Week 7: Music and Memory

Music is a universal language that transcends cultures and ages. It has been a part of human history for thousands of years, and many of us have fond memories tied to certain songs or melodies. But music is much more than a pleasant sound.  It can also have an effect  on our brain and body.  But the most fascinating connection is that of music and our memory.

This lesson will explore how music affects different parts of the brain, the emotional and cognitive benefits of music, and how you can incorporate music into your daily life to improve your mental and physical well-being.

Our memories come in several different forms. Short-term memory helps us hold onto information for a brief time, like remembering a phone number long enough to dial it. Long-term memory stores information for extended periods—from hours to decades. Within long-term memory, we have declarative memory (facts and events we can consciously recall) and procedural memory (unconscious memory of skills and routines, like riding a bike).

What makes music so special is that it activates multiple memory systems simultaneously. When we listen to or perform music, we engage our procedural memory for the rhythm and physical responses, semantic memory for understanding musical structure, episodic memory for personal experiences associated with the music, and emotional memory for the feelings the music evokes. This widespread activation across different memory systems helps explain why musical memories often remain accessible even when other types of memories become difficult to retrieve.

When you listen to music, many different parts of your brain light up and start working together. The brain processes music differently from other types of sounds, which is why music can evoke such strong emotions and memories. Here are some of the key areas of the brain that are affected by music:

Have you ever noticed how a certain song can instantly transport you back in time? Maybe it's the tune that was playing during your first dance, a lullaby from childhood, or a favorite hymn. There's something truly special about how music sticks with us throughout our lives.

What's even more amazing is that music often stays with us even when other memories begin to fade. For people experiencing memory challenges or conditions like Alzheimer's disease, musical memories can remain strong and clear when other types of memories become difficult to access.

This remarkable ability has been observed countless times in care settings—individuals who may not recognize family members can still sing along word-for-word to songs from their youth. Some musicians with advanced memory conditions can still play instruments or conduct orchestras, drawing on musical skills that remain intact when other abilities have diminished. These observations aren't just heartwarming stories; they offer important insights into how our brains store and access different types of memories.

The "Earworm" Phenomenon: When Music Won't Let Go

Have you ever had a song get "stuck" in your head, playing over and over throughout your day? This common experience, known as an "earworm," provides fascinating clues about how deeply music connects to our memory systems.

Researchers have found that earworms (or "involuntary musical imagery") typically feature simple, repetitive melodies with unique or unexpected elements. These musical patterns are specially designed to engage our brain's memory systems. When a melody has just the right combination of predictability and surprise, our brains seem particularly eager to rehearse and remember it.

The earworm phenomenon demonstrates how efficiently our brains encode musical information—often after just a single listening. While you might struggle to remember a paragraph you read this morning, you can probably recall advertising jingles from decades ago! This exceptional ability to remember music appears to use specialized memory pathways that remain accessible even when other types of memory become challenging.

Interestingly, earworms can occur more frequently in people experiencing mild memory difficulties, suggesting they might represent the brain's automatic rehearsal system working to strengthen neural connections. This natural tendency to repeat and practice musical patterns may help explain why musical memories remain accessible longer than many other types of memories.

Scientists have been fascinated by this phenomenon for years. Here's what they've discovered about why music has such staying power in our minds:

Music Creates Strong Emotional Connections

The songs that matter most to us are usually tied to important moments and feelings in our lives. Jäncke (2008) discovered that these emotional connections make musical memories particularly strong and lasting.

Think about songs that trigger vivid memories—perhaps your wedding song, a childhood lullaby, or music from significant life events. The emotional power of these connections helps cement these memories in our minds. The amygdala, a key brain structure involved in processing emotions, often remains relatively preserved in the early stages of memory decline. This helps explain why emotionally charged musical memories can remain accessible when other types of memories become difficult to retrieve.

Samson and colleagues (2009) found that even people with significant memory challenges could still recognize emotions in music, showing that this emotional processing remains remarkably resilient.

The Brain's Reward System and Musical Anticipation

One fascinating aspect of music's emotional power involves our brain's reward system. Researchers have discovered that listening to music we enjoy triggers the release of dopamine—the same "feel-good" brain chemical associated with pleasurable activities like eating delicious food or spending time with loved ones.

What's particularly interesting is that dopamine is released not just during the most enjoyable parts of music but also in anticipation of those moments. For example, in classical pieces that build toward a dramatic change or climax, brain scans show dopamine release beginning just before that special moment arrives. This happens with familiar music because our brain remembers and anticipates the emotional high points—creating a sense of pleasurable anticipation.

