Disclaimer: These are all suggestions. Many people have multiple intelligences, some of which might cancel out each other’s deficiencies. Each intelligence type could be present but express itself differently in your character and behavior. We are not here to restrict but to guide. In the end, you can do whatever you enjoy.
Whether it’s performing, composing, or appreciating and understanding musical patterns, people with this intelligence type hold the key to a different kind of communication. We are talking about musical intelligence. Let’s have a closer look and find out if you’re one of these inspiring individuals.
1. Strengths
People with high scores in musical intelligence have a strong sense of rhythm. This gives them the ability to understand and feel, or create, music on different levels. The rhythm of a song can be just as telling as the lyrics.
Besides that, these individuals show skills in understanding pitch. They can sense variations in a person’s voice and connect it to the meaning of the words going along with it. This, as well, allows them to decipher messages on various levels.
All of these skills combined result in musically intelligent individuals’ strong skills in composition. They communicate freely and address others’ feelings with their art.
Fast learner of musical instruments. With this type of intelligence, an individual might be lucky and gifted when it comes to learning to play musical instruments. Understanding sound and rhythm, the way musically intelligent individuals do, gives them a solid foundation to work on.
When thinking of someone with high musical intelligence, it is likely they have a strong connection to emotions; they might be empathetic – this does not necessarily mean they are softly spoken or considerate of others. But, they’re able to understand others’ pain and how to transfer these feelings into music.
2. Areas for Improvement:
Musically intelligent people, overall, excel in tasks involving sounds. Similarly, to previously discussed intelligence types, exercises that do not involve this type’s primary strength may result in struggles. This meaning: musically intelligent people might have a hard time solving tasks which do not include auditory elements.
Musically intelligent people are likely to imprint the text of a song they like easily, but have a hard time memorising information without auditory input.
Are you recognising yourself, or some parts of you? Then congratulations on identifying your or one of your intelligence types. With that, you’ve accomplished step one of your journey: determining your intelligence. But, even if that’s wonderful to hear, you may be asking, what should I do now? Let’s head over to step two: how to embrace your strengths and work on your weak spots.
3. How to Refine and Embrace Strengths:
Your number one tip to refining your skill is to engage in music daily. The good thing is music can be incorporated into many tasks of our everyday life. But, make sure not to distract yourself from actually accomplishing your duties.
If you play an instrument, you should practice daily, or at least every other day. Being able to play an instrument and keeping your skill strong enables you to engage in music more freely. An instrument opens doors to different ways of interpreting a song and freely composing new ones; plus, it looks cool!
Listen to a variety of songs and pay close attention to slight differences in sound, or pitch, as well as analyse and understand their effect. This is helpful in creating your own music. More importantly though, this can be applied to real life. Realising differences in the way someone talks can tell you a lot about their current state of mind.
Besides practical work, you could engage in studying musical theory. As a musically intelligent individual, your possibilities, and ultimately your interests, don’t limit to being a musician yourself. You could be someone’s manager, host a concert, etc. It is helpful to understand the theory behind music, know about big musicians, and many more.
If you want to be a musician yourself, always experiment. Music is free; find your own style and try new ways of composing. Use your work as a way to express yourself.
Learn about the various ways music can be made. This is important for the prior aspect as well. Basically, we anre talking about expanding your horizon. There are endless options for instruments or electronics. This enables everyone to produce music; don’t think you need to play a specific instrument, or be a good singer.
Besides learning on your own, you could also collaborate with other musicians and learn from them. Make sure you don’t solely adapt or copy them due to being inspired. Other than that, working with others is a very effective way to improve. Remember, the way they produce music is not the only thing you can learn. What do you feel when they create music? How do they transport their message? Look underneath the surface.
Lastly, always reflect on yourself. Through music, many communicate their feelings. Therefore, getting to know yourself and your feelings is essential to present them through your music and reach people with it.
4. How to Work on Areas for Improvement:
As a musically intelligent individual, you need to engage in non-musical activities to work on your areas for improvement. The key areas being visual-spatial skills and logical reasoning. Try drawing or puzzling to work on these two areas. If you don’t own a puzzle, you can try tangrams. This is something we used to do in school. In tangram, you have a set of different shapes and a picture you have to recreate with them. To do so, you need to arrange your shapes the right way. Training these skills enhances your perspective.
Training your bodily-kinaesthetic, as well as linguistic skills is important as well. These can become extremely important for a musician; just think of writing a song or dancing, for example.
Now that we’ve evaluated your strengths and areas for improvement, let’s apply all that to the real world. First of all, want to make money? Want to have fun? Here are some jobs and hobbies that align very well with this type of intelligence.
5. Jobs Aligning with This Intelligence Type:
Typical jobs which align with this intelligence type are ones in the field of music. These can be musician, composer, sound engineer, or even working as a music teacher. As already stated, most often, this intelligence type is linked to linguistic and/or bodily-kinaesthetic intelligence as well.
6. Hobbies Aligning with This Intelligence Type:
Hobbies you might enjoy can either evolve around creating music through singing and composing, or you could enjoy attending concerts or events. This way, you can gain inspiration, connect, and appreciate the work of others.
Now you have a complete guide on what defines your intelligence, your strengths, and areas you can improve, the jobs, and hobbies you can engage in – but, what now? You can refine your strengths, but for what, a job you need to train for for years. You can improve areas you might have some deficiencies in, but how is that helpful? What benefit does this knowledge provide just here and now? Let’s have a look at the effect of musical intelligence in everyday life, and its personal and societal impact.
10. Everyday life:
As stated before, emotions and our true intentions show through various ways, one of them being the sound and pitch of our voice – the area you, as a musically intelligent individual, understand quite well. This means you could basically serve as a real-life lie-detector.
Music is a source of inspiration for you. Experiencing rhythm and melodies on a deeper level can empower and energise you. This means, you can use music as a source of energy, just as I drink 4 coffees a day. But, remember, this also works the other way around.
With musical intelligence, you were born with an interest which surrounds us everywhere. Attend concerts, listen to music, and play instruments – you can engage in your type of intelligence easily everyday, and inspire others while you do.
You know the binomial theorem song? Well, this is one way you can enhance your learning ability and remember difficult terms. Creating songs is an effective way to memorise and learn for you.
11. Societal and Personal Impact:
To society, you’re an inspiration, you’re a healer. You might not realise it, but the voice is probably the second most important thing after sight. Just think of old myths, of the power of the voice and sound. Think of the melody of sirens or the little mermaid, for example. A beautiful melody has always been powerful enough to captivate us. Create music that lets society forget their other senses.
Personally, a strong connection to music and musical communication allows you to cope with emotions. Music is a valve and can help to relieve stress. Besides enhanced emotional expression, music can intervene much earlier and help you understand your emotions in the first place.
As a musically intelligent individual, you hold great power. You hold the key to an inspiring ability. Most of us don’t even understand the reason for music’s impact, yet nearly everyone relies on music in tough times.
Realise that music and sound can influence us on a deep level: music can heal, music can understand, music can touch, music can inspire, music can connect, music can reveal, music can empower – and you, you create this music.