Subject: Re: Musician's IQ From: Thomas G Brennan <g_brennantg@xxxxxxxx> Date: Fri, 8 Aug 2008 23:59:04 -0500 List-Archive:<http://lists.mcgill.ca/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=AUDITORY>I'm not sure of your point, Andy, since these are things which all musicians must do. I'm sure that no slight to drummers was intended. Tom Tom Brennan KD5VIJ, CCC-A/SLP web page http://titan.sfasu.edu/~g_brennantg/sonicpage.html On Fri, 8 Aug 2008, Vermiglio, Andy wrote: > Date: Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:59:47 -0700 > From: "Vermiglio, Andy" <AVermiglio@xxxxxxxx> > To: AUDITORY@xxxxxxxx > Subject: Re: Musician's IQ > > What do you call a drummer with only one stick... > > > > ....a conductor. > > > > Drummers need to focus on a lot more than just the rhythm. They also > need to focus on the interactions between musicians, phrasing, counter > phrasing, dynamics, the idiosyncrasies across musicians, audience > reaction (or lack thereof), the comfort level of the singers (a slight > tempo adjustment may be needed when the vocalist can't get out all of > the words), balance, blend, technique, tone quality, tuning, > psychoacoustical conflicts in the bands mix, reaction time, etc., etc. > > > > Actually, it takes a good measure of skill and a reasonable intellect to > be a drummer. > > > > I'd keep them in your study. > > > > Andy > > > > House Ear Institute > > > > ________________________________ > > From: AUDITORY - Research in Auditory Perception > [mailto:AUDITORY@xxxxxxxx On Behalf Of Harriet B. Jacobster, AuD > Sent: Friday, August 08, 2008 2:24 PM > To: AUDITORY@xxxxxxxx > Subject: Re: Musician's IQ > > > > Some more thoughts (promised I'd have them). > Drummers v keyboardists v wind players. What are the differences among > them and does this affect "IQ?" Drummers (or in general percussionists) > focus is on the rhythmic aspect of music. Keyboardists have to > coordinate two lines of music and two hands and extreme muscle fine > muscle control. Wind players have just one line of music and, well, > less two-handed than keyboardists. > And where conductors fit it? They have to hear a multitude of timbres, > notes, rhythms, etc., etc. Makes me dizzy. > The variables are overwhelming. > > More to follow, I'm sure. > Harriet > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > Harriet B. Jacobster, Au.D. > Board Certified in Audiology > Lyric Audiology, pllc > "Bringing Words and Music to Your Ears" > hearingarts@xxxxxxxx > > > > > Brian Gygi wrote: > > > > "Musicians have a bigger IQ than other people." > > > > Hmm...not the musicians *I* used to play with. Certainly not the > drummers. > > > > Seriously, I don't see any reason to think that musicians would have > *higher* IQs than "other people." The mental abilities measured by the > IQ - analytical thinking, memory capacity - are not unique to musicians. > One might argue that you cannot be a good musician without them, but > then you get into the slippery definition of what is a "good" musician, > e.g., what are "right notes" (how about Charlie Parker when he was > skroning)? What is musicianship? > > > > Of course classically trained musicians who have had hours of ear > training, sight reading and been forced to memorize long pieces will > likely score better on the IQ test than normal controls, but is that an > ability related to being a musician or just a result of being forced to > do mentally challenging tasks? Are these people any more musicians than > a naturally gifted musician who cannot sight read and is by most > measures dumb as a post? > > > > If you operationalize the definitions quite a bit you might get a > testable hypothesis. But my advice - don't test drummers. > > > > Brian Gygi > > Veterans Affairs Northern CAlifornia Health Care System > > Martinez CA > > -----Original Message----- > From: Daniel Ladwig [mailto:clarinetbuddy8@xxxxxxxx > Sent: Friday, August 8, 2008 01:10 PM > To: AUDITORY@xxxxxxxx > Subject: Rethinking my psychology seminar project > > > > > > I originally planned to do my project on intelligence differences > between musicians and non-musicians..but I thought that was too fague > and we already know that musicians have a bigger IQ then other people. > I decided to do my study on..well here is my hypothesis: More persistent > musicians have higher IQ's then less persistent musicians. > So instead of looking at people who do and don't play music..we can look > at people that both play but some musicians may be at reading, making > the right sounds and putting a lot of musicianship into the music. Think > of great musicians like Charlie Parker and Gene Krupa..just by listening > to how they play, you must believe that they were geniuses. > I was think of taking 25 good musicians and 25 not so good musicians and > give them some kind of IQ test and playing ability test..not sure what > kind yet..got any tips on that? There are probably factors involved? > (maybe being lazy, not wanting to practice or wanting to be the > best...other than a not so good musician's IQ.) Maybe some physiological > and mentel aspects involved. > > If not that idea, do you have any good ideas around that kind of field?? > > If you have any tips or ideas and places where I can get some research > on these narrow topic PLEASE let me know! If you have any other good > idea also please let me know! > > I'm a psychology major at CSU Chico working on my BA right now. I plan > to go to a grad school to get my Ph.D in Cognitive Neuroscience. > Thank you! > > ~Dan T. Ladwig > > > > > > > >