Musical Smart

Should Animators not also be taught how to be musical smart?

In my previous post I wrote about how Baena believes that there is a link between animating and making music. If this is indeed the case, it means that animators most probably also use musical intelligence when they animate. According to Howard Gardner, a Ph.D Professor of Education at Harvard University, one’s intelligence (or competencies) can be grouped into the nine intelligences listed below:

1.      Verbal-linguistic intelligence

2.      Logical-mathematical intelligence

3.      Spatial-visual intelligence

4.      Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligence

5.      Musical intelligence

6.      Interpersonal intelligence

7.      Intrapersonal intelligence

8.      Naturalist intelligence

9.      Existential intelligence

According to Oxford dictionary intelligence is “the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills”. Gardener states that each person has a unique blend of the different intelligences and that teaching strategies should address multiple intelligences to reach the student’s full potential.

It is reasonable to assume that animators should have spatial-visual (or picture smart) intelligence which can be described as the creating of visual images and understanding the relationships between meanings and images. However, if Baena is correct, they should also have musical (musical smart) intelligence, i.e. as the awareness, appreciation and use of sound and the recognition of tonal and rhythmic patterns. This begs the question whether the training of animators should not also include the development of their musical intelligence? And, whether the theory of music should not also be included in the curriculum of animation students?

Reference: Gardner, Howard. "Multiple Intelligences." (2010). Web. 22 Feb. 2016

Visual Music

Visual Music

I recently came across a blog post Carlos Baena wrote for AnimationMentor. In the post he compares music with animation and talks about ‘visual music’. Music and animation, according to Baena, are similar in so many ways and can be used in a combination of ways either for inspiration, for pacing or for timing purposes.

The concept of ‘visual music’ interests me greatly. Baena defines visual music as the end result of what animators do in animation. In the post he also explains how musical terms have animation synonyms, for example, Tempo in music will be Pacing in animation. Musical timing and performance timing basically entails exactly the same thing just in different mediums. He also compares posing elements with musical instruments stating that sometimes in a concert you need a solo performer and in other parts the whole orchestra joins in. In animation the solo artist will be, for example, one part of a character’s body where the orchestra will be the whole character including all of his/her body parts.

He concludes by saying how he also uses music as a source of inspiration for character design and how he often imagine characters doing certain actions to the beat of the music; as the music grows the characters’ movements change and progress.

I agree with Baena that many elements or animation principles can be equated to musical elements. 


Reference: Baena, Carlos. "Animation as Visual Music." AnimationMentor. 26 Feb. 2015. Web. 16 Feb. 2016.