MUSIC, AGE, PERFORMANCE, AND EXCELLENCE

Playing a musical instrument demands extensive procedural, motor, and cognitive abilities, and early musical learning results in plastic reorganization of the developing brain. Even the adult brain has a considerable plasticity, and neuronal cortical connections can be remodeled by experience during one's lifetime. Current neuroimaging methods have demonstrated complex and widespread activation in many brain areas while one performs, listens, or mentally images music. The patterns of activation can vary with training, previous exposure, personal preference, emotional involvement, and many other factors. Expertise reduces age differences in performance, and the degree of skill maintenance for older expert pianists can be predicted by the amount of practice. Anecdotal data on musicians' creativity and longevity complement these findings.