How music can affect your mind, mood and body.

  What Impact Does Music Have on Memory? Music can help retain  essential information despite memory loss.  Music memory  is stored in the hippocampus, centrally located in the brain. Therefore, music memories are less likely to be negatively impacted by age or disease . A  musical mnemonic  device is a natural way to memorize and recall information. As children, we learn various academic and social concepts through songs. Similarly, these memory strategies are highly effective for adults. In fact, our brains automatically “ fill in the gaps ”  when a song suddenly stops . Music therapists often incorporate these techniques with individuals to improve  memory retention  or  developmental learning  goals. Music may activate memories and remind us of places, events or people. A familiar tune may elicit the emotions associated with those memories.

  What Emotions Can Music Make You Feel? Music can validate your current emotional state and influence your emotional destination. Again, the  Iso-principle  can help us experience desired emotions. It works most effectively when we first find a song that matches our current feeling or mood. In music therapy, emotional regulation is frequently addressed. Music can elicit many, if not every, emotion. Knowing yourself and which music you pair with your emotions will improve self-regulation, or “feeling your feelings.” Music and emotions are personal, cultural and associated with prior experiences. A song will not give everybody the same feeling. That is the beauty of the diversity in music and preference across  diverse cultures and time periods.  Research  attributes this phenomenon to the messages our cultures and experiences have assigned to sounds before listening to a song . While culture, memories and associations influence music and emotions, Berkley f...