| Abstract: | The doctoral dissertation addresses the development of musical talent as a complex, multidimensional and dynamic process, unfolding through the interplay of external and internal factors across different life periods. Through both theoretical and empirical approaches, it provides an in-depth exploration of the multilayered nature of musical talent in a specific sample of organists. The theoretical part of the dissertation encompasses findings from the fields of giftedness and talent, with an emphasis on developmental models of giftedness, as well as theoretical foundations relating to the characteristics of musical talent (musical abilities, musical creativity, musical performance, musical activities, musical knowledge and non-musical characteristics) and musical development in childhood, adolescence and adulthood. The theoretical insights obtained were further supported by an analysis of scientific biographies of renowned organ artists from the 16th to the 20th century, which revealed that exceptional artistic achievements result from the intertwining of family tradition, high-quality education, cultural-environmental influences, and the individual's personal characteristics. Based on an extensive literature review, a set of ten external factors (mother, father, family encouragements, parental education, music instrument teacher, quality of instrumental instruction, quality of music theory instruction, class climate, peers, and critical life events) and nineteen internal factors (interest, passion, perseverance, hard work, perfectionism, achievement motivation, learning and working strategies, practice or amount of practice, musical perception, stress, performance anxiety, assessment anxiety, control expectations, innate musical potential [musical ability, musical aptitude], musicality, intellectual abilities, creative abilities, psycho-motor skills, and social competence) was formulated. Based on an extensive review of the literature, a set of ten external factors (mother, father, family support, parents’ educational background, instrumental teacher, quality of instrumental instruction, quality of music theory instruction, classroom climate, peers, and critical life events) and nineteen internal factors (interest, passion, perseverance, hard work, perfectionism, achievement motivation, learning and work strategies, practice/practice quantity, musical perception, stress, performance anxiety, fear of evaluation, management of expectations, innate musical potential [musical ability and musical aptitude], musicality, intellectual abilities, creative abilities, psychomotor abilities, and social competencies) was identified. In the empirical part of the study, an exploratory factor analysis was conducted based on organists’ retrospective self-assessments of the perceived role of external and internal factors in the development of musical talent, collected using an established 7-point Likert scale across different life stages. The study included 97 organists from 24 countries across all continents except Asia. The factor analysis revealed seven dimensions: family environment, specialised educational environment, general educational environment, musical abilities and potential, work characteristics, psychological factors, and social competencies. The framework demonstrates a gradual shift from the predominance of external factors in earlier life stages to internal factors in later life stages, confirming the dynamic and multidimensional nature of musical talent. The analysis also identified associations between gender, life stages, level of achievement, domains of musical talent characteristics, status (professional and prospective organists), and the identified dimensions. Overall, the findings contribute to a deeper understanding of musical talent development among organists and provide a foundation for evidence-based pedagogical approaches to identifying, nurturing, and developing musical potential. |
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