A well-known example is Beethoven's String Quartet No. 14, where shifts between musical sections create these anticipatory responses. The brain actually experiences two waves of pleasure—first in anticipation, then in experiencing the musical moment itself. This same pattern occurs whether you're listening to classical compositions, jazz improvisations, or the perfect pop song bridge that gives you "chills."

This anticipatory pleasure helps explain why we enjoy listening to the same music repeatedly—our brain's reward system activates not just from surprise but from correctly predicting emotional peaks. This combination of emotional arousal and reward strengthens the neural connections associated with the music, essentially "burning" these musical memories more deeply into our minds than ordinary, emotionally neutral memories.

The strong connection between emotional arousal and memory formation explains why music from our teenage and young adult years often remains especially vivid throughout life. During these formative years, we typically experience music with heightened emotional intensity, creating particularly strong memory associations that can last a lifetime—even through significant cognitive change.

Playing Music Uses "Muscle Memory"

For those who play instruments or sing regularly, music becomes part of what's called "procedural memory"—similar to riding a bike or tying shoelaces. Baird and Samson (2009) observed that these skills often remain intact even when other kinds of memory are challenged.

Procedural memory involves different brain structures than the memories of facts and events, which are often the first to be affected by conditions like Alzheimer's disease. This explains why someone might struggle to remember what they had for breakfast but can still play a piano sonata they learned decades ago. The basal ganglia and cerebellum, brain structures crucial for procedural memory, are often less affected in the early stages of memory conditions.

Activity:  What songs are part of your life?

•  Year of the Cat

•  I will always love you

• How can you mend a broken heart

• Whiter Shade of Pale

The special relationship between music and memory offers many benefits:

Emotional Comfort and Better Mood

Familiar music can help manage feelings of anxiety or agitation. Gerdner (2012) found that personalized music—songs that have special meaning to each individual—can significantly improve mood and reduce stress.

This effect is so powerful that many care facilities now use personalized playlists as a first approach before medications when residents become anxious or upset. The right song at the right time can sometimes calm agitation more effectively and with fewer side effects than medication.

Music's emotional impact works through several pathways. It can distract from uncomfortable feelings, evoke positive memories, provide a sense of comfort and familiarity in unfamiliar environments, and even help regulate heart rate and breathing.

Connecting With Personal Memories

Music can help unlock personal stories and experiences. El Haj and colleagues (2015) discovered that when people with memory challenges listened to favorite songs, they recalled personal memories more quickly, with more detail, and with stronger emotions than without music.

These "music-evoked autobiographical memories" often contain rich details about the past—who was there, what was happening, and how it felt. Family members and caregivers report breakthrough moments when a loved one with advanced memory loss suddenly recalls detailed stories after hearing a meaningful song from their past. These moments of connection can be deeply meaningful for everyone involved.

Cultural Memory and Heritage Through Music

Music doesn't just preserve our individual memories—it also carries our cultural heritage and collective history. Folk songs, traditional music, and cultural celebrations often use music to pass down stories, values, and traditions from one generation to the next.

Consider Elena, an 87-year-old woman who immigrated to America from Ukraine as a young adult. Though she sometimes struggles with day-to-day memory, when she hears traditional Ukrainian folk songs, her eyes light up. She can sing along to lyrics she hasn't heard in decades, and afterward often shares detailed stories about village celebrations, family traditions, and her childhood home. The music serves as a bridge not just to her personal past but to her cultural identity and heritage.

This phenomenon occurs across cultures worldwide. Traditional music often uses distinctive rhythms, scales, and instruments that create an immediate sense of cultural belonging and recognition. The emotional connection to one's cultural roots can be particularly powerful for people who have moved far from their birthplace or whose cultural practices have become less common in daily life.

In many Indigenous communities, songs carry not just cultural stories but also practical knowledge about medicine, navigation, or seasonal changes. These musical traditions represent sophisticated memory systems that have preserved vital information across centuries without written language.

For people experiencing memory challenges, culturally significant music often remains accessible and meaningful even when other connections have faded. Playing traditional music from someone's cultural background can evoke not just personal memories but a sense of belonging and identity that transcends individual experience.

Keeping Minds Active

Regular musical activities can help maintain thinking skills. Särkämö and researchers (2014) showed that singing familiar songs or simply listening to beloved music helped maintain cognitive function and improved quality of life for people with mild to moderate memory challenges.

Their study found improvements in several areas of cognitive function, including attention, executive function, and general cognitive status. Singing was particularly beneficial, perhaps because it combines music with language, emotion, and sometimes movement, activating multiple brain functions simultaneously.

