborate on cultural norms are highly valued. The properties valued in diverse cultures
will also determine which youngsters are picked out to participate in musical training
and development.
51) The study of bird song and its representation in the nervous system may provide insight
into the mechanisms of human musical abilities.
52) The evolutionary origins of music are still mysterious, and theories about the role of
music in organizing work groups, hunting parties, and religious rites are difficult to
discredit or confirm.

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53) The study of bird song, particularly its development and representation in the nervous
system, may provide insight into human musical abilities.
54) Memory and recall are often highly valued in musical talents, with some individuals able
to remember and recall hundreds of songs or melodies.
55) Unusual musical talents can provide strong evidence for the autonomy of musical
intelligence. Some individuals with autism or intellectual disability possess extraordinary
musical abilities. These individuals may display precocious ability in the musical sphere
or have a relative island of preservation in a sea of impairments.
56) Some examples of these talents include the ability to play a piece of music in the style of
various composers, recall hundreds of tunes, or pick out familiar melodies on different
instruments. Even the most gifted young child takes about ten years to achieve mastery
of the musical realm.
57) In traditional cultures, there is less emphasis on individual performance or innovation,
and more focus on mastering the genres of the culture and elaborating upon them in
appealing ways.
58) The properties valued in different cultures determine which youngsters are picked out
to participate in musical training.
59) Individuals in preliterate cultures may have prodigious memories for tunes and can
combine portions of chants in countless ways to give pleasure and fit the circumstance.
60) Studies of musical performance in other cultures can provide insight into different
prized musical abilities.
61) Research on unusual musical talents and the examination of diverse cultural
perspectives can provide a deeper understanding of the nature of musical intelligence.
62) The author also discusses the evolutionary and neurological facets of music, noting that
while theories about the origins of music are difficult to prove, the development of bird
song offers some insight into the development of human musical abilities.
63) The author notes that there is a wide range of developmental patterns of birdsong, with
some species having a single song learned by all birds and others having a range of
songs and dialects depending on environmental stimulation.
64) The author suggests that the development of bird song bears striking similarities to the
steps through which young children pass as they first babble and then explore
fragments from the songs of their environments.
65) The author highlights that the most intriguing aspect of birdsong from the point of view
of a study of human intelligence is its representation in the nervous system, which is
regularly lateralized in the left part of the avian nervous system.
66) The author also discusses unusual musical talents, such as those displayed by individuals
with autism or idiocy savants, and notes that tales abound about young artists with
precocious abilities in the musical sphere.

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67) The author states that the retarded or autistic child may cling to music because it
represents a relative island of preservation in a sea of impairments, and also notes that
there are positive signs of isolation, where an otherwise normal child simply displays a
precocious ability in the musical sphere.
68) The author also explores different sets of prized musical capacities found in other
cultural settings, such as individuals with prodigious memories for tunes in preliterate
cultures, who are equipped with basic schemas and have the option of combining
portions of chants in countless ways.
69) The author notes that the properties valued in diverse cultures will also determine
which youngsters are picked out to participate in musical training and which will be left
to other pursuits.
70) The author suggests that the study of musical intelligence in different cultural settings
may shed light on the autonomy of musical intelligence and the relative importance of
genetic and environmental factors in the development of musical abilities.
71) The author concludes by stating that while some aspects of musical intelligence may be
unique to certain cultures, many aspects of musical intelligence are universal and are
shared across cultures.
72) The evolutionary origins of music are wrapped in mystery. Scholars suspect that
linguistic and musical expression and communication had common origins and split off
from one another several hundred thousand, or perhaps even a million, years ago.
73) There is evidence of musical instruments dating back to the Stone Age and much
presumptive evidence about the role of music in organizing work groups, hunting
parties, and religious rites.
74) In studying the ontogenesis of music, we possess at least one advantage not available in
questions concerning language. While ties between human language and other forms of
animal communication seem to be limited and controversial, there is at least one
instance in the animal kingdom whose parallels to human music are difficult to ignore.
That is bird song.
75) Much has recently been discovered about the development of song in birds. For present
purposes, the following aspects are stressed: a wide range of developmental patterns of
bird song, with some species being restricted to a single song learned by all birds, even
those that are deaf; other species feature a range of songs and dialects, depending
clearly on environmental stimulation of specifiable sorts.
76) Bird song turns out to be one of the few instances of a skill that is regularly lateralized in
the animal kingdom—in this case, in the left part of the avian nervous system. A lesion
there will destroy bird song, whereas comparable lesions in the right half of the brain
exert much less debilitating effects.

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77) The most intriguing aspect of birdsong from the point of view of a study of human
intelligence is its representation in the nervous system. It is possible to examine the
bird’s brain and to find clear indices to the nature and the richness of songs.
78) Whether there is, in fact, some direct phylogenetic link between human and bird music
proves difficult to determine. Birds are sufficiently remote from human beings to make
the wholly separate invention of avian and human auditory-oral activity more than just
an idle possibility.
79) Unusual musical talents provide one strong line of evidence for the autonomy of musical
intelligence. Its selective preservation or early appearance in otherwise unremarkable
individuals is another line.
80) The literature is filled with accounts of astonishing musical and acoustical feats carried
out by autistic youngsters and idiots’ savants with unusual musical skills.
81) A different set of prized musical capacities may be gleaned from scattered studies of
musical performance in other cultural settings. In traditional cultures, one generally
finds far less of an emphasis on the individual performance or on an innovative
departure from cultural norms, far more of a treasuring of individuals who have
mastered the genres of their culture and can elaborate upon them in appealing ways.

MOHAMED ALASRIGY - SUMMARY