I think that the connection between any of the arts and academics can be explained by the theory of the "Mozart Effect". Although someone is generally better at one than the other, it does not mean that the two cannot be connected.

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Also, as far as the issue with spell checkers: Microsoft Word and Microsoft Works will adjust after just a few sentences in another language. Right now my word processor is in English but after writing a paragraph in French, it changes its primary language to French. Computers are much more versatile than y'all give credit.

Very interesting your comments on Chinese. I know nothing of this language, except that I have a Chinese friend in Paris and she told me the same, that meaning can be very different according to the "intonation" or the way a word is said.

The connections of music and other achievements of the mind may be subtle or strong, I believe most remains to be explored. I agree that it is just a question of sensibility and "art", that can change a mechanical reproduction of sounds in correct sequence into something that somehow touches deeply in the spirit. Sometimes it can be a deep emotion and not just enjoying te music. All of us who love music know this feeling.

But how it works is quite mysterious to me.

May be it is something similar to "empathy", another mysterious behavior that we humans share (well, most of us I guess).

But clearly an invisible connection, beyond time and matter establishes, not between the performer and the listener, but between the composer and the listener.

I feel not ashamed in saying that sometimes music puts tears in my eyes. Not every time, and not directly related to the quality of the performance, just "happens". I remember a concert in Caracas many years ago, the choral of Beethoven's 9th Sypmphony produced such a "knot" in my throat that I should have started crying in relief. But I was in a theater and could not (or should not).

Today it happened with the second Adagio in Hallenser Haendel's Sonate I. I am studying it right now; I know it it's an easy piece for any flutist but for me is still a challenge, and I'm far from playing it reasonably well.

However, suddenly I felt a deep emotion. It was like Haendel was saying "OK, that is what I wanted you to feel". Sounds rather stupid this kind of "messages" through centuries, but something like this is happening...

UH.i'm not sure what's going on. sry, i'm really lazy to read all the posts. i didn't say math in ALL ways go good together with music. i said in SOME ways it does..umm. if that's what you're saying. i dunno ^_^

i was talking about brains..
i'm confused

Schoolgirl, my posts is about your teachers comment that people who are academics are not always as good in arts/music. I think it is possible that one could be equally good in both areas. However:

1. There is a lack of benchmarking for this.
2. It may depend on the intensity of your interest, not on your intelligence; and
3. Both have differences in terms of boundaries

Jose Luis. How I wish that I could be deeply touched by music. I have been to the theatre only three times in my lifetime. But I remember the time I attended a party with my parents in Osaka when I was eight. There was this old guy who played ‘The Swan’ on his flute. I heard the piece a ga-zillion times but there was something about the way he played it that made me stop and listen. It was not romantic and sweet the way that my father played it on piano. It was something else – so sad, so kind and so begging. I can’t name the feelings that I felt that time. I forgot all about until I heard the rendition of Sir James Galway. It was excellent but somehow failed to stir that particular emotion I felt years ago. You know it makes me wonder up to now whether it was really that man’s playing that is so stirring or just my own innocent perception of it that time because it is such a very easy piece to play. In music, I believe, technicalities are just the basics no matter how good you are at it. It serves as a tool for anyone of us to achieve a higher ground which I think is beyond predictability. I say this because most of us pursue excellence for the sake of audience, self-expression, teaching or perhaps purely for higher appreciation purposes. I admire people like you as to my opinion you are one of those people who have reached this higher ground.

Thank you Tessa for your so nice concepts!

But I do not think I am someone special in any aspect neither do I deserve to be admired, though I appreciate that.

Maybe I just enjoy(?) too much responsiveness to music in particular; I get those "goose bumps" quite often when listening to it, though the throat knot or the point of tears are more exceptional (fortunately!).

I am also sure that most people can have (and do have) those sudden feelings and deep emotions being aroused by music.

You mentioned your experience with the old man playing The Swan. That's the mystery; Sir Galways´interpretation was probably superior technically and may be was even heavier loaded with sentiment. But the effects (IMO) are not directly related to those benchmarks. It just can happen this time and not in other (even better) opportunity.

My experience in Caracas was with a local orchestra (a good one, but not of international level), a double chorus, a children chorus (I'm not sure) and local singers. Among them, I only remember Isabel Palacios (but there is a reason, I loved that woman!). I have heard the 9th hundreds of times, that one was different, simply.

I recall now a similar experience with JSB's Saint John's Passion. And that time I was watching it on TV at home!.

Changing subject, I am almost convinced that you are professional mathematician. Do I guess right?

What my teacher's comments were ..PPL who are in fine arts(music) usually do better academicly then ppl who ARE NOT in fine arts. And in MY highschool that's true.
Ppl in fine arts are mostly in honor classes,..advanced placement. SURE there's ppl who are NOT in fine arts but do REALLY well academicly. it's just a little thingy our school noticed..about the students..

i know it's not true for EVERYBODY..but fir the majority it is.

