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Brief Communications

Nature 409, 580 (1 February 2001) | doi:10.1038/35054668

Open Innovation Challenges

Neuroperception:  Superior auditory spatial tuning in conductors

Thomas F. Münte1, Christine Kohlmetz2,3, Wido Nager3 & Eckart Altenmüller2

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Conducting a large orchestra is an impressive feat that simultaneously requires the intake of the whole musical gestalt and the analytical decomposition of the orchestral sound into its components1. How, for example, does a conductor identify a specific musician within a multiplayer section? Here we provide evidence from brain-potential recordings that experienced professional conductors develop enhanced auditory localization mechanisms in peripheral space.