What is the importance of music pertaining to our memories, and the significance it has in refreshing memories from days gone by?
By: Shaylin Bogart
It is said that music is a universal language that connects all of us humans, and oftentimes our brains link music to a moment in time where we felt certain emotions, but is this really possible or true?
Can the songs we listen to connect us back to an earlier time in our lives? Or perhaps even a person we used to know.
Sofia Guzman, ’26, says that the song “Amor Escondido” by Patricia Rubio reminded her of the time that her mother played the song for her; it brought her back to memories of being a little kid and singing along to the song despite not knowing Spanish.
Alex Espinoza, ’26, says, “I Know The End” by Phoebe Bridgers, “heavily resonates with me because it captures the moments where I’ve realized an era of my life is coming to an end perfectly. As graduation has been encroaching on me, I’ve had to part ways with close friends; this song has been a huge comfort to me. Not just the lyrics, but the intense journey the instruments take the listener on as well.”
The little moments in our lives that seem insignificant at the moment are happening more often than not, lingering in our memory as some of the fondest and most significant of all.
After the moment has passed, it is gone; you will only be exactly as you are right in this moment, and even that will pass soon enough.
And sometimes the only thing left of a person’s existence is the actions they took in life, and within another person’s memories.
Robin Bron, ’28, says, “There was this day in August that my friends and I dressed up as fairies and went to the creek at night. It was so fun. We took pictures, explored, held frogs, and it was really fun walking in the dark and hearing bats. The song ‘Warsh_Tippy and Zelda‘ by Whatever, Dad reminds me of it.”
Nixie Coar, ’28, says, “A song that makes me feel nostalgic is ‘Dog Days Are Over’ by Florence + The Machine. I had this one friend who was honestly really mean sometimes, but we had a good bond, and he showed me an artist that I listen to a lot now and really enjoy. We were young, and I think that growth takes time, and If I’m a better person than I used to be, he probably is too, hoping our paths cross sometime in the future.”
Songs have the power and commendable ability of stimulating our brains in ways that make it possible for a song to recreate, or rather, reassimilate, the feeling you had around a certain person, even if they aren’t in your life anymore.
What scientific discoveries on the brain prove that music truly has the impact on our brains and memories that we think it does?
According to levinemusic.org, “Music engages various areas of the brain, including those associated with memory and emotion, like the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex. Studies have shown that ‘music doesn’t just help us retrieve stored memories, it also helps us lay down new ones.’ A tune connected to an event or information forms a kind of soundtrack, which, when replayed, can spark a recollection.”
Also, according to Harvard Medicine Magazine, “Music also lights up nearly all of the brain — including the hippocampus and amygdala, which activate emotional responses to music through memory; the limbic system, which governs pleasure, motivation, and reward; and the body’s motor system.”
Studies have clearly shown that music brings back deep-seated memories and emotions in the back of the brain, which isn’t just some mere human exaggeration; it’s scientifically proven that the brain is engaged by many areas when music is played.
So therefore, music has a strong and significant connection to memories that we remember, and the emotions we feel in our bodies from a sentimental and scientific standpoint.
Espinoza says, “Usually I’ll put on an old Disney movie when I’m trying to go to sleep or having a hard day. My parents used to do that when putting me to sleep as a kid, so it’s very comforting to hear Peter Pan or Cinderella playing in the background. Listening to songs like “Baby Mine” from Dumbo or “Your Mother and Mine” from Peter Pan never fails to bring out the kid in my head. Old Disney music makes me feel very secure and warm.”
Shaylin Bogart
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