RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:
Good morning, I'm Renee Montagne. When Spanish musician Carlos Aguilera had brain surgery to remove a tumor, he was awake and playing his sax. Here he is via YouTube.
(SOUNDBITE OF YOUTUBE VIDEO)
CARLOS AGUILERA: (Playing saxophone).
MONTAGNE: Performing during brain surgery allowed doctors to make sure his ability to play the sax stayed intact. It's not unique. A patient in Brazil sang while playing his guitar. And in Slovenia, an opera singer warbled Schubert while under the knife. You're listening to MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.