Musical Talent Is It Genetic Or Environmental?

This is because Music is a high cortical function, thus maintenance is costly. Transmitting this energy required for immediate survival needs should have reduced the function of music in future generations of such populations. As a result, it would be expected that music is culture specific, yet on the contrary, it is enjoyed universally. Therefore music attains the status of necessity. Zahavi’s (1975, in Miller 2000)Handicap theory conceptualizes the purpose of music. The theory stresses that sexual traits usually posses a risk to survival.; suggesting music is a biological adaption for the purpose of Sexual selection(Darwin, 1871, in Patel 2010).

In their “Music Matters” pamphlet, the Arts Education Association argues that arts education improves students’ abilities in Core tested areas and brain development. It is vital for every child to be able to better themselves in addition to their mind. A new study from the National Institutes of Health Magnetic Resonance (MRI) Study of Normal Brain Development says that training in music helps children be more mature emotionally and behaviorally, in addition to refined fine motor skills (Nutt). These are the developments that all children need in order to develop healthily. Mathematical skills are learned and reinforced in musical practice, which is why band kids perform better in math than their other nonmusical peers as they age in their educational careers (Arts Education Partnership). This is important because this development is dual-purposed for two subjects and relates them both to academic improvement. Leveling the playing field in the terms of students better understanding an essential subject will also aid in their development because they will be able to understand English more. Music students also have stronger determination, leadership skills, and observation and performance abilities that future universities and employers search for in successful students and employees (Arts Education Partnership). These benefits are multi-purposed and useful in numerous aspects of a person’s academic and employment future. Should these be made available for all students in order to give them equal opportunities to prepare them for the real world, then they will most likely have the opportunity to become

For the Best of the Best, Determination Outweighs Nature and Nurture by Alina Tugend, discusses the age old question about a person’s acquisition of talent. Are people naturally talented or can talent be gained through years of practice? Tugend’s article addresses the issue on a personal level and a scientific level. As she introduces the study, she reflects on her personal skills. She describes herself as a good writer and terrible singer, but questions why that is so. Her questions leads to expert’s opinions with scientific evidence in order to find an answer to this question.

Simon Nichols theory of loose parts argues that creativity is not for the gifted, he believes that it is our education and cultural conditions that lead us to believe this .He said that ‘in any environment, both the degree of inventiveness and creativity and the possibility of discovery are directly proportional to the number of loose parts and kind of variables in it.’ You do not have to be a gifted musician to make music, the children and young people at my setting often make there own music, with pots, pans and trays or even banging small sticks on surface areas.

It is difficult to develop a valid musical aptitude test because most of the time, the measures of the aptitude are misunderstood and demands that are unrealistic, made on them. Validity should be seen as construct validity. The problem sources are in two groups. The first group uses composite validity criteria. This forms the assumption that they are not dimensional. The second one uses subject groups. The groups do not represent the distribution of the construct in whole. In order to maximize the ecological validity, composite measures must be used as the criteria for validity.

Although technique and natural talent are big factors in music performing, it is suggested that a major skill needed for a developing music performer is the ability to sight-read (Paul), which is an important factor in acquiring and expanding music literacy (Gromko). However, music literacy is a compositional ability that requires many different abilities (Gromko, Lehmann and Ericson).

Elementary schools and high schools across the U.S. have lately suffered from financial strain. Because of this, budget cuts have to be made and music programs often suffer before sports and academics. Although some people believe that music is not a key component in preparing for employment and higher education, yet several others express otherwise, who say music has been shown to stimulate other parts of a student’s mind that can help them excel. Statistics have shown that the correlation between music class and other academia is not only positive for students, but also can improve future scholastic abilities, and thus should not be cut from schools. Through the evaluation of various sources

Ericsson agrees that genetic limitations do exist, like the factors of weight, height and shape. He doesn't believe these have an effect outside the realm of athletics. However, he knows that there is no piece of evidence that can definitively prove that music “...so far that proves that genetic factors related to intelligence or other brain attributes matter when it comes to less physically driven pursuits.”

According to Begley, identical twins are not always identical in behavior just because of genes. Some studies show that when twins are given different circumstances, for example, different educational opportunities, different results are obtained. One example in Newsweek showed one twin may grow to be a professional pianist while the other twin was not at all musical even though the twins were both raised in a musical environment ("Heredity" 69). Twins have different interest from each other, and express them in individual ways.

In Joanne Lipman’s “A Musical Fix for U.S. Schools”, she describes the benefits music can bring to a student’s IQ that allows them to perform superior in school. Music forces a person to think differently than how they usually may in other classes. This allows for new thinking strategies to form, improving the cognitive side of the mind. This positive difference is shown when a canadian study was done with music training where the results showed an increase in IQ in the group of people children studied (Lipman). With that study, the favorable results of music is clear for children. An IQ measures the intelligence of people, which is related to the cognitive abilities of the mind, and therefore the person. People may think that music may

A twin study, conducted by the National Institutes of Health Public Access in 2007, shows that genes account for 32% to 45% of mathematical skill at a young age. Individual effort accounts for 55% to 68%. A twin study measures the variation in conduct in a large group and estimates how much of the change is due to genetics, shared environment, or unique

July in the city of Toronto is a scorchingly hot month and the need to escape to a lake or forest is at the forefront of most individuals’ agendas. Only then are they content amidst thoughts of campfires and mosquitos. It is music to their ears. For permanent cottage country residents like myself summer brings months of ruined rhythms. My village hums as thousands of tourists ascend with the same need to escape. However, where does one go to find musical inspiration in chaos? And if one finds it, is it learned or innate? This essay will examine how we are conditioned to believe our ability to listen and perform music can only exist within certain parameteres; how Blacking’s hypothesis “music is innate”( ) applies to those untutored; and how both lured an entire village to love Indian Taco’s.

In order to explain how gene-environment promoted Bianca's talent, it is important to note that her parents are talented musicians, she asks to attend a special music high school during the adolescent stage in her development, she has been in a musical environment since she was 4. As mostly people who have the option of choosing an environment that complements their heredity are older children, adolescents, and adults, Bianca is now choosing what she has seen all her life. Now she is deciding by herself, but most of her life, she has been around this musical environment. Furthermore, her musical talent heredity, has permitted her to play very well, which serves as motivation to continue playing. As it has been a good experience, she must feel

Every musician is inspired or displays attributes of predecessors. These attributes influence every aspect of their

Although many, one positive way music education is beneficial to students is that it has a large impact on brain stem growth. With the incorporation of music in a student’s daily life, the brain stem’s responses become more robust (Brown). Therefore, the amount of brain stem growth correlates with recent musical training. As stated by Brown, an adjunct professor at the University of Baltimore, “student’s that are involved with a large amount of music will see more gains in brain stem growth”. Furthermore, the neural changes that occur in students as adolescents stay with them into adulthood (“Music Matters”). This allows students to be more prepared once they go into the workforce as adults. Along with the brain stem’s responses being more robust, it’s sensitivity to sound increases (“The Benefits” 1). This is abundantly evident from early on, as mother’s sing to their infants to facilitate brain stimulation and development. Enrichment through music, starting at a young age, seems to improve individuals speech sound development and use of more advanced vocabulary. Adolescents’ language also improves with the use of music in a student’s academics (Miller 46). Luehrisen