1. A Framework for the Identification of Musical Talent 1.Rationale for the Identification of Musical Talent (1) Current educational document in the field of gifted education and music education recognize the need to identify and provide programming for students who are musically gifted and talented. (2) US Department of Education established a new definition for students with outstanding talent in 1993 that emphasizes the need to include students in the arts in this identification.

2. (3)The rising interest in multiple forms of intelligence in education provides the impetus to develop effective identification procedure to recognize students who show potential musical talent.

3. Identification Procedures 1. Initial Identification 2. Testing 3. Observation and Assessment of Musical Behavior/Performance

4. Initial Identification 1. Musical talent identification procedures should reflect the recognition and assessment of potential as well as demonstrated musical talent. 2.This identification should include musical talents beyond overt performance and recognize different types of musical performance styles or genres. 3. The process should include data from multiple sources like school, home, and community. 4. Biographical information from the parent and students is important to be included in musical talent identification because musical activities my readily take place outside the school setting.

5. Nomination from multiple sources 1. Classroom teacher 2. School music teacher 3. School guidance counselor 4. Parent 5. Peer 6. Student 7. Private studio music teacher 8. Church/synagogue choir directors 9. Scout leaders and other community sources

6. Biographical Information from Parents and Students 1. Recognition of multiple musical performance styles or genres 2. Classical 3. Jazz, pop, rock 4. folk, ethnic

7. Consideration of multiple Musical Talent Areas 1. Performance 2. Improvisatory styles 3. Composition 4. Critiquing 5. Interpretive listening

8. Testing 1. Effective identification requires assessment of the sensory capacities of musical aptitude or musical intelligence. 2.This assessment requires the observation of students engaged in activities requiring perceptive listening combined with musical performance.( 性向測驗必須搭配術科考試 !) 3. The administration of standardized music aptitude tests may be used for this assessment.

9. 4. Music aptitude test scores should NOT be used as the sole determination of musical talent. 5.Musical aptitude tests are useful in uncovering students who may have potential musical talent, but do not demonstrate this talent in performance. 6.The level of music aptitude testing should reflect measurement of high music aptitude for the age of the students involved in the identification process.

10. 7. Several developing measures for creative thinking in music can be considered. 8. Avoid the use of standardized testing of intelligence, achievement, or general creativity as screening procedure for musical talent.

11. Observation and Assessment of Musical Behavior/Performance 1. Identification should include observation of students in the process of music-making in a music or general classroom. 2. Observation should be done over a period of time to view developing musical work. 3. Observation by a team of two or three observers is recommended, including at least on music specialist, musician, or private studio teacher.

12. 5.All persons involved in observation should receive training in techniques of identifying potential musical talent in student behavior. 6.The identification should seek evidence of a student’s creative, expressive involvement in the music. 7.The performance setting should be comfortable for the student to encourage a musical performance indicative of the student’s abilities.

13. 8.Identification should include observation and assessment of musical activities outside of performance, such as interpretive response to listening and creative work in music. 9.The assessment instrument should be balanced in format, containing specific performance criteria and open space for a written critique.

14. 10. Observers --require training in techniques of observing potential musical talent. --should understand the purpose and process of talent identification. --observe in a natural classroom setting. --observe more than once, assessing improvement of musical work. --include music specialists, musicians, or private studio teachers. --include general classroom teachers, trained in observing musical talent.

15. 11. Observation of students --performing in small groups (5-10). --involved in tasks involving musical decision- making by students. --reworking and refining musical performance (more than once). --engaged in listening activities. --Working creatively through music. --may include the use of video taped musical activities.

16. 12. Assessment of musical behavior/performance --seeks recognition of potential as well as demonstrated musical talent. --recognizes creative, expressive involvement in music. --realizes physical or technical ability in music depends on prior training. --includes assessment of potential talent in areas outside of performance. --is NOT based solely on individualized performance and technical ability. Uses a balanced assessment instrument that includes specific criteria and holistic written critiques.

17. Recommended Criteria for the Identification of Potential Musical Talent There are four categories of criteria indicative of musical talent: (1) Perceptual awareness and discrimination --perceptual awareness of sound ( 廣義的聲音 ) --rhythmic sense --sense of pitch (2) Creative interpretation (3) Musical behavior/performance (4) Motivation

18. Perceptual Awareness and Discrimination The criterion of perceptual awareness and discrimination describes the ability to listen carefully and hear or sense differences in musical components. These inherent capacities are described as music aptitude by music psychologists and “music intelligence” by some educational and cognitive psychologists.

19. The psychometric measurement of these capacities can be done through the administration of a music aptitude test. The capacities can also be assessed through activities that focus on aural perception, rhythmic movement, and tonal memory of melodies or songs. Music aptitude/music intelligence consists of three basic sensory components: (1) the perceptual awareness of sound, (2) a rhythmic sense, and (3) a sense of pitch.