Staying Social

Music provides wonderful opportunities for connecting with others, even when conversation becomes difficult. Clair (1996) demonstrated that music helps people engage socially, creating meaningful interactions through shared songs, rhythms, and movement.

In group settings, music creates a shared experience that doesn't rely on memory or verbal skills. People who might struggle with conversation can still clap, tap their feet, sing along, or simply enjoy being part of a group experience. Music groups often foster a sense of belonging and community that helps combat isolation—a significant risk factor for cognitive decline.

Maintaining Physical Abilities

The rhythm in music can help with movement and coordination. Thaut and colleagues (2009) found that music with a steady beat can improve walking and physical movement in various conditions.

This effect, known as "entrainment," happens when our body's natural rhythms synchronize with external rhythms. Even people who have difficulty with coordinated movement may find themselves naturally tapping a foot or swaying to music. Physical therapists and movement specialists often use rhythmic music to improve gait, balance, and coordination in rehabilitation settings.

Reducing Caregiver Stress

The benefits of music extend beyond the individual to include caregivers as well. Cox and colleagues (2014) found that music interventions not only benefited people with memory challenges but also reduced stress and improved job satisfaction among caregivers.

Shared musical experiences can create positive, meaningful interactions that strengthen bonds between caregivers and their loved ones, offering a welcome break from routine care tasks. Music can transform challenging caregiving moments into opportunities for connection and joy.

A Lifetime of Musical Benefits

Interestingly, having musical experience throughout life may actually help protect our thinking skills as we age. Hanna-Pladdy and MacKay (2011) discovered that older adults who had played music for at least 10 years performed better on several thinking and memory tests compared to those who hadn't played music.

This protective effect, sometimes called "cognitive reserve," suggests that musical training creates additional neural pathways that provide some resilience against age-related changes or damage. The benefits appear strongest for those who began music training early in life, but research shows that starting musical activities at any age can create positive changes in the brain.

It's never too late to gain benefits from music. Studies have shown that even beginning musical training in older adulthood can lead to improvements in memory, attention, and executive function. The combination of learning new skills, engaging multiple brain systems, and the social aspects of making music together creates a powerful stimulus for cognitive health.

Many healthcare settings are now incorporating music into care plans as a form of "non-pharmacological intervention." Unlike medications, music has no adverse side effects and can be tailored to each person's preferences and needs.

Some specific applications include:

• Personalized playlists: Creating collections of meaningful songs that can be used to improve mood, stimulate memories, or help with difficult transitions like bathing or bedtime.

• Music therapy sessions: Working with trained music therapists who use evidence-based techniques to address specific goals like improving communication, reducing anxiety, or maintaining physical abilities.

• Background music: Thoughtfully selected music in care environments can create a more positive atmosphere, reduce stress for both residents and staff, and potentially reduce the need for medication.

• Group singalongs: Regular opportunities to sing familiar songs in a group setting can improve mood, create social connections, and provide cognitive stimulation.

Create a "life soundtrack": Make playlists of songs from different periods of your life—childhood, teenage years, young adulthood, etc. Listen to these collections and notice what memories they trigger.

Join a community choir or music group: No experience necessary! Many communities have choirs specifically for older adults with no auditions required. Group singing provides cognitive, emotional, and social benefits all at once.

Make music part of your routine: Listen to music while taking walks, doing household chores, or exercising. Having a regular "music time" each day ensures you get the benefits consistently.

Attend concerts or musical performances: Live music provides multi-sensory stimulation and opportunities for social connection. Look for daytime concerts, which many orchestras and performance venues offer specifically for older adults.

Share music across generations: Ask younger family members about their favorite music and share yours with them. These exchanges can lead to meaningful conversations and strengthen family bonds.

Consider taking up an instrument: It's never too late to learn! Many music stores and community centers offer classes specifically for older beginners. Even simple instruments like hand drums, ukulele, or recorder can provide cognitive benefits and joy.

Use music for relaxation: Create a playlist specifically for unwinding or falling asleep. Slow tempo, gentle music can help lower blood pressure, reduce stress hormones, and improve sleep quality.

Dance to your favorite tunes: Adding movement to music multiplies the benefits, engaging more parts of the brain and body simultaneously. Dancing also improves balance and coordination while lifting your spirits.

Remember, the music that matters most is the music that matters to YOU. Your personal connection to certain songs and melodies is what makes music such a powerful tool for memory, emotion, and overall well-being. There's no "right" or "wrong" music—whether you prefer classical symphonies or rock and roll, the best music is whatever brings you joy and triggers positive memories.

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