Schoolgirl,

I think this could happen because people interested or involved in fine arts (activities not directly related to making lots of money), show and share a wider interest in culture and knowledge.

This wider interest leads them to more studying, researching and -most of all- to accepting the need to learn and be interested in things that at first glance seem to be useless.

This must result in Academic achievement and frequent honor places. But it´s also a superb way of enjoying life and diversity!

Hope you make part of them!

YES!! I SOOOO agree with you. Music has helped me to get good grades, honor classes..and to be open to everyting..taking oppurtunities!
Being a member of a band is amazing. it's how you're involved..your attitude. that's what i think^_^

In my band there's so many different ppl. A LOT of atheletes..TONS of SMART ppl,..DIfferent sports involved..and also involved in ALL SORTS of different things..WOW..i thought most of the ppl in band would be all music in their lives heehee
YUP..there's a BIG diversity in our band, it's cool!

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i don't remember what i even said in the begining.^_^
BUT i AGREE with what jose(sry i forgot ur name!) said.

Jose Luis. How I dream that your guess is right but it’s not. However, I spent most of my life in research. I am very passionate about it but there is just not enough money in there. So as part-time, I am trying to learn the rope of securities trading.

Schoolgirl. I just hate it when teachers make specific claim, no matter how opinionated and how innocent, that cannot be backed up by clinical evidence. Claims like that can actually have subtle effects on our mind, especially to the mind of young kids. Please bear in mind that the most initial stages of ‘breakthroughs’ and innovations evolve as a figment of creative thinking aimed across the wall. They cross boundaries. This I think is the beauty of combining music/arts and academics.

UUmmm..ok. It was just a survey they took in my highshool. I'm not saying it's a result of everybody in the world. ^_^ Something the finearts ppl noticed. ANd i also just added somehting my bio, spanish, and english ppl said.

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i don't know why it has to be so confusing @__@. ok, so one day my english teacher says to write a paper....are you more artistic, freemind, musician,...OR are you more of a Orderly, scientific, person? i'm just saying i'm both...
uhhhh..i don't know why i mentioned what my english teacher said. that's a WHOLE new subject.

Securities trading!. If that is related to warrants and similar products, I know there's a lot of theory (and math) behind. So much, that it merited a Nobel prize for the developer of the model and the theory. It allows the banks to always be in a win-win situation, no matter the prices go up or down. Nice for them, but not always for their customers!.

I notice that we have been addressing the posts to a specific people (Tessa, Schoolgirl125, me). That might discourage others to participate. I think we should better leave the answers "open", even if that could make the following of the thread a little bit more confusing.

The American system of education has something great, in that it opens the gates to thousands of young people to participate in highly organized music and sports activities.

I wish it was so everywhere; I did not had this opportunity when I studied, not even in the Uni. (except for good Choruses, a couple of them I was a member). But no instruments and particularly nothing at all at primary or high school.

I much regret that; but it happened again with my children, though they could attend much better colleges that I do could myself.

We've paid for some private piano lessons but it is not the same and the seed did not sprout -so far, at least.

I wish I could learn *ANY* language in four months to that level! I can spak/read/write more or less 5 languages (Spanish, English, French, Italian and 50% German). But it took me my whole life to learn them!


Tell me about it. I've been learning Russian for five years and I still get mixed up. Pfft.

I understand that!

Although I need to learn good German, as I have a German grandson, I could never reach an acceptable level with this language. For the other three foreign languages it was much easier.

Hey you guys want to know what i can speak?..ok. enlish, spanish,..and i'm korean! YUP. Of course no one's can speak a language fluently.:D..heehee. Yea..don't know any other languages.

My experience with foreign languages is that, the sooner one begins, the better.

I could learn English "easily" because I began when I was a kid. Then I discovered a few American authors so interesting that the effort of reading their books in English was compensated by the pleasure of the achievement. The one I remember most is Ray Bradbury. This improved my voabulary very quickly. My education in engineering also made me practise a lot, as at that time (and still), most engineering books were in that language.

With French I was a little forced because I started working for a French multinational and I had french colleagues and also travelled to Farnce for training. I never studied French systematically but I think I can speak it better than English (but writing in French is very difficult and I do not master it).

With Italian, I also spent 2 months in Italy for training and got the taste of the language. Then in Madrid (many years later), I took a 3 years course in a private academy and with that I could reach a reasonable level for writing, reading and speaking. But Italian is very close to Spanisn (my mother tongue) and the difficulties were not so important.

But German!, that is a problem. A language with a huge voacbulary, with same root as English but with many, many more complications.

Unfortunately, the foreign language that I need more now (for those family reasons) is the one I can master the less. Also age does not help in learning a foreign language, so my suggestion to young people interested in opening to other cultures through their languages is to begin as soon as possible and not procrastinate.

I did not delayed in learning languages, but I did it in music and I think I will never regret that enough.