Musical performance beyond the here-and-now

The liberation of the upper limbs following the adoption of upright posture enabled human ancestors to manipulate reality through increasingly complex extensions, fostering the conditions necessary to emerge new technologies. The innate human tendency to extend into the world generates both the production of material objects and the emergence of sociocultural rhythms. Through the production of tools, our ancestors simultaneously laid the groundwork for that complex signifying activity now called music. Following an evolutionary framework, this article aims to outline the biological and cognitive processes that characterize musical performance, examining how technological advances have generated novel performative outcomes. The focus is on the cognitive, bodily and neural mechanisms underlying the motor control involved in playing musical instruments and performing complex sounds. From the rudimentary act of chipping stone to the intricate compositions of modern times, musical rhythm can be considered an inherent feature of human beings.