When the brain plays music:

Music performance is both a natural human activity, present in all societies, and one of the most complex and demanding cognitive challenges that the human mind can undertake. Unlike most other sensory-motor activities, music performance requires precise timing of several hierarchically organized actions, as well as precise control over pitch interval production, implemented through diverse effectors according to the instrument involved. We review the cognitive neuroscience literature of both motor and auditory domains, highlighting the value of studying interactions between these systems in a musical context, and propose some ideas concerning the role of the premotor cortex in integration of higher order features of music with appropriately timed and organized actions.

Nat Rev Neurosci. 2007 Jul;8(7):547-58. Zatorre RJ, Chen JL, Penhune VB. Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, 3801 University Street, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. robert.zatorre@mcgill.ca