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RESEARCH INVENTION JOURNAL OF CURRENT ISSUES IN ARTS AND MANAGEMENT 4(1):35-38, 2025

©RIJCIAM Publications ISSN 1597-8613

https://doi.org/10.59298/RIJCIAM/2025/413538
Page | 35

Music and Memory: The Psychological Effects of

Song
Kakungulu Samuel J.
Faculty of Education, Kampala International University, Uganda
ABSTRACT
This paper examines the profound relationship between music and memory, delving into the cognitive,
emotional, and therapeutic dimensions of this relationship. Music’s ability to evoke vivid memories and
elicit strong emotional responses underscores its significance in personal and collective contexts. By
analyzing the cognitive mechanisms of musical memory, the emotional connections forged through music,
and its therapeutic applications, the study highlights the multifaceted role of music in memory
enhancement and rehabilitation. The paper also emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary research
to further understand and harness the power of music in improving cognitive and emotional well-being,
particularly for individuals with memory impairments.
Keywords: Music, Memory, Emotional responses, Cognitive psychology, Music therapy.
INTRODUCTION
The connection between music and memory runs deep. Melodies and lyrics from various songs rooted in
the soundtrack of a person’s life can bring back vivid memories: the taste of a favorite food, the scent of a
certain perfume, or the touch of a lost lover. These musical prompts can also invoke intense emotional
responses. Throughout history, many cultures have exalted music in part because of its ability to trigger
memories – personal, religious, and national – linked to particular pieces or traditions. In the West, both
philosophy and literature have approached questions about using music to study memory because of the
inevitable fact of human mortality. Famously, the second realm in Dante Alighieri's paradigm of hell is a
place of eternal suffering for those who have forgotten. Like non-living matter, erased memories
constitute the lost potential of what could have been, or the memory's inscriptions of what did not and
will not occur in the future [1, 2]. Greater insight into the relationship between music and memory
arrived with the efforts of researchers from the fields of psychology, philosophy, music, and neuroscience
during the 20th century. In the 1940s, a French philosopher, critic, and theorist made significant
contributions to this growing interdisciplinary field. The act of music's personally bound commemoration
is referred to as the remémoration. Research on the psychological effects of music's connection to memory
has historically coincided with the work of neuropsychologists post-World War II in response to the
widespread brain damage veterans sustained in the war. Music became a tool for studying the brain's
cognitive processes related to memory. Conclusively, this essay will elaborate on the features and
underpinnings of music's relationship to memory as structures in both the individual human memory and
the social memory of music's broader communities of use and reception [3, 4].
The Cognitive Mechanisms of Musical Memory
Musical memory is the cognitive ability to remember specific and relevant information concerning
auditory stimuli, such as a certain song or melody. Cognitive psychology views memory as a process with
different stages: the involuntary encoding of an event or piece of information; the storage of that
information that can last for varying amounts of time; and the retrieval of information when required.
These general principles of memory can be applied to more specific types, such as musical memory.
Cognitive musical psychology has a specific interest in the associations that can be made across melody
and rhythm, as well as the way in which the brain stores musical tonality. There are differing theories

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provided the original work is properly cited
https://rijournals.com/current-issues-in-arts-and-management/
present in this area: many suggest that melody and rhythm are processed in different areas of the brain
and are subsequently stored in different areas, which impacts the retrieval of such information [5, 6].
Neurological research indicates that the brain simultaneously processes the words and tunes of a song, as
the auditory areas of the brain carry out cognitive memory functions. Memories are coded through neural
networks in the brain, which integrate the surrounding context and resulting emotional feelings that are
associated with specific musical information. This is why songs are often associated with memories that
individuals are able to retrieve with relative accuracy and timing. It has also been found that retrieval of Page | 36
music can depend greatly on individual cognitive mechanisms; for example, an individual’s age can impact
any explicit or implicit memories and the temporal and emotional context in which songs are heard.
Toddlers as young as two years old have been found to have the ability to repeat simple sequences of
notes and have also been found to rely heavily on associative forms of learning with rhythm, presumably
using an understanding of a segmented time span [7, 8].
Emotional Responses to Music and Memory
Why is it that, when we hear a specific song, it has the power to evoke such deep emotion in us? Many
people have felt the power of music in this sense, sobbing to their favorite love tune or laughing when
they hear the song from that funny commercial. Music is so widespread and can strongly connect
memories to the emotions we had while experiencing them. This is why people feel so strongly about the
music they listen to, and why debates can get heated. The truth is, while music has different effects for
everyone, this connection of emotional memories is experienced on the individual level due to science and
how our brains respond to this complex art form [9, 10]. In the field of psychology, multiple theories
explain this phenomenon. Without getting technical, the basics of these theories state that, through a
series of processes, music can elicit vivid and intense emotions through the memory-related areas of the
brain. This connection has been studied and proven through brain activity mapping techniques. Not only
does music have the power to emotionally connect memories, but these connections can happen with a
single exposure to the song. The connection between music and strong memories seems to be universal.
Each person has their songs that make them cry or smile. Our personal experiences, culture, and social
situations can constitute which songs stand out to us and create long-lasting, happy, and sad memories.
Emotions can enhance our memory because the brain changes in times of intense emotional experiences.
In connection to music, the areas in the brain that respond to emotions are connected to memory and
arousal, showing that emotional, long-term memories are organized in the brain by connections that
create lasting memories, including music [11, 1]. Music and Memory are a certified non-profit
organization that connects elderly patients with music and its mission is to create and validate therapy for
people with dementia. They believe using songs to evoke the patients' memories of youth can help them
remember that part of their life. To this day, their programs within different facilities have been
extremely popular and successful, demonstrating the power of emotional memories triggered by music.
Research has shown many patients remember some details of their life before the disease. Whether
researchers understand the depth of the underlying concept of why this resonates with the elderly or not,
the connection between music and memory remains strong and is the concept on which this program is
based. However, these may not even be true; some prefer silence when they work or drive. Music is an
incredible thing. It has the power to connect people with their emotions and memories simply by
listening. Theories and studies in psychology and memory give us the answer as to why. They believe
that music alone can evoke emotions and make those memories stronger for the person. It all makes
sense. We have all had memories brought back just by hearing a certain song. Music can touch the soul
and unite us in more ways than one [12, 13].
Therapeutic Applications of Music for Memory Enhancement
In therapeutic settings, music can also be used to enhance and improve memory. Music therapy
techniques are often employed in targeting cognitive rehabilitation. Techniques range from using musical
activities to stimulate cognitive functions, as well as non-musical activities to stimulate memory and
recall. Music therapy addresses a range of memory impairments and inabilities in challenging
populations, such as individuals with Alzheimer’s disease or autism, and brain injury. Case studies and
empirical research further support the effectiveness of interventions, and music in general, for aiding
individuals with impairments due to injury or illness [14, 15]. One theoretical explanation as to why
music aids in memory retrieval is that the emotional and possibly contextual cues serve as a
reconstruction component of memory for a successful recall of events and associative information. Music,
thus, may assist not only in the encoding of information but also in the recovery of the information once it

