Absolute Pitch-- Nature or Nurture?

Absolute pitch-- the ability to identify the exact pitch of a tone just by hearing it on an instrument is a perceptive skill Mozart possessed. It is often said that when Mozart was a young boy, his father would demonstrate Mozart's perfect (absolute) pitch ability to delight and awe his audiences.

Back in 2002, a group of scientists in Sydney Australia utilized PET and MRI scans to identify the part of the brain responsible for absolute pitch. However, they couldn't determine whether this was a musical gift that was innate or nurtured. (abc.net.au)
Right frontal (planum temporale) activation in musicians with perfect (absolute) pitch

Today Jane Gitschier, a geneticist at University of California at San Francisco is currently leading a study on absolute pitch from a genetic and cognitive standpoint. Her objectives for the study? "To discover the genes that are involved in the development of absolute pitch... and to better understand the interplay of genetics and musical training in the development of this cognitive trait." She and her colleagues hope to apply the results of their finding to other areas of study such as "language ability, and, more broadly, to neurodevelopment." (UC Genetics of Absolute Pitch Study)

So far, Gitschier and her colleagues have discovered that like so many things, both nature and nurture come into play in order to determine whether or not someone will have absolute pitch. For example you are more likely to have perfect pitch if you have the genetic code for this trait and have been musically groomed during the critical window: birth to age 7. The study points out that early formal musical training alone will not guarantee absolute pitch. Interestingly enough, the older you get, the sharper a note is perceived (for example, when you hear the middle C, you might perceive the note as C sharp instead).

So do you have absolute pitch? You can find out by taking a survey on line! They are currently looking for participants to continue their absolute pitch study.