Visual-spatial world meets musical intelligence 52

The visual-spatial domain is one among the intelligences, which is close to many people. Visual world is usually captured by sight as a mean of processing information between objects and brains,

whereas in case of the visual impaired people, the domain of touch and other senses are the way of capturing objects or information of the world. Many people might not consider visual intelligence as intelligence, since it is one among abilities, we all just simply might have. The written score is a visual object for musician, and it is one of the first ways to process this symbol information there, as well the interfaces between what we hear and see as musicians.

Obviously, when reading the piece, you are seeing it when playing it. It might have some impact by having visible or photographic memory, which can help you learning the piece, but I am not sure whether this particular thing can be considered as intelligence, or only an ability that you have. You can of course develop it in many ways, but it is something what is there or isn’t. (Kujala)

In any art music, it has some pulse and it is written as score, which is visual objects. We are in some ways much more ‘in tune’ and aware of this translation interface between what we see and what we hear. (Kanno)

Both Juho Laitinen and Veli Kujala find connections between the diverse arts – sharing the thoughts to students and find it as an inspirational connection of visual art world and musical world.

Connecting with techniques of the visual artists, this can contribute to intrapersonal intelligence for musician, and find other furthering thoughts within music.

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If there would be a piece of music, which connects to some other forms of art (for example visual), I would absolutely present and emphasize these connections to students. Whatever comes to my mind. (Laitinen)

There are for example painters, whose technique of painting I like very much. It is interesting to notice many times that the music has a direct relation to the paintings. For example, I think Monet is really interesting – you can see the painting from distance, and when you come closer to painting you don’t necessary recognize things anymore and see it totally in a different light. When going further away, you begin to see clearly, but less blurred. A little bit like zooming in and out to an orchestral score. I find generally lot of inspiration in paintings. (Kujala)

As Mieko Kanno collaborated with dancers, Laitinen and Kujala share experience on creating the art together with visual artists (painters), leading to awareness of strong visual-spatial intellect with bodily-kinesthetics and having reactions between artists in terms of communication or result of collective work.

I have practiced for about a month in painter’s studio, where he made series of drawings and paintings, which had to do with kinesthetic qualities of music playing – situations capturing what playing looks like. Hearing the sound, especially the charcoal on paper while playing is a beautiful sound. Knowing that was made by somebody who is skilled - those exquisite draws start to sound different, because this person knows what he is doing. (Laitinen)

I have worked in other way, so that the artist was painting, and I was playing. It was not meant to be so that I would see what she was doing, but she was just drawing, and I continued playing without real interaction. I have done several times this kind of collaboration. It would be interesting also to try to react to what the painter does. (Kujala)

The visual-spatial intellect is used also in connection with logical-mathematical intelligence - it Is a path of information process with eyesight and as well in connection to photographic memory in some individuals, what Väyrynen has noticed on his music path of performance and teaching.

Everyone has own different ways, it depends on the individual. Somebody is more visual type, and I can really use that in some ways. When I played Goldberg Variations for example, I played it from heart, but in reality, I played mostly by score. The score was not visible, but it was here, inside my head. Some students of mine had incredible ears and even a mathematical memory. Somebody has played so that they studied written fingerings, and then remembered completely. Everybody needs some kind of intellectual skill to match with the piece. (Väyrynen)

Mieko Kanno mentioned an interesting idea that when seeing a score and connecting it to music, we can also ‘see’ the composer through the written score. Internal connection between visual-spatial intelligence, imagination and partly both personal intelligences are required to sense those understanding.

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Do you also have some feeling that when you learn to play music, we usually take for granted some things. Music is all written down and it is there, notes and rhythm need to follow. Also, part of this is that composer is somehow always present. You see him portrayed in his music score. (Kanno)

Kanno continues with the thought into a sphere of seeing visually things as whole when performing, and certain feelings she has, when studying or performing new music. Digitalization led people to see partly only one part of score, a page on iPad for example, and not have any more on music stands the complete overview of the entire piece.

I like to have overview of a whole piece, so I can see the whole piece. Also, I find myself thinking how to see it, even if I don’t eventually read from paper score. I like to have it for example on the floor or on the wall, so that I can have this overview – in a way special picture of it. Sometimes when reading for example e-books, you can’t really see whether you are reaching half of the book or going towards the end. I grew up reading paper books, so this physical feeling of knowing you are about halfway through something, means something to me. And the joy of last few pages. (Kanno)

She has mentioned the idea that there are also other types within visual-spatial perceptions, what she has encountered many times in her career as active performer. Many of musicians, and also audiences, can relate to the idea that some concert had as well so-called particular atmosphere, which was created by musicians in some ways.

There are also other types of visual-spatial perceptions, more getting towards kinesthetic ones – you can also see a color and hear the sounds at same time for example. Then there is also sensing the atmosphere, or setting up the atmosphere, which is also important aspect of the performance. You can’t explain exactly what it does to you or to anybody else, but it is not purely musical skill – it is combination of many things. (Kanno)

Another different perception within the contemporary art music is also the difference, when one sees the score and when one listens to it without seeing the score. She has emphasized this relation of difference of perceptions.

Also, if you don’t show the score, the perception is already different. It has been known that for example with music of Brian Ferneyhough, that if you don’t show the score, no one has any problems. You can just hear it. And the structure is quite clear and transparent, you can really enjoy it. The problem only starts when you show the scores. The process of information is different. (Kanno)

Analyzing the score is for Veli Kujala also an important aspect to consider, when being part of ensemble; especially for knowing also what other members of the ensemble are doing and what are relations among the dynamics in the work, which brings musical, logical-mathematical and visual- spatial intelligence together with awareness and intrapersonal and interpersonal ways of thinking.

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If you study chamber music, you need to analyze the score to see what if your position in the ensemble. It doesn’t help a lot if you get an information from your part that you should play piano or mezzo forte – it is rather important to know your dynamics in relation to the other members of ensemble. To know what the piano or the mezzo forte dynamic of this particular ensemble is. (Kujala)