Maryann DiEdwardo -case study research on Pairing Music and Linguistic Intelligences

In 2004, statistical results of case study research suggest that pairing music and linguistic intelligences in the college classroom improves students’ grades and abilities to compose theses statements for research papers in courses that emphasize reading and writing skills (DiEdwardo 2004).   In initial study in 2003, Maryann refined Howard Gardner’s (1993) definition of music as a “separate intellectual competence” and compared music intelligence to linguistic intelligence. Furthermore, through acknowledgement of MI Theory, educators infuse cognitive abilities of students by helping them “think” as one of my students suggested. As Howard Gardner suggests, “Very worthwhile. The next step is to figure out why you got the effects that you did. Is music motivational? Does it activate other brain centers? Does it have some kind of intrinsic link to linguistic capacities? Would the effect work the other way around, or with other materials (2004 email)?”