Going through my playlists is a nostalgic trip through decades of memories. Some of the songs marked major milestones like the first song I sang to in our front room on Lewis Street. (Hound Dog, Elvis). The first time I smoked a joint while on an overnight stay on P.E.I with the Little General and friends on a School dance gig. (Whole Lotta Love – Zepplin) And much later, the song (and Album) that got me through a major depression, (I Forgot That Love Existed – Van Morrison from the ’87 album Poetic Champions Compose. (the album also includes my favourite Sax instrumental – Spanish Steps).
“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:
Throw a song at me from the late 50’s to the late 90’s and I’ll conjure up an image from my memory bank that it creates.
For example, here’s a list of a number of songs that trigger specific memories.
Hound Dog – Elvis 1956. – Doing my impression in the front room age 5.
I‘ll Build a Dollhouse – Donnie Brooks 1960 first song I remember watching spin on the turntable singing along with.
Mashed Potato Time by Dee Dee Sharp 1962 My first live concert at the Moncton Arena. I did a great mashed potato.
Then thee are The Beatles. There are too many memories to list so here’s just a few: She Loves You – The Beatles – 1963 It was the start of Beatle mania and the butt of jokes. I added to that by doing my sad imitation of Paul shaking his head while “yea, yeah, yeah-ing”. My brother Paul was a huge fan and bought their albums which played constantly in our bedroom. One particular memory kicker was the soundtrack to A Hard Days Night, (the USA release not the UK one)especially the George Martin instrumental version of And I Love Her and I Should Have Known Better.
I was big fan of going to dances, school, community halls, church basements. Between the age =s of fourteen and sixteen, I was a regular at every dance every weekend. I always loved dancing and given I was a very good one, I also enjoyed the attention I received. An example of this which leads me to a memeroble Beatles record memory is having won a prize on the MOncton version of American Bandstand called Top Ten Plus, hosted by the Little General, (Ronnie Bourgeois) a radio DJ on CKCW.
Emotional Enhancement of Memories:
- 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:
- 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:
- 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 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. Whatever the period, the genre, or whether you liked it or not, when you hear that song play, your brain reconstitutes the look, sound and smells of when it was part of your soundtrack.
Keep on truckin’.
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