Learning music is important because learning music is quite simply good 

Learning music is important because learning music is quite simply good

Erika graduated from the Academy of Music with a degree in conducting and high school singing. He received his doctorate in psychology from the University of Debrecen, the topic of his dissertation was the development of musical skills. His book on musical talent management, Recognizing and Developing Musical Talent, was published in the Genius Books series.

The first and most important task is to identify talent. Is there a special methodology for discovering musical talent?
Compared to other areas of talent, it is easy to recognize musical talent because it is a very early type of talent, making it very easy to discover from an early age. It is generally said that a sure sign of talent is when one is more advanced in musical development than one’s peers. It is striking, for example, when a four-year-old preschooler has the same musical ability as a six-year-old child.

According to these, are there precise metrics that can be used to determine a child’s level of musical development?
Many studies describe quite accurately what an average child can do at a given age. In my opinion, it is an even more striking sign of musical talent from a very young age, when the child is very receptive to melodies, rhythms, rhymes.

Is there an ideal age to discover musical talent?

Nor would I highlight the discovery, but rather the age that is receptive to development is interesting to me. Speech and the perception of music begin at a fetal age, which also means that the development of musicality ends early. In infancy and the first year, the impulse to sing in the child’s environment is paramount. This is not the field of talent development at this early stage of life, but rather the field of family education. What the child did not receive until the age of 9-10, it is, if not impossible, to make up for, but it is very difficult later. So I would put the emphasis on early, family music education and encourage everyone to do so.

Nowadays, it is very fashionable among expectant mothers to talk to the child at the age of a few weeks, listen to classical music or hum rhymes and melodies. Do you have experience with the effectiveness of this?
It is a scientific fact that in the last trimester of pregnancy the child can already hear and can communicate with him. My private opinion is that parental behavior is a spontaneous, instinctive knowledge. Children’s songs, rocking, bulging have been a natural way of communicating between fetus and mother for centuries. I don’t think the mother should take separate courses for this, I believe in the natural, ancient methods, in the knowledge we bring with us.

Not everyone will become Mozart, perhaps even an outstanding musical talent, but what other skills does music develop?
The issue of the transfer effect of music is a very popular idea. I also believe that musical development has a good and significant effect on the development of other abilities, but let’s add that whatever we do, be it math or sports, it has some sort of transfer effect. Everything we develop with ourselves develops us as a whole and has repercussions in many other areas as well. Learning music is important because learning music is quite simply good. An ancient psychological need for all people is musicality, it is no coincidence that every culture has its own musical culture.

From what early signs can a parent recognize musical talent in their child?

The parent’s interest in the child is worth paying attention to; at what age what children’s songs, rhymes bind the little. If the young person is noticeably ahead of his or her age, interested in music for the elderly, it is worth suspecting that he or she has a good sense of music. Let me give you an example: I know a parent whose child sat in front of the TV at the age of six and listened intently to the three-hour Matthew Passion: he later became a musician. If a young person is able to engage a more complex melody or piece of music for a longer period of time compared to his or her age, it is almost certainly a sign of musical talent. Also, it’s worth knowing that it’s not necessarily a sign of talent, if the little one sings nicely, it suggests more advanced motor skills. Interest, commitment can give a really accurate picture of talent.

What experience, family environment, or genetics play a significant role in a child’s musical talent? Can the two effects be separated at all?
Clearly, the two effects cannot be split. Inheritance plays a role in all of our traits, but not all abilities have the same role in genetics. Inheritance plays a much more important role in the field of musical talent than, say, in general intellectual abilities.

According to your pedagogical experience, how supportive are the parents of talented children?

I have a particularly good experience. I feel like parents are very eager for feedback from the teacher and in this the profession often has a debt. The teacher also has a great responsibility to form a good partnership with the parent. I believe that parents are receptive, and when they hear good about their child, they try to help and support the development of talent in everything.

What sacrifices does the development of a talented child require from the family?

A very big thing in terms of musical talent development is the Hungarian Kodály tradition, a unique network of music schools that really does not exist anywhere else in the world. True, there is tuition, but the music school system is part of public education, so talented children can get high-quality education at a very reasonable price, and there is also a way to waive tuition for students in difficult social situations, so I think money is not an obstacle. However, the family’s time and energy is taken seriously by the inclusion of two instrumental lessons per week, two solfeggio lessons per week, and home exercises on the agenda. Thus, even if not financially, the development of a talented child requires sacrifices in energy and time.

How lucky is the parent to influence the choice of instrument?

Choosing the right instrument is crucial. The most effective, if the child’s idea determines this, the attitude, the enthusiasm with which the child starts to get acquainted with music, matters a lot for later successes. May be inspired by a teacher you like or a fellow student, it’s worth taking your young person’s ideas seriously and leaving them free to choose.

What do you think about study competitions? Do they effectively help talent develop?

In a performing arts career, such as the art of music, the child must sooner or later stand out in front of an audience. It is necessary to get used to this, to educate the children, a good field for this is the study competition. Of course, this does not mean that everyone should be competing at any cost. Rather, I suggest that we set the goals together with the child, that the selection of the competition piece should be a joint decision, that the child should feel the goal set and not experience it as an externally imposed challenge.

How can an educator help combat the fever caused by performance?

The music teacher is not only a teacher, he is also a mentor. The preparatory teacher himself has already gone through the professional-psychological challenges caused by the competitions, so he has his own experience through which he can help his student.

Are there specific ways to overcome the excitement and stress caused by acting?

I consider autogenic training and other relaxation techniques to be an important and good method. For musicians, scaling itself is also a ritual that spiritually prepares the contestant. There is also a method of mental rehearsal, where the child gets to know the venue where he will perform, imagines himself on the day of the competition, performs the piece in his head, experiences success and prepares for the competition with the help of self-suggestion.