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Are There Early Childhood Signs of Musical Ability?

Department of Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK, EX4 4QG

Jane W. Davidson

Department of Music, The University, Sheffield, UK, S10 2TN

Derek G. Moore

Department of Psychology, University of East London, London, E15 4LZ

John A. Sloboda

Department of Psychology, University of Keele, Newcastle under Lyme, Staffordshire, UK, ST5 5BG

The parents of 257 children who had all studied a musical instrument but who differed in the extent of their mastery were interviewed in order to investigate the claim that unusual musical expertise is often preceded by early signs in the form of spontaneous musical behaviours. Of the possible early signs that were investigated, only one, singing by the child, was observed at an earlier age in those children who later became the most accomplished young musicians than in the other children. With the other four early signs examined in this study, the age at which the behaviours first occurred did not differ between the most and least competent musicians. The age at which parent and child first listened to music together tended to be lower for the most successful children, and these were more likely than the others to have had a keyboard instrument in their home from an early age.

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