S u m m a r y

 

Seppänen M & Järvelä I (2007)

Musicality in the light of neurocognitive studies

 

Psykologia 42: 350&endash;363. Vammala ISSN 0355-1067.

Traditionally, musicality refers to musical talent, the psychophysiological structure that is a precondition for experiencing and expressing music and the potential for learning musical skills. Recent neurocognitive and genetic studies provide new insight into understanding musicality. Individual differences in musicality can be caused by differences in auditory sensory memory processing. Spontaneous biological maturation and musical stimulation in childhood together with active playing practice influence, in turn, the development of musical perception and presumably musicality. Intensive auditory discrimination training can enhance sound processing also in non-musician adults. In this review, the effects of practice and spontaneous development on musicality are examined in the light of neurocognitive and genetic studies. While sensory memory functions can be improved through practice, musicality (and related genes) may facilitate spontaneous adopton and enculturation of one's own musical culture and learning of music. It is not known, however, to what extent musicality leads to development into a musician and the enjoyment of music.

 

Keywords: Musicality, musicality test, EEG, event-related potential, musicianship.

 

Miia Seppänen, M.A. (psych.), Department of psychology, P.O. Box 9, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland. Email: miia.seppanen@helsinki.fi

Irma Järvelä, Md.D., Department of medical genetics, P.O. Box 63, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.