Musicians get their ear from practice, not genes

Have you ever known an individual who seems to have an incredibly natural ability to pick up music easily? I've known several, and I always used to think they just were "genetically predisposed" to being so gifted. Well, the University of Arkansas has done some research on the topic and discovered that it has more to do with training and practice than genes.

By subjecting musicians to solo recordings of Bach's violin and flute pieces, they used functional magnetic resonance imaging to scan their brains. The activity of their brains mirrored evidence that suggests experience plays a bigger role than genetic makeup.

Those who had more experience with a violin showed increased brain activity when listening to flute renditions. The vice versa was true for flutists. Researchers say if genes played more of determining factor, then the brain activity should have been equal for both recordings. I guess this goes to show you that nothing beats a little hard work!