A Ray in the Life

Going through my playlists and choosing music to share with our i24 playlist was a nostalgic voyage of decades of memories. Some of the songs marked major milestones like the first song I remember singing to an audience (Hound Dog, Elvis), the first time I shared a joint (Whole Lotta Love – Zepplin) or the song (and Album) that got me through a major depression, (I Forgot That Love Existed – Van Morrison the album also includes my favourite Sax instrumental – Spanish Steps).  

There are so many more.

“If my heart could do the thinking,

And my head begin to feel

I’d look upon the world anew

And know what’s truly real…”

Next to the sense of smell, music is a powerful time travel machine. It profoundly affects our memories and how we encode, store, and recall them. I did a bit of digging into why this is so, and here’s what I came up with:

Emotional Enhancement of Memories:

1. Music often carries emotional content. Emotions can strengthen memory encoding, making memories more vivid and easier to recall. Hearing music that was playing during a significant event in your life can trigger a flood of emotions and associated memories. 

Contextual Cueing:

1. Music can serve as a powerful contextual cue. Hearing a piece of music can transport you back to the time and place you first heard it, recalling the associated experiences. This is similar to how a specific smell can trigger detailed memories.

Mood Regulation:

1. Music can affect and alter our mood, which can, in turn, influence our ability to encode and retrieve memories. How often do you seek out a particular piece of music because of your feelings?  It can act as a catharsis, as in when you’re “blue,” you listen to sad songs, or when you’re in a very good mood, a little Donna Summer or Kylie Minogue is your friend on the dance floor. 

Identity and Social Connectivity:Music is a social phenomenon tied to our personal and cultural identity. It reinforces memories we have in common with others. It could be a song from a children’s TV show you remember in common with a new friend – the theme from the Passe-Partout or the Green Sleeves music opener to The Friendly Giant.

Shared musical experiences can create collective memories that strengthen social bonds. Karaoke, anyone? Campfire songs? Next to language, music is a channel that connects strangers and friends alike.

Of course, the music that inspires memories will differ given age, demographic and geography, but what is different about this last generation is that we listen to multi-generational music. When I was a happy hippie spreading love and peace like fertilizer around me, I wouldn’t dream of tuning into my dad’s generation of music, Big Bands, crooners and such. I was of the Beatles generation. Of course, nearly everyone has listened to a Beatles song or a classic rock song from the seventies. Music is universal, even if musical tastes aren’t. Keep on truckin’.