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FIRST SERIES No. 2 SEPTEMBER. 1916

UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
MONOGRAPHS

VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE
IN MUSIC

Published by the University, Iowa City, Iowa

Issued monthly throughout the year. Entered at the Postoffice in Iowa City, Iowa,
as Second Class Mail Matter
 IN THE SERIES ON AIMS AND PROGRESS OF RESEARCH

VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE
IN MUSIC

.\

CARL E: SEASHORE
Professor and Head of the Department of Philosophy and Psychology, and Dean of the
Graduate College

COPIESMAY BE OBTAINED ON REQUEST

FROM THE LIBRARIAN OF THE UNIVERSITY
 PREFACE
The appearance of this bulletin marks the inauguration of a
system of vocational guidance in music based upon laboratory
measurements in the psychology of music. The newly-coined
term, Psychology of Music Studio, is intended to convey
the two- fold idea of the scientific 'method of modern psy-
chology, which is a laboratory science, and the artistic spirit
of the musician in his studio. Hereafter no serious efforts in

vocational guidance in music can afford to separate these two,

the method of the science and the spirit of the art. The art

spirit has prevailed among musicians in all times, but the

introduction of the scientific attitude and of the scientific

technique for the "discovery of the individual" has been

contingent, not only upon the development of experimental

psychology, a science of very recent origin, but also upon

the development of the technique of applied experimental
psychology in this field of music; for applied psychology is

quite as distinct from pure psychology as engineering is from

physics, and the pure science must come before the applied.
To those who have watched with interest the development
of this field in Iowa, the present bulletin is intended as a

greeting and a report of progress. But the specific purpose

of this announcement is to plaice the facilities of the

Psychology of Music Studio at the service of the public with

a cordial invitation to utilize its facilities for the discovery,

guidance, and fostering of -musical talent.

C. E. S.
Iowa City, Iowa,
September 5,

APR 15 1966 )]

'+. ..<*
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 VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE IN
MUSIC
' ' ' '
Talent for music is a gift bestowed by nature upon different
persons very unequally. We recognize this by speaking of some
persons as musical and others as not musical in various degrees.
This talent can be measured. With the wonderful develop-
ment of modern psychology, it is now possible to make reliable
and fairly complete measurements of the fundamental capacities
which constitute musical talent early enough to serve as a guide
in the selection and planning of a musical career.
Musical talent is not one thing or capacity. It represents
scores or, if we count in finer detail, hundreds of fairly distin-

guishable capacities, any one of Avhich may be absent or highly

developed, quite independently of the other. There are, there-
fore,many kinds and proportions of musical talent, and it is
worth while for the person who is to invest a life of talent to have
information about the specific nature of his talent and its pos-
sibilities.

Thus, it comes about that the measurement of musical talent

is not one measurement but a large number of measurements
which must be built up into a system so as to represent fairly
the most salient features of musical talent. It is necessary, for

example, to know the sensitiveness of the ear to tones, the musi-

cal imagination, the musical memory, the musical intellect, the
musical feeling, the time-sense, the sense of rhythm, and the
sense of harmony and melody, which are capacities involved in
the hearing and appreciation of music. Likewise, it is necessary
to know the corresponding facts about the ability to express
music in singing and playing. Different instruments require
different kinds of talent.

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF MUSIC STUDIO

This studio is a branch of the Psychological Laboratory and is

in charge of a psychologist and a musician who have as their

assistants trained workers who can make these measurements by

3
the best approved psychological methods, and is equipped with
instruments designed especially for this work. It is the busi-
ness of those in charge to interpret the measurements in such a
way as to give concrete and accurate knowledge of the actual
natural capacity of the person examined for a musical educa-
tion or musical achievement and to show on specific grounds
whether or not a musical education is worth while, why musical
education should be of one kind rather than of another, what
musical powers are most promising for cultivation, what powers
need specific training, or what pitfalls should be avoided, etc.
In brief, the examiner should be able to state on the basis of
scientifically observed facts, what kind of musical training and
achievement, if any, the pupil is adapted for and what is the
probable extent of achievement and rate of progress.

THE MUSICAL TALENT CHART

These measurements may be shown in a single picture, the
musical talent chart. Figures 1 to 5 are such talent charts
selected from a series of more than three hundred which were
worked out for University students during the past school year.
As soon as one is familiar with the meaning of the terms and
the simple method of scaling, these charts give at once a cor-
rect and concrete picture of the equipment that an individual
has in the form of musical talent. The chart is no more com-
plicated than a chart of physical development in height, weight,
lung capacity, strength, etc. In private measurement for vo-
cational guidance, many other measurements are made than
those here indicated; yet the charts here shown are fairly com-
prehensive.
The measured are named at the left hand of the
capacities
chart. Each measurement
is indicated by a jog in the talent*

curve on the scale of one hundred. Thus, a bar in the 100

per cent line means that this person stands among the best 1
per cent among normal persons of his class. These standards or
norms have been worked out by measurement of large numbers
of cases and separate norms are used for adults and children of
various ages. This method of "percental" rank makes it pos-
sible for any one to interpret even the most complicated meas-
urements in simple terms.