20. (1)The perceptual awareness of sound: a. The musically talented student is keenly aware of sounds, both musical and environmental. b. This student will listen with focused concentration, showing an inward sensing of these sounds. c. This inner sensing describes the tonal or rhythmic memory of sounds, which may be repeated through singing or performing.

21. d. The inner sensing is also at work when a student is internally manipulating musical ideas in interpretive decision-making through music. e. The musically talented student is aware of slight differences in melodies, rhythms, tempo (speed), and tonal qualities of sounds. f. This student can isolate and identify individual sounds in a complex musical or sound context.

22. g. The student who is perceptually aware of sound: *Is keenly aware of sounds. *Listens with focused concentration. *Can sense sound inwardly and remember it. *Can hear slight differences in sounds, melodies, rhythms. *Can isolate and identify individual sounds or musical ideas in a complex musical or sound context.

23. (2) Rhythmic Sense a. The musically talented student instinctively responds to rhythm. b. This response is manifest in a sensing of the steady beat of the rhythm as well as a flowing sense of the rhythmic pulse. This student can maintain a steady pulse when performing, and can repeat and creatively extend rhythmic ideas. c. This student will recognize and react to slight changes in the tempo (speed) and meter (sense of 2, 3, 4 beat patterns) of the music

24. d. This internal rhythmic sense allows this student to remember rhythms and discriminate subtle differences in rhythms heard. e. The student with a fine rhythmic pulse: *Physically responds to rhythm in a fluid manner. *Can feel and maintain a steady pulse in performance. *Can internally discriminate differences in rhythms. *Recognizes and adjusts to slight changes in tempo or meter. *Can repeat and creatively extend rhythmic ideas.

25. (3) Sense of Pitch a. The musically talented student hears pitches moving up or down in melodies, and can remember this melodic shape. b. The student can repeat these melodies and creatively extend them. c. If given the opportunity to explore an instrument, this student can pick out a tune “by ear,” transferring the inner sense of pitch onto an instrument. d. The ability to match pitches and sing in tune is helpful to consider in identification, but should not be used as an excluding factor of this talent capacity.

26. e. Look for a student who enjoys fooling around with tunes. g. The student who has a fine sense of pitch: *Can internally discriminate differences in pitch. *Can remember melodies and repeat them. *Can repeat and creatively extend melodic ideas. *Can pick out tunes on an available instrument.

27. Recommendation Procedures for the Identification of Perceptual Awareness and Discrimination Administration of a standardized music aptitude test. Observation of students involved in perceptive listening tasks. Observation of students involved in listening and performance activities. Suggested Activities Listening to musical selections that have complexity of sounds or form Listening for subtle environmental sounds

28. Listening for specific musical elements in compositions. Listening for specific musical qualities in peer performance Listening for specific musical qualities in own performance Discovering the harmonies that match songs on an autoharp, guitar, and so on Echo clapping, chanting, singing, body percussion (tap legs, stamp, snap)

29. Call and response clapping or body percussion with creative extensions Call and response singing or chanting with creative extensions Combined singing and body percussion Use of Orff or percussion instruments in improvisation, ostinato (short repeated pattern throughout a song)

30. Creative Interpretation 1. The musically talented student creatively interprets through music, communicating a uniquely personal musical performance or product. 2. This creative interpretation may be a spontaneous manipulation of sounds, a carefully refined performance, or a musical composition. 3. It may also be evident in an insightful critique of a musical performance, or interpretive impression in direct response to listening.

31. 4. The interpretive process requires internal musical-making. The framework describes this inner perceptive/cognitive manipulation as metaperception: the artistic parallel of metacognition, recognized in cognitive thinking skills. 5. The musically talented student enjoys extending, manipulating, and experimenting with sounds. 6. This student is eager to express herself through music, and shows a personal involvement in music when performing.

32. 7. There is an obvious sensing/thinking process at work when engaged in practice or refining musical work. 8. This student is aesthetically sensitive to the mood of music in listening as well as in performance. 9. This student enjoys revising and reworking ideas, and shows insight in self-assessment of work as well as the critiquing of the musical performance of others.

33. 10.The student who creatively interprets Enjoys extending, manipulating, and experimenting with sound Spontaneously sings and moves to music Is sensitive to the mood of music heard and performed Is eager to express ideas through music Enjoys shaping and refining musical ideas Works metaperceptively in revising musical work. Shows a sense of personal involvement in performance.

34. Recommended Procedures for the Identification of Creative Interpretation Observation of students working creatively through music (improvisation, call and response extensions, composition, and so on) Observation of students engaged in creative decision-making in musical tasks Observation of students practicing and revising musical work.

