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August 19, 2008
The Soundtrack of Our Lives
Something that continually fascinates me is how closely music is tied to emotion and memory. Much like pictures and smells, songs can evoke memories (and emotions tied to those memories) in a way that transcends the lyrics and original meaning of the song.
For example, whenever I hear the song, "You're So Vain", I have an instant recollection sitting cross-legged on the '70s shag carpet in my parents living room, watching my mother sing along (while vacuuming) as the song poured out of our recently purchased Hi-Fi stereo system.
The image that comes to my mind, and the nostalgic feeling it evokes, has nothing to do with Carly Simon's critical profile of a self-absorbed lover. There's no mention of a shag carpet or vacuum in the lyrics (believe me...I've looked!).
The memory is triggered because that was where I was (and what I was doing) when I first heard the song. And this memory can have a huge impact on how you react to a song...even on a subconsious level. In fact, any memory can be irrevocably imprinted with a song (or vice-versa). Sometimes songs can be ruined for you forever just by association with a painful memory.
One time I was playing a solo night at the Red Fox Lounge and in the bar were some women who were celebrating a recent divorce. They were drinking and having a good ole time and I started playing "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton. Sounds safe enough, huh?
Wrong.
Turns out (I found out later) that "Wonderful Tonight" was the recent divorcee's wedding song. And she thought that I was playing some sort of sick joke on her (I had absolutely NO idea). So suddenly I'm getting booed (I mean really BOOOED) at by this group of 5 drunken ladies. It really turned the tiny room sour.
So anytime I come across science dudes doing research in this area, I always take note (I like to avoid getting booed). These guys took the top songs from iTunes and had people listen to them and answer surveys. The results are not profound, by any stretch, but may make you think about what songs are intertwined into your memories, essentially forming the soundtrack of your life.
To read more click here: Music and memory: How the songs we heard growing up shape the story of our lives
For example, whenever I hear the song, "You're So Vain", I have an instant recollection sitting cross-legged on the '70s shag carpet in my parents living room, watching my mother sing along (while vacuuming) as the song poured out of our recently purchased Hi-Fi stereo system.
The image that comes to my mind, and the nostalgic feeling it evokes, has nothing to do with Carly Simon's critical profile of a self-absorbed lover. There's no mention of a shag carpet or vacuum in the lyrics (believe me...I've looked!).
The memory is triggered because that was where I was (and what I was doing) when I first heard the song. And this memory can have a huge impact on how you react to a song...even on a subconsious level. In fact, any memory can be irrevocably imprinted with a song (or vice-versa). Sometimes songs can be ruined for you forever just by association with a painful memory.
One time I was playing a solo night at the Red Fox Lounge and in the bar were some women who were celebrating a recent divorce. They were drinking and having a good ole time and I started playing "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton. Sounds safe enough, huh?
Wrong.
Turns out (I found out later) that "Wonderful Tonight" was the recent divorcee's wedding song. And she thought that I was playing some sort of sick joke on her (I had absolutely NO idea). So suddenly I'm getting booed (I mean really BOOOED) at by this group of 5 drunken ladies. It really turned the tiny room sour.
So anytime I come across science dudes doing research in this area, I always take note (I like to avoid getting booed). These guys took the top songs from iTunes and had people listen to them and answer surveys. The results are not profound, by any stretch, but may make you think about what songs are intertwined into your memories, essentially forming the soundtrack of your life.
To read more click here: Music and memory: How the songs we heard growing up shape the story of our lives
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