4
 Figure 1' is a record of a young man, a sophomore in the Uni-

versity, who has always wanted to study music but has been dis-
couraged by his fath- MOHOAL tALXBT CHAM

er, While his tWO Sis- TONAL HEAMHO

Who do not TONAL MAOKBT

ters Care
_ . . TONAL MEMORY
for mUSIC, Or achieve CONSO^CR

any marked success,

MOTOR ABILITY
-,
i i TIME SENSE
have always been en- FBEEEHTTHM
COUraged by the fath- REGULATED RHYTHM
RHTTHjacJTn)OMEM
er. Tracing the tal- ACUITY OF BEARDING
ent Curve from the LOUDNESS DISCRIMINATION

top downward, we see

sraomo ^ r
1

SIKODJO INTERVAL
that this man ranks VOICE CONTROL

90 per Cent in tonal ^GISTER OF VOK-E

_ ,_ QUALITY OF VOICE
hearing, 96 per cent
in tonal imagery, 99 MUSICAL APPRECIATION
, MUSICAL EXPRESSION
per cent in tonal
FlG *
memory, 94 per cent -

in consonance, and 100 per cent in motor ability. These are all
very high marks and represent unusually good talent for the
appreciation of the tonality and harmony aspects of music. The
record on motor ability indicates an extraordinary deftness of
the hand which would make playing for him easy and very deli-
cately controlled. But the curve drops on the points of time-
sense, free rhythm, regulated rhythm, and rhythmic judgment,
showing that he is not well adapted for music in which the time
element is dominant. Although his acuity of hearing is below
average, this does not interfere with his music because his sensi-
tiveness to differences in the loudness of sound is very keen, 99

per cent, which mean that he has an exceptionally fine apprecia-

tion for musical expression. He sings in true pitch with great
skill, although practically untrained, and has fine control of

voice, although his lack of training shows in his ordinary record

for the singing of intervals. He has a very wide register in the
pitch of the voice and the quality of his voice is good and prom-
ising for development with training. He has had but little
training, but gives evidence of a high order of musical appre-
ciation and fine, sensitive, and sympathetic expression.
This is, in a crude way, what this figure shows to the expert

5
at a single glance. In the more extensive examination of those
who intend to make a profession of music, other measurements
besides those shown in these figures are made, depending upon
the kind of music the person is interested in and his natural
fortes and faults.
MUSICAL KU.2ST CKAJ-.V

The quantitative 10 Jo ?J W 50 CO 70 80 90 100-

TONAL HEARLSU
measurements are
TONAL MEMORY
supplemented by gen-
, . a .. , CONSONANCE
eral information and MOTOBAB1IJTY

systematically observ- TIME SENSE

ed facts in regard to
REGULATED RHYTHM
life-history, ambition, RHYTHMIC JUDGMENT
ACDITT OF HEABDn(0
opportunities, achieve-
LOUDNESS DISCRIMINATK
ments, etc. The en- ^mosEy
tire Situation is BINOINO KTEBVAL
judg-
IT. -n , j VOICE CONTBOL
'

ed by a well-trained SEaJSIBROfVOlCB
and Successful music QUALITY OF VOICE
TBADnNO
teacher who has the
MUSICAL APPBECIATION
scientific and artistic MUSWAL EXPRESSION

grasp of the problem FIG. 2

and can render a dis-
interested decision on well-founded and accurate information.
In the same way, the reader can now interpret to some extent
MUSICAL TALENT CEABT
the other four figures,
10 which are inserted
TONAL HEABDW

merely to show how

strikingly these talent
charts depict individ-
ual differences. Fig-
ure 2 is the record of
a violinist who has
marked musical abil-
ity. Figure 3 is the
record of a young
woman of high mus-
ical ability who has
some trouble with
time and rhythm as
well as difficulty in
forming of mental pictures of tones, but has a beautiful voice
which she is develop-
TONAL HEARING
TONAL IMAGERY
ing. Figure 4 is the
TONAL MEMORY chart of a young lady
CONSONANCE
who is markedly de-
JiOTOB AB1UTT
TIME SENSE ficient in musical ca-
FREE RHYTHM
pacity throughout and
IBEGULATED BHTTHM
RHYTHMIC JUDGMENT has not profited by
ACUITY OF HEABINNG her extensive musical
JXrtTDNESS DISCRIMINATION

SINOINQ KEY
education. This may
SINGING INTEBVAL be contrasted with
VOICE CONTROL
REGISTER OF VOICE Figure 5 which shows
QUALITY OF VOICE a case of
unusually
TBAKINQ
IMUSICAL APPRECIATION
high natural talent
MUSICAL EXPRESSION
[
for music, though rel-
FIG. 4 atively uncultivated.