35. Assessment of student ability to critique musical selections, the performance of others and self. Assessment of verbal, written, or artistic responses to listening (assess evidence of interpretive response to music in these products, rather than talents in written and artistic work)

36. Suggested Activities Call and response of melodies and rhythms with creative extension Picking out a tune on an available instrument Making up songs, compositions (shows evidence of revision and memory, but does not require notation) Developing a musical performance through metaperceptive practice (practice shows evidence of creative decision-making towards improvement)

37. Creative body percussion or Orff improvisation as an introduction, or between sections of songs. Creating melodies on a midi-computer program MIDI (musical instrument digital interface) a system that allows computers to communicate with electronic musical instruments Creating melodies on an electronic keyboard with sequenced background sounds Sequencing sounds into an electronic keyboards, synthesizer, or computer

38. Mapping ideas on paper that describe listening Reflecting on performance of others or self through written and verbal critiques Writing interpretive ideas about musical experiences or describing musical ideas in journals Working on problem finding and solving projects through music

39. Musical Behavior/Performance 1.The framework extends the concept of performance to one of behavior/performance to insure assessment of the full breadth of musical activities, including listening, creative response to listening, and creative improvisation. 2.Musical performance is a combined process and product because it occurs over time. 3.The performance process/product creates a dynamic between the performer and the audience. 4.The performer communicates an interpretation through performance to the listener. The listener shares this interpretive experience.

40. 5.The mutual aesthetic experience of listener and performer creates the dynamic of performance. This dynamic is significant in identification procedures because it explains the subjectivity of musical performance assessment by observers. 6.The musically talented student shows a natural, physical ease in movement, singing, and performing on an instrument. 7.The student communicates a personal interpretation to the audience by showing evidence of sensing sounds and decision-making (metaperception) in performance.

41. 8.In essence, the student communicates the criteria of musical talent to the listener through performance. 9.The student can hear musical intricacies and interpret ideas in response to music in personal ways that shows an ability to listen in depth.

42. 10.The student who shows potential talent through musical behavior/performance: Shows a natural, physical ease in movement, or performance; Is eager to express emotion through performance or interpretive response to music; Shows evidence of listening and shaping interpretive ideas while performing; Communicate a personal involvement in the music to the listener. Communicates interpretive sensitivity in performance and in response to music; Performs with a fluid sense of rhythmic pulse; Seeks to improve physical performance capabilities.

43. 11.The musical performance process/product: Displays natural ease in performance; Shows understanding of accuracy in notes and rhythm; Projects interpretive elements of performance indicative of the age of the student (dynamics, phrasing, tonal colors, articulation, and so forth) Communicates a sense of personal involvement in music.

44. Recommended Procedures for the Identification of Potential Talent in Musical Behavior/Performance Observation of students practicing and revising musical work. Observation of students rehearsing. Observation of students in creative performance (improvisation) Videotaped observation of students practicing, rehearsing, or creating music Assessment of students along a continuum of performances Assessment of a revised, reworked performance.

45. Suggested Activities Independent practice of musical work towards a refined performance Student decision-making in musical skill-building activities (rehearsal, practice) Student-led rehearsals Progressive student self-assessment of audio or videotaped performances Peer critiquing and peer lessons Student self-monitoring performance improvement through practice journals Activities that encourage exploration of the instrument or musical sounds. Listening and critique of comparative performances on records, CDs, tapes.

46. Motivation 1.The musically talented student displays a number of behavioral characteristics that are not music-specific, but are motivational factors that play a vital part in the development of musical talent. They describe this student’s overall working style. 2.This student can focus intently while engaged in musical tasks and often can concentrate over extended periods of time in musical practice.

47. 3.Musical practice requires a certain persistence and perseverance to conquer physical drills and musically reshape interpretive ideas. 4.The musically talented student is comfortable working independently in music and knows how to organize tasks. 5.This self-critical student sets high standards, assessing his/her own musical work as well as critiquing the musical work of others.

48. 6.The student who shows internal motivation in musical work: Focuses intently while engaged in musical tasks; Can concentrate for extended periods of time during musical practice; Shows persistence and perseverance in musical tasks; Enjoys working independently in musical tasks; Refines and critiques musical work of self and others; Sets high standards.

49. Recommended Procedures for the Identification of Motivation in Music Observation of student involved in revision and refinement of musical work Observation of peer critiquing activities Observation of students in problem finding and solving activities Observation of students working independently on musical tasks Assessment of musical products resulting from problem solving in music Assessment of revised performance products

50. Suggested Activities Group and individual problem solving projects in music Independent practice of musical work towards a refined performance Progressive student self-assessment of audio or videotaped performances Peer critiquing and peer lessons Self-monitoring performance improvement through practice journals Developing a musical composition using written or computer notation Developing a musical composition from creative exploration or improvizatio0n on an instrument.