The neuroscience of music; a review and summary.

Present knowledge about the neurobiology of music is discussed and summarised. Music playing, reading and listening are all complex processes requiring co-ordination of various parts of the brain in hierarchically structured sequences. The involvement of the right hemisphere of the brain in musical functions is well established, however in fact both hemispheres are involved. Plasticity is heavily involved in all functions of the brain related to music. The role of mirror neuron systems of the brain appears to be of great importance and parallels exist in the development and functioning of language and music.