Bill Pirkle <[log in to unmask]> writes:

>The process, as you might know, is called habituation.  They did this
>experiment.  A 2 week old baby was suckling (nursing) and they played
>middle C. [...] Sound is certainly fundamentally wired into us.  I think that
>perfect pitch can be learned if one starts early enough.  Say 3 months
>of age.  In fact, I think that the brain can learn anything including how
>to think like Beethoven, Mozart, et.  al.  about music.

I don't know of course, but according to what You mention, they did this
experimant to one baby.  How do you know that this wasn't a baby with a
good pitch.  There is such a function in the brain which only some people
posses, and they inherit it genetically.

>Many prodigies happened because they came from musical atmosphere (filled
>with rich musical sounds) and started at a very early age, IMHO.

You don't regard another possibility.  prodigies who come from a musical
atmosphere (I take it you mean a musical family, with musical parents),
often had parents with good capacity for music (I'm talking genes here),
and they had likely inherited it.  Just musical atmosphere doesn't do,
other had a such in their childhood, but never became prodigies.

Mats Norrman
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