Presentations

Please find below the presentations.

Thematic session 1: talent

Musical Talent: Conceptualisation, Identification And Development
Susan Hallam (University of London)

This presentation begins with a consideration of how thinking about musical talent has changed over time. Evidence from research exploring recent conceptualisations of musical talent will be presented. The role of musical practice and engagement in musical activities will be discussed in relation to the development of musical expertise and will be linked to neuropsychological studies of the brain. Finally, the presentation will consider the crucial role of motivation in the nurturing and development of talent and the implications of this for its identification.

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Thematic session 2: excellence

Cognitive reserve, music, and sports
Erik Scherder (VU University, Amsterdam)

There is some interesting literature supporting the view that growing up in an enrichment environment contributes to a cognitive reserve. The higher the cognitive reserve, the more a person is able to withstand the consequences of aging and/or age-related neurodegenerative diseases. In an enriched environment, a person is constantly challenged, preferably both cognitively and physically, processing a variety of stimuli. Enriched environment at a young age, is particularly important for those brain areas that are still developing, e.g. the prefrontal cortex.

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Keynote lecture

Tip of the Iceberg
Henkjan Honing (University of Amsterdam)

In this presentation I will argue that we all share a predisposition for music. Examples range from the ability of newborns to perceive the beat, infants impressive sensitivity to complex rhythms, to the unexpected musical expertise of ordinary listeners. The evidence will show that music is second nature to most human beings, both biologically and socially. However, if musical talent is indeed so wide spread as it seems, one could wonder whether we are the only species that are musical. Can birdsong, the song structure of humpback whales, a Thai elephant orchestra, or a gibbon duet be considered products of musical animals as well? It will lead to a discussion of whether successful musicians are (merely or consequently) the tip of the iceberg.

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Thematic session 3: practicing

Succesfull (self-)study: the role of cognitive and socio-emotional development
Mariëtte Huizinga (VU University, Amsterdam)

Why is it that some adolescents attend school virtually effortless, while others experience delay or even drop-out? Why is it that the one adolescent is perfectly able to balance his/her homework and social life, while others are not? Which factors are related to an adolescent's ability to resist the attraction of the internet and social media?

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Thematic session4 : (over)load

Monitoring Overload in Athletes And Dancers
Jacques van Rossum (VU University, Amsterdam)

In dance, one has traditionally lived in a world coloured by pain (‘no pain, no gain’), where the seemingly unavoidable injuries are perceived by dancers to be caused by fatigue, overwork and ‘repetitive movements’. In recent years, however, scientific evidence suggests that smart practice is to be preferred over the traditionally hard and long hours of practice. This presentation describes (some of) the speaker's experiences regarding the monitoring and prevention of overload in athletes and dancers.

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Healthy musicianship: prevention, cures and challenges in musician's medicine
Eckart Altenmüller (Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien, Hannover)

In this lecture, Eckart Altenmüller presents the program which has been developed in Hannover and which aims at preventing injuries and provides skills which are necessary to improve self-management, emotional communication and knowledge about the meaning of music in our society.

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