Music education centers are full of high-ability students who often go unidentified and unsupported, a Madrid conservatory professor told families, students and teachers this week at the Professional Conservatory of Music of Teruel, according to Diario de Teruel.
Guillermo Martín, a flamenco guitarist and professor at the Professional Conservatory of Music Arturo Soria in Madrid, said primary and secondary schools have made considerable progress addressing high abilities, but the phenomenon has not reached music education in the same way. Conservatories are asking how to manage these students, he said.
Martín, whose own high abilities were detected at age 37, said he tries to apply adapted pedagogical techniques in his classes and offers talks in music education centers. He acknowledged that conservatories lack literature and clear pedagogy on the subject, and said individualized instrument classes allow personalized education, though it depends on how well teachers know their students.
He also said high abilities are not necessarily linked to academic success, noting that he himself experienced school failure and did not finish high school. He added that many secondary students with high abilities show a different interest in music, such as knowing who Bach is at age 13.
Martín said music enriches the brain regardless of high abilities because it forces the brain to work in many areas at once.
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