Musical Prodigies: Interpretations from Psychology, Education, Musicology, and Ethnomusicology
Gary E. McPherson
Abstract
Until now, no single resource has attempted to bring together such a varied range of disciplines to study the phenomenon of the musical prodigy, nor attempted to cover such a diverse range of topics. The 35 chapters which comprise Musical Prodigies: Interpretations from Psychology, Education, Musicology, and Ethnomusicology are organized according to three sections: Theoretical Frameworks, Aspects of Development, and Individual Examples. Each chapter retains the style and referencing of the author’s area of research. Readers will find a multitude of clues within this volume that will help shap ... More
Until now, no single resource has attempted to bring together such a varied range of disciplines to study the phenomenon of the musical prodigy, nor attempted to cover such a diverse range of topics. The 35 chapters which comprise Musical Prodigies: Interpretations from Psychology, Education, Musicology, and Ethnomusicology are organized according to three sections: Theoretical Frameworks, Aspects of Development, and Individual Examples. Each chapter retains the style and referencing of the author’s area of research. Readers will find a multitude of clues within this volume that will help shape their thinking about how children are able to earn the label “musical prodigy.” It is important to note, however, that no single or unanimous interpretation is currently available that provides a definitive explanation of musical development or the phenomenon of the musical prodigy. It is also true that not all of the 51 researchers who took part in this project would agree on every issue or interpretation, yet all are highly knowledgeable authorities who possess enormous enthusiasm for enriching understandings in this aspect of human achievement. The volume seeks to provide a uniquely valuable resource that encourages readers to think more deeply about the many varied ways in which precocious music development can unfold during childhood. The aim has been to interrogate the many factors of the phenomenon of the musical prodigy, and in so doing, stimulate discussion on a largely unexplored area of research.
Keywords:
musical prodigy,
prodigy,
musical development,
precociousness,
childhood
Bibliographic Information
Print publication date: 2016 |
Print ISBN-13: 9780199685851 |
Published to Oxford Scholarship Online: January 2017 |
DOI:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199685851.001.0001 |
Authors
Affiliations are at time of print publication.
Gary E. McPherson, editor
Ormond Professor and Director, Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, University of Melbourne , Australia
More
Less