Usually very musical
Children with WBS are usually very musical and are excellent at memorising songs and melodies. Many individuals with WBS can sing well or play a musical instrument. Their musical intelligence sometimes even exceeds their general intelligence.
‘Children with Williams syndrome are highly mentally retarded - usually their IQ is below 60 - but they are exceptionally warm-hearted, outgoing and talkative, and have a particular fondness for music. Music therapy also reduces their anxiety. All aspects of musical intelligence are often high and early in these people, and they enjoy playing music with each other and for others. Oliver Sacks describes a woman with this syndrome who can sing thousands of arias in 35 languages by heart. People with Williams syndrome are certainly not all musically gifted, but practically all of them like nu music. The brains of people with this syndrome are about 20% smaller than normal, but the reduction is only occipital and parietal and not temporal where the auditory, verbal and musical faculties are located. Moreover, music also activates brain structures in them, which are not normally activated to that extent, such as the amygdala and cerebellum.’
Ons Creatieve Brein - hoe mens en wereld elkaar maken, published on 1 Jun 2016
