How Music Shapes Our Memory

Everyone has that one good song that gives them goosebumps. But has anyone wondered why we react to music this way, or why we can experience an extremely similar feeling when we come back to the song many years later?

Music has found a way to permeate every aspect of our lives as a result of its tendencies to create an emotional connection with the audience–movies (with soundtracks), concerts, or your favorite songs are many ways music has opportunities to bring others together and create lasting memories. Since music has impacted many areas of our brain such as the amygdala and hippocampus, studies have shown that listening and connecting with others through music can help fight conditions surrounding memory loss, including dementia and Alzheimer’s. Surprisingly, these parts of the brain that recall music are spared by many memory-loss-oriented disorders, and activating this region and neighboring regions of the brain can be a great way to exercise your brain and delay the continued decline of memory. 

The theory behind musical intervention has had astounding effects on musicians diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Despite being diagnosed with the illness almost 8 years before his death, Tony Bennett’s affiliation with music helped keep him sharp throughout his entire life as well as when he was battling the disease. Even though he could not talk or remember very much towards the end of his life, Bennett was somehow able to remember songs he sang in his 20s, record an entire album with Lady Gaga, and tour around the entire world at the age of 94! Apart from extending his life expectancy, music allowed Bennett to recall fond memories of singing jazz standards like “Cheek to Cheek” or “Love for Sale” and improve his quality of life. 

While Alzheimer’s may be an extreme example, it is good to use music to keep our minds and memories sharp. This can be as easy as playing music you jammed out to in your teenage years, or listening to calming sounds when you feel stressed or angry. Although you may think movies have nothing to do with music, their climaxes are also made memorable through music accompanying in the background. The “Portals” scene in Avengers Endgame or the “Here’s Johnny” scene in The Shining, for example, all incorporate triumphant or suspenseful scores to evoke intense emotions and impact the audience to a greater degree. Therefore, even listening to movies or other audio sources of media that you don’t immediately associate with music can also exercise memory. 

Besides bringing back old memories, music can also help create new ones. Playing music while studying can activate both your left and right brain, which can help channel energy to focus and retain information quickly and effectively. Although this method may not be for everyone, choosing music that can balance keeping you awake while also stopping you from becoming distracted and singing along can be a great way for you to study and remember new information. Anything from classical or jazz music to Lofi or ambient noises (depending on your preferences) can boost your mood to improve studying efficiency and increase your motivation and satisfaction when done. 

Whether it’s uncovering your earliest memories or helping you cram memorizing talking points right before a big presentation, music can improve memory in every way, shape, or form.