The impact that music has on the brain has been studied by various researchers over the years. It has been found that music is profoundly associated to long-term memory. In a recent study that was published in The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease, it was discovered that music is kept in an area of the brain that is not affected by dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. This means that while a sufferer of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease may lose memories of many things, such as places, names, and facts, memories associated with music is better preserved. As such, the link between music and memory is a strong one. Read on to find out more about the link between music and memory.
Types of Memory
Often when we hear a particular song, what comes to mind is strong emotions rather than simply the ability to recite its lyrics. Sometimes, we may even recall specific situations in which we hear the song in addition to feeling the same emotions we felt then. Negative feelings may be evoked by a song that one used to love if it is strongly associated with an upsetting event. This is why we often grow to dislike our favorite song when we use it as an alarm that disrupts us from sleep. These experiences are made possible by our implicit memory.
There are different types of memory. The two main types of long-term memory are explicit and implicit memory. Explicit memory involves intentionally recalling previously learned information and experiences, while implicit memory requires little to no conscious effort to recall. A large part of our memory is in the unconscious mind. Going back to study published in The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease, while explicit memory systems can be damaged by conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, implicit memory systems are sturdier. This makes memories stimulated by music to be much more memorable and easily retrieved over time.
Using Music as a Mnemonic Device
Music has been used a mnemonic device throughout the course of human history. Some notable examples include the ABC song, the periodic table song, and Fifty Nifty United States. Music that is used as mnemonic devices typically makes use of a structure that allows the brain to easily unlock information stored. When using music as a cue for retrieving information, the brain processes the information and retrieves it easily because of devices, such as rhythm, rhyme, and alliteration.
If you are looking to enroll your child into an award-winning music education program, look no further than Mind Muzic. We have a wide variety of lessons covering different subjects to make learning fun for them and strengthen their memory. Contact us today to let us know how we can meet your children’s learning needs with music education.