I Got It From My Mama…. Is Musical Talent Hereditary?
By: Amber Espanet
Miss E.Gail Cason, the winner for the Month of March on the 2B Awards, uploaded a video of herself singing and won 1,000 dollars by receiving the most votes! Miss Cason’s Siblings are members of The Dean Dollar Band, and they have opened up for famous acts such as Hootie and the Blowfish, Waylon Jennings, The Charlie Daniels and Wide Spread Panic to name a few. Miss E. Gail’s niece, Ashley Quarles, the newest rising star of this multi-talented family of singers and songwriters has also entered her video into the 2B Awards competition and it’s sure to be a hit!
Given this and other countless examples such as: The Jacksons, The Osmonds, The Judds, Nat King And Natalie Cole (and yes, even the Jonas brothers) people have often assumed that musical talent runs in families and a study of 15 Finnish families, published in the Journal of Medical Genetics, provides the first proof that musical ability is indeed linked to genes.
But there are those who would disagree. Musical talent has been seriously questioned by these scientists, Richard Howe of the University of Exeter, Jane Davidson of the University of Sheffield and John Sloboda of Keele University. They have taken the position that talent is a “myth “and have examined the evidence that talent exists and concluded that this concept does not explain high levels of achievement in music or anything else.
If genetic talent doesn’t exist, how can we explain high, even exceptional, levels of achievement in performing music? Whether or not “musical talent” exists or is a convenient “myth”, most would likely agree that achievement requires intensive and sustained study to reach ones full potential.
Is there a gene pool of talent in your family? Why not upload a video of yourself performing in an online talent competition? Who knows you could be the next rising star waiting on the horizon!
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