The model of child's musical talent

This paper addresses issues to rank such phenomenon as talent revealed to music in children. The author specifies that the research on child's talents is of interdisciplinary nature because it is included in the problem space covered by various schools of general psychology, psychology for special needs, art studies and pedagogy. Yet, the challenge to appraise such concept as 'talent' and the way to define the common term for it is still an issue to be reviewed in the course of various scientific experiments held by Russian and foreign scholars. The results of the works on with this topic were considered by the author to frame the concept of aptitude as the exceptionally personalized and unique phenomenon and to define it as the emergent system to be the special coupling of capabilities and aptness. Within this frame, the level of such capabilities is higher to the greater extent that required implementing biosocial and adaptive behavior which is responsible for promotion of such potential. The whole new level of improvement predetermines capacities to achieve exceptional results in any sphere applied. Analysis of the existing classification of giftedness conducted by the author can be attributed to the musical talent of the following types: - peculiar/specific talent (aptitude expressed in a particular sphere); - creativity/creative talent (implies the ability to think outside the box); - social talent (leadership, initiative, entrepreneurial spirit); - intelligence /intellectual talent (the skill to think both analyzing and comparing facts). Particular attention is given to the components included in 'talent' of which the author identified: musicality and a creative component (core), special abilities, personality and motivational components. It is the author's opinion that the musical sense and creativity are closely associated and interrelated and in the meantime, the musical talent is deemed as the imaginative aspect as part of musical performance to comprise the core of talent to music. As the author recognizes, musically gifted kids perform both in the pattern that is pre-set by the musical orientation, and to express specific features peculiar to gifted people in general. The intrinsic drive to performance, motivation and the environment that supports such value expressions contribute to enhanced creative ideas. This frame allows appraising the aptitude phenomenon as the emergent system to facilitate elaboration of more efficient ways to improve talent and genius and to promote activities targeted to work with such children. This article will be of interest to scholars whose area of expertise covers the sphere of child genius.

Keywords

Authors

References