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is properly cited
https://rijournals.com/current-issues-in-arts-and-management/
has been stored. In a social setting, music often serves as a form of commonality—an occupation that can
be shared by a variety of individuals. Music therapy, in a group environment, can enhance not only
memory but also provide an avenue for interpersonal exchange and socialization for those individuals
challenged by memory weaknesses and impairments. It is important to recognize the ethical implications
of memory enhancement, particularly when therapeutically increasing memory functioning in individuals
who have experienced brain injury or memory impairments [16, 15].
Future Directions in Research on Music and Memory Page | 37
Without trying to be exhaustive, song and memory need further exploration in many other interrelated
areas. Research remains to be completed in the context of leisure and well-being; updating our knowledge
on the development of musical memory is essential for both education and music therapy alike. In light of
these considerations, ethical aspects of studying music and memory also ought to be taken into account.
Studying music and memory with dementia patients may not be acceptable, as may also be studying these
links in populations unfamiliar with music. The 'ill/mature listeners,' i.e., individuals whose memories are
becoming more selective with time due to the aging process, could be a perfect study population, along
with other categories along the lines of being unfamiliar with music. The facet of music presented and
studied in research needs to be clarified, as it is still too wide an area to be narrowed down to a more
specific research area, taking into account the music memories of a given population [17, 18].
Interdisciplinary entities could also be formed to examine each of these aspects in depth. There might be
removable difficulties in the implementation of interdisciplinary research between a discipline such as
musicology and another such as neuropsychology or psychology, but potential future applications of such
research seem likely. Future studies ought to develop the neuropsychological approach to investigate the
effects of various kinds of music on all aspects of autobiographical and episodic memory and adopt
techniques that are usually applied in neurological rehabilitation and patient assessment in this area. This
includes the use of neuroimaging or neurophysiologic tools to identify the areas of the brain that are
activated when autobiographical memories are recalled while listening to music. The links between music
and other aspects of memory and their relationship with emotion can also be explored, splitting these
studies up in terms of genre and age, as well as apportioning ages. Longitudinal research is very sparsely
accomplished, but studies tracking individuals or selected populations over protracted periods will
become more desirable as musical autobiographical memories start to build up in a population that is just
starting to mature. The development of popular culture is, for most people, only about ten years old, and
this is developing over time. It is only these new resources that are now becoming habitual [19, 20].
CONCLUSION
The intricate connection between music and memory reveals the profound ways in which melodies and
rhythms shape human experiences, emotions, and recollections. Music serves as both a personal and
universal tool for memory retrieval, with implications that extend from everyday life to therapeutic
practices. By activating neural pathways associated with both cognition and emotion, music provides a
unique avenue for enhancing memory and fostering social connectedness. Therapeutic interventions
utilizing music demonstrate its efficacy in addressing memory impairments, offering hope to individuals
with conditions such as dementia, brain injuries, and autism. Future research should continue to explore
the neurological underpinnings and cultural dimensions of this connection, aiming to unlock further
potential for music-based therapies. Interdisciplinary collaboration will be crucial in addressing the
ethical, methodological, and practical challenges in studying and applying the relationship between music
and memory. Ultimately, music’s capacity to evoke, heal, and unite underscores its timeless value as a
medium of human expression and memory.
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CITE AS: Kakungulu Samuel J. (2025). Music and Memory: The Psychological Effects of Song.
RESEARCH INVENTION JOURNAL OF CURRENT ISSUES IN ARTS AND MANAGEMENT
4(1):35-38. https://doi.org/10.59298/RIJCIAM/2025/413538

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is properly cited