PROFESSIONAL EXAMINATION
This laboratory-studiomaintained at the University for the
is

service of the people of the state. Persons who are planning

to devote themselves seriously to music, will find it worth while
to come to the studio to be examined. A talent chart, like the

above, will be worked out and the closest personal attention will
be given to each indi- MBBIOAL TALENT CHAat

vidual examined for^^^^^,, 10 20 30 40 50 70 80 90 10O

the purpose of point- TONAL i

ing out the extent

and nature of the va- MOTOB ABILITY
mDSSENSE
rious traits of musical
FREE RHYTHM
talent and their bear- BEOULATBD BHYTHM
BHTTmnc
ing upon the Choice
ACUITY OF HEABINNU
., .

oi vocation or avoca- WTO ^

DigcBDaNAT10N

tion, the planning of

8Dl DfOEinr

I ...
and training for the
P , -, BINQOiO INTEBVAL
voJcgco|ITBOL

same, and a forecast BBOBTEB OF VOICE

QDALITT op VOICE
of the r
probability of TBADJDIG
marked SUCCeSS. MUSICAL APPBECIATION

The thoroughness *TJSICAL EXraESSION

of this examination PIG. 5
willvary in extent with the importance of the situation and the
seriousness with which it is regarded by the person to be ex-

amined. It will take about three days of continuous work with

one person to make twenty measurements. Those who wish to be
examined should come prepared to stay that length of time.
The most desirable time to make the examination of children
is about the age of ten or twelve, although many of these tests
can be made advantage on younger children. By the age of
to

ten, children have had opportunity to show their interest in

music and it is still early enough to plan preparation for a musi-
cal career.

The studio more mature pupils

will be of special service to
who have encountered difficulty in their musical training. Teach-
ers are therefore invited to send pupils for examination in order
that they may learn the specific nature of the cause of their diffi-

culties. All records of professional examinations are, of course,

kept in privacy at the discretion of the person examined or his
sponsor.
Although this service is free to the people of the state, it is

necessary to charge a small registration fee in order to protect

the studio from imposition by persons who are not going to make
serious use of the measurement. At
the present time, this fee is
three dollars and will entitle one to a three-day examination. If
thiswere not the service of a public institution, the charge for
such service would be at least ten times that amount. All ap-
pointments for examinations should be made at least two weeks
in advance.

MUSIC SURVEYS IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

The staff of the Psychology of Music Studio is prepared to
make a limited number of surveys for vocational guidance in
music among children of the public schools. For the coming
year the plan is to take the children in the eighth grade in each
of a few cities of this state.

Some of the fundamental tests are so adapted that they can be

made on about one hundred children at a time. Five or six
such tests will require about eight half -hour periods in all from,
the children. The results of these will serve as a sort of dragnet
through which marked talent or lack of talent will be revealed.
8
 The tests are so organized as to be of great value as exercises
in the course of music. Indeed, some of them are being intro-*
duced in the course, as time-judging, precision, tone-imaging,
: etc.

Therefore, if the time may be credited to music, not a moment

of the pupils' time will be wasted. The tests serve the purpose
of arousing interest in music and have an important mission in
calling the attention of individuals and the community to the
significance of musical talent. It is predicted that tests like
these will in the near future be used by progressive music super-
visors as part of the regular instruction and guidance in music
in the schools.

Although this series of class tests is necessarily somewhat crude

and incomplete, it serves the purpose of a preliminary sifting.
The very good and the very poor will be identified with consider-
able certainty and all will be ranked roughly in the order of
their natural ability. The results will be discussed with teachers
and parents and due caution will be exercised in preventing hasty
conclusions.

Such a service may bring out great surprises in the discovery

of unsuspected and latent talent. The finding of a few before
unknown but really promising children may be of great value
for the art of music and for the making of a successful career
for these children. Itmay lead to further examination and pro-
vision for proper musical education.

These surveys are in the nature of a demonstration and prac-

tical application of this new method of vocational guidance. They
will beundertaken only where the hearty co-operation of the su-
pervisor of music and the other school officers can be obtained.
The plan of the survey provides for a definite system of follow-up
work through supervisors of music, teachers, and parents.
Here, again, the service is rendered free to the state, but the
school board or some organization such as that of a women 's club
will be expected to pay the traveling expenses and maintenance
during the time that the examiners are in the city. The present
plan is to spend from one to two weeks in each place where the
experiment will be undertaken. During this time, a special class
will be maintained in the evening for persons who are especially
interested but who are not in the grades that are being examined.

