It seems fitting that my contribution to the special number of the Psychological Review which commemorates Dr. Seashore's thirty years at the University of Iowa should record the application of the Seashore Measures of Musical Talent in the Eastman School of Music. In September, 1921, when this school was organized, I became a member of the faculty as psychologist in music and began a program of testing. Test results and supplementary information were obtained from children and adults enrolled in the school, with little attempt made to use the results for a period of two years.The tests consisted of the six measures of musical talent: (1) the sense of pitch, (2) the sense of intensity, (3) the sense of time, (4) the sense of consonance and dissonance, (5) tonal memory, and (6) auditory imagery. Supplementary information was obtained from students by means of a questionnaire, and from teachers by means of a rating form. The questionnaire filled out by students asked for reports of musical environment, musical training, musical activity, musical memory and imagination. The rating forms filled out by teachers asked for the ratings of each of their students in such factors as musical talent, musical feeling, tone quality, rhythmic action, application, and musical achievement. The rating of each of these factors was indicated by means of a check in one of six columns headed E, D, C-, C+, B, and A. These rating forms are filled out biannually by each teacher of instrument and of voice.From this first information various studies were made of test results and teachers' estimates of talent. These studies were presented to the members of the faculty of the Eastman School of Music so that they might understand the significance of the tests 135 136 HAZEL M. STANTON
of determi ner) ; probl em of different age groups; rel ati on of musi cal capaci ti es to suppl ementary data; summary of suppl ementary factors for the tiro contrasted groups of tal ent profiles; compari son of hi ghest fi ve per cent and l owest five per cent; general summary; references.The experimental investigation of musical inheritance with members of musical families was initiated in 1920 through the generous cooperation of men1 prominent in the fields of psychology, genetics, and music. The immediate purpose of this investigation is an attempt by means of quantitative methods to secure information regarding the inheritance of certain musical capacities. A more remote purpose is the study of the significance of such specific measures in interpreting the inheritance of the manifold musical capacities which comprise musical talent. A necessary prerequisite to this procedure is the development 1 Dr, C. K. Seashore, Head of (he Department of Phi l osophy and Psychol ogy. State Uni versi ty of Iowa, made the sci enti fi c approach to thi s probl em possi bl e by many years of di rected research in devel opi ng and standardi zi ng measurement s of basi c musi cal capaci ti es. Dr. C. B. Davenport, Di rector of the Department of Geneti cs, Carnegi e Institution of Washi ngton, was personal l y i nstrumental in effecti ng thi s study of i nheri tance. Their constructi ve . suggest i ons and sustai ned i nterest throughout the study were most helpful. I5»HAZEL MARTHA STANTON of the scientific psychology of music in which musical talent can be analysed into basic musical capacities that may be isolated and reliably measured in persons who are musical or unmusical, young or old, trained or untrained.This report of procedure of the results so far obtained serves a three-fold purpose: to record the method of procedure, both general and specific; to classify the data in preparation for further investigation; and to formulate tentative conclusions as to the probable type of inheritance in the light of these data.
Individual differences in musical talent determined for freshmen entering a four year course in a university music school are predictive of successful graduation.
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