This is scientific Americans 60 second science. I'm Karen Hopkins. This will just take a minute.

Hey, do you know how to get the Carnegie Hall?

Practice, man. You might also want to switch on your Alpha Synuclein gene and throw in a dual

specificity phosphatase or two because a new study finds that these and other

genes are activated when professional musicians strut their stuff.

The findings are in the journal Nature Scientific Reports.

Mastering an instrument is no easy feat.

It requires timing, coordination, emotional interpretation, and an ability to integrate information that comes in through the ears, the eyes, and the fingers.

But what gives rise to musical ability, biologically speaking?

To find out, researchers took blood samples. musical ability, biologically speaking.

To find out, researchers took blood samples from 10 professional musicians

before and after they played a selection of pieces by Stravinsky, Haydn, Mozart,

and Bach.

And they identified all of the genes that were turned on during the performance. That is, those genes that actually got transcribed into RNAs that could be used to make proteins. What they saw was a boost in the activity of genes involved in neural growth and flexibility

which could account for musicians brains being good at forging new connections

genes involved in motor control were also revved up,

as were those that light up the brain's pleasure center.

Perhaps not surprisingly, versions of about a third of these musically important genes

are known also to be active in songbirds.

Another creature whose livelihood depends on using musical talent to wow an audience.

Thanks for the minute.

Scientific Americans, 60 Second Science, I'm Karen Hopkins.

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