Andy Pool, the bassist for band Sign the Surrender, has worked hard for six years to become the bass player he is today.

Despite his dedication, however, he might not be where he is now if it wasn't for his parents.

"My dad encouraged me to pursue my interests, gave me lessons and he explained to me the nuances of equipment and amps," he said.

Pool said his dad's love of bass influenced his decision to pick it up. His dad also plays guitar and mandolin and participated in high school musicals, and his mom sang in choirs as a child. Pool's father still keeps up with his music by playing at bars, and both used to jam together in their basement.

Pool's musical development calls to mind one of psychology's fundamental questions: Are these musicians' talents in their genes, or are they products of their parents' influence? A new television show is trying to find the answer.

MTV's reality show, Rock the Cradle, which premiered April 3, attempts to explore the nature-versus-nurture question by pitting musical celebrities' children against each other as they compete for a record contract.

The show airs at 10 p.m. Thursdays and features children of musicians such as Dee Snider, Eddie Money and Olivia Newton John.

The show is out to prove whether or not these rock star babies were gifted with their parents' musical chops at conception.

"They've got talent running through their veins," the show's MTV Web site states, "but can they put it to good use and make their dreams come true?"

But when it comes to musical talent, one professor believes it's a result of both musical genes and parents' influence. It's difficult to pin down exactly how much each asserts influence on individuals, Kenneth Weiss, Evan Pugh professor of anthropology and genetics, wrote in an e-mail.

"Basically every human trait involves both inherited factors and environmental or lifestyle factors," he wrote. "In most cases, and generally for traits like musical ability, there are too many factors involved to make strong statements. Even when things are strongly determined by genes, different children of the same parents can differ."

Some studies have attempted to discover a connection between genetics and musical ability, Weiss wrote.

He noted a study that linked a specific gene to perfect pitch but wrote it was considered inconclusive because of weak evidence and the scientist's inability to replicate the experiment.

Although his parents were never in a band, Matthew Whittle said they still nurtured his musical talent and tastes.

"I was definitely influenced by my dad's music taste," said Whittle, singer and guitarist for Matthew and the Judes. "My parents can't read music or play instruments, but they're music fans."

Whittle said there is merit to both sides of the theory regarding pitch.

"Having an ear for music can be trained, but people can also have a natural ability," he said.

Weiss wrote that the variety of music further complicates things.

"Every person has some degree of basic, inborn ability for music," he wrote. "But there are so many kinds of music or ways to do music, that it is difficult, if not impossible, even to define whether the person has such inborn ability."

Whittle also said he knows of at least one example where the child of music stars is successful.

"Sean Lennon is proof that children of music stars can have musical talent," he said about the son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono. "He's amazing."

Like Weiss, Whittle said this issue leads to a gray area that may never be resolved.

"Whether famous musical families like the Bachs were successful because of their genetic or their cultural inheritance is something we can have countless hours of fun arguing over," he wrote. "But at present, we don't have a good way to know."