In the Concertante Academy we believe that all students have musical skills to develop, as a sum of abilities that may trigger as well further generic skills.
Development of Musical Intelligence in children
In the Concertante Academy we believe that all students have musical
skills to develop, as a sum of abilities that may trigger as well
further generic skills. The educational values that a musician can
provide to children are far than suitable, not only as a vital
experience, but as a teaching that plays a key role in each person’s
integral growth.
It is for such a particular reason that we have created this new
course called DMI (Development of Musical Intelligence), which offers
throughout a collective class some skills to develop musical
intelligence, starting from vocal education to rhythmical and corporal
expressions. Students will also adopt true consciousness about the
fundamental elements that intertwine in playing musical instruments.
What is Musical Intelligence?
The term ‘musical intelligence’ was defined by a Harvard University
psychologist and teacher, Howard Gardner, regarding his theory of
multiple intelligences and as ‘the capacity to perceive, discriminate,
transform and express musical shapes’, which includes also a
sensitivity to different rhythms, tones and bell peals.
In other words, musical intelligence can be assumed as a personal
ability to sing a song, have of a nice sense of rhythm, remember or
create a melody, playing an instrument or simply enjoying a musical
experience by itself.
Traditionally, musical intelligence has been poorly valued by
educators as a talent, whereas today any person can develop it in a
greater or lesser depth, independently of personal capacities and/or
previous training skills.
Since the first stages in life, very early, babies answer
instinctively with corporal movements to any audible stimulus.
Learning with a musician, children get rid of this instinctive
capacity and learn to develop consciousness about their own body and
how it interacts with sorroundings; they develop their own affections
and emotions through music, settling a life-long knowledge.
Songs, gestures, body motion, body sounds and playing musical
instrument are basic resources for the development of musical
intelligence.
Furthermore, it has been credited that children who develop musical
intelligence achieve a higher capacity of attention and concentration;
they learn to LISTEN, which is key to UNDERSTANDING. By means of a
series of musical activities, we stimulate intellectual, artistic and
emotional skills so to develop both sensitivities and the creativity.
With musical intelligence empowerment, children learn to controls
muscular tone and body relaxation; furthermore, it favours their
personal relations and friendly cohabitation, improves skills in
responsibility, self-confidence and self-esteem.
As a matter of fact, we should take into account that such a musical
approach promotes children’s humanistic skills. Just by taking music
as a positive, gratifying and fulfilling experience we can favour
children’s personal development. As we say in Concertante, ‘students
need to get out of the academy feeling far more better that when they
came in’.