9
 THE ECONOMIC VALUE OF SUCH VOCATIONAL
GUIDANCE
"The editor of one of our leading music journals, with much
patience and persistence, and at considerable expense and effort,
has gathered statistic, for whose accuracy he vouches, which
would indicate that the American people spend each year for
musical education the sum of $220,000,000, not including the
$7,500,000, which, until the war, was annually spent abroad by
American students. . . Weare every year spending approx-
imately four times as much for musical education as for all the
public high schools of the country, nearly three times as much
as for all our Colleges, Universities, and professional schools, and
twenty-four times as much as for our Normal Schools or, in oth-
;

er words, we are spending nearly $40,000,000 a year more for

musical education in this professedly non-musical country than
for all High School, Normal, Professional, College and University
teaching. Of course, I realize that Mr. Freund's figures might
shrink somewhat if subjected to the same pitiless scrutiny as the
Government reports, but even if they should shrink one-half, they
would still overlap by nearly $25,000,000 the largest item in the
bill for higher education in this land." (From the annual ad-
dress of the President of the National Music Teachers' Associa-
tion, December, 1915.}
This statement, with whatever reservation it may be taken,
shows that vocational guidance in music presents a remarkable
economic issue. It is safe to say that a very large portion of the
enormous sum of money spent on musical instruction is worse
than wasted, because spent on persons who have no adequate
musical talent; and the most recent investigations tend to show
that not one-half of the persons, in a given community, who have
a high order of musical talent are discovered and given a fair
chance of a musical education.
This economic problem looms up large today, as it has never
done before, because we are in the midst of a campaign to uni-
versalize musical education. This campaign, be it based on edu-
cational theory, social fad or fancy, or the mere performance of
the newly-rich, forces music upon larger and larger numbers of
those who are unfit, and at the same time makes us unconscious
of the neglect of the gifted.
"Dollars talk." But this economic issue is of course very
small in comparison with the problem of the conserving of hu-
man energies, the discovery of genuine talent, and the freeing of
10
the non-talented from the curse of maladjusted effort, as estimat-
ed in terms of the loss or gain to art, or the use or abuse of hu-
man energies.
PROCEDURE TENTATIVE
So far as we are aware, movement is new and unique in
this
and its public service. For the last
its scope, its scientific basis,

fifteen years, a body of research students have been at work in

the Psychological Laboratory under the direction of the writer
concentrating their efforts upon this one problem of developing
the methods and means of measuring musical talent. have We
no complete system; our attitude is that of the investigator in
pure science, open-minded, always struggling to make improve-
ments and frank in the confession of our limitations. Since this
isnot a money-making affair, we are free to proceed patiently in
the effort to develop this fascinating phase of vocational guid-
ance on a sound scientific basis. This accounts in part for the
fact that we have been slow in publishing methods, norms, and
1
interpretations as they have been gradually developed.
The chief examiner at the present time is Mrs. Esther Allen
Gaw, a professional music teacher who has enjoyed both general
and musical education in this country and abroad and is now
devoting her entire time to this field of applied psychology.
Other members of the staff co-operate with her in various capaci-
ties. All communications relative to this work should be ad-
dressed to the writer who has general charge of the work.
1 The first work was given in the writer's pres-
general outline of this
idential address before the American Psychological Association, entitled
"The Measure of a Singer" (Science, Vol. XXXV,- No. 893, February 9,
1912). The same general treatment is followed in the section "Mental
Measurement" in the author's Psychology in Daily Life (Appleton's), and
one specific illustration was given under the head "Measurement of Musi-
cal Talent" (Musical Quarterly, Vol. I, January, 1915, The Schirmer Pub-

lishing Co., New York). Technical reports on particular measurements

have appeared in various journals, especially in the University of Iowa
Studies in Psychology.

11
 JL DDC JL_JL_IL DDE JL

THE STATE
UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
IOWA CITY, IOWA

The rniversity embraces the following

colleges and .schools:

THE GRADUATE COLLEGE

THE COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS
THE COLLEGE OF LAW
THE COLLEGE OP MEDICINE
D THE COLLEGE OF HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE
THE COLLEGE OF DENTISTRY
THE COLLEGE OF PHARMACY
THE COLLEGE OF APPLIED SCIENCE
THE ( \JLLEGE OF EDUCATION

THE SCHOOL OF COMMERCE

THE SCHOOLS OF NURSES
THE SCHOOL OF Music
THE SUMMER. SESSION, including
The Lakeside Laboratory at- Okoboji
The School for Library Training

THE EXTENSION DIVISION, including

(
'orrespondenee Courses
(
'urrespondence is invited. For cata-
logues, illustrated bulletins, and other
information, address :

THE IvEGISTRAR
Joua City, Iowa

JL 3DC JL JL JL
THI TORCH PRIS. CEDAR MAPIOS, IOWA
DDE JL
 Seashore, Carl Emil
Vocational guidance in
music

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