Pregnant with her first child, a friend of mine was weary of the advice she received from all quarters. At the same time, she worried whether her pregnancy was normal, whether her child would be healthy. "I haven't had any of those nightmares that everyone says they have," she told me, "except that I had this horrible dream that my child was a music prodigy. All these music teachers were trying to steal her away from me to make her famous. It was AWFUL!"

As my friend reminded me, recognizing early musical ability can be a mixed blessing for parents. From the moment we consider the possibility that our children may be musically gifted, we are faced with new and daunting parental concerns. Can we find and afford the resources to nurture that gift? How do we maintain balance between music education and academics for our children? Between social development and practice required to hone music skills? Many of these concerns may not require action or decisions until our children are well into elementary school. Nevertheless, as parents we can pave the way for future success in music for our children when they are quite young (regardless how we, and ultimately your children, choose to define that success).

Is My Child Musically Talented?

In determining whether our children are musically gifted, we necessarily must consider what we mean by giftedness or talent. Definitions of giftedness vary, depending upon the person or group defining it and their aims in doing so. The U.S. Office of Education defines gifted children as those who "possess demonstrated or potential abilities that give evidence of high performance capabilities..." That organization uses the definition to identify children who require services or activities not ordinarily provided by schools. Parents who conclude that their children are gifted or talented in a particular area may use this knowledge in many different ways, particularly in seeking out educational opportunities, often beyond what is otherwise available in a school setting, to grow and nurture that talent.

There is some debate as to whether all children exhibit musical ability. At least one study suggests that in non-Western cultures, it is not possible to identify individuals who are "non-musical." All children in these cultures are musical. By implication, the researchers concluded that musical "talent" is only readily identifiable in children who live in cultures that value it highly.

In our very Western culture, however, we recognize and admire musical talent. As parents and educators, we look for ways to nurture it and thereby enrich the lives of the children who have it.

In his groundbreaking work on intelligence clusters, Howard Gardner identified musical-rhythmic intelligence as one of eight different types of intelligence. Gardner described it as the ability to recognize tonal patterns and sounds, as well as sensitivity to rhythms and beats.

A number of factors, including those identified by Gardner, have been used to identify musical ability in young children, most notably:

There is little doubt but that all children exhibit these factors in some degree. The more your child exhibits them...and the higher the frequency and extent to which he exhibits them...the more likely it is that your child may be musically talented.

Identifying musical ability in their young children can be important to parents for several reasons. First, music is a competitive business, and a solid early education can help children excel. Many educators and music professionals believe that musical training at early ages is critical for anyone seeking a career in music later in life. Consequently, in order to give children a fighting chance to become professional musicians or composers as adults, many parents seek to identify talent early in order to begin that education. Second, as children become busier and their schedules create stress for them, parents have become more focused on activities that build their children's esteem as well as activities that reduce, rather than create, stress. Musical training can do both, particularly for children with talent. The child will find the study of music less stressful than other activities might be, not only because the concepts and practice will be easier for him, but also because music functions as an emotional outlet. And finally, musical ability and a love of music are often so intertwined that one does not exist without the other. And there few things more satisfying to parents than guiding their children toward things their children love.

How Do I Nurture The Gift?

In many ways, the question of how best to nurture a child's musical gift is more important than the ones that lead us to identify musical ability in the first place. It not only speaks to the heart of a parent's experience with her child, but it can be even more important than the ability itself in determining a child's ultimate success in music.

Most definitions of "giftedness" accepted by educators focus on personal qualities such as determination and creativity. Several studies of professional musicians composers have concluded that their success hinged upon supportive family and teachers, persistence through ups and downs and, oddly enough, good luck. Parental support is critical, particularly to children with high ability.

Nurturing your child's musical gift is not a separate art from nurturing her other gifts. It is the same process applied to a different gift. And your parenting instincts are just as accurate here as they are anywhere else. You help build your child's esteem through praise, sincere interest in his activities, sharing his world and valuing his place in it. You help empower your child when you assist him in managing and solving his own problems, when you acknowledge his feelings and help him work through them, when you honor his strengths. Using these techniques in a musical context will help build esteem and empowerment in that area, too.

Relax and share musical experiences with your child. Play, read, sing and create with music as your backdrop. Let your child lead you to her favorite music to listen to, music to play, song to sing, pot to bang with her favorite spoon. Share your favorite music with her in the same way. Your messages to her will be affirming ones: I love you; I value you; I want to share this with you. And she will respond with a willingness to try new things, to experience music in a different way, perhaps even to express a desire to work at music with lessons.

Whether you view music as an end in itself for your child or a means to an end, nurturing his interest and ability is a lifelong gift to him. And no matter where it leads your child, both of you will be richer for it.

Resources:

Books:
Goode, Caron B., Ed.D, Nurture Your Child's Gift (Beyond Words Publishing 2001).
Machover, W. and Uszler, M., Sound Choices (Oxford University Press 1996).
Gardner, H., Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences (New York: Basic Books, HarperCollins, 1983)

Articles:
Chadwick, F., Beyond Belief: talent development in music, (University of Newcastle 2001).

Websites:
familyeducation.com (includes a test of 10 questions designed to determine if you child is musically talented).

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