MUSIC AND MEMORY

The connection between music and memory is really strong and develops in many different ways.

For example:

• we can use music to learn a new language memorising the lyrics of a song in a different language;
• we can play music to recall memories from the past;
• we can sing an old song to stimulate an injured brain… the possibilities are many!

When children are involved in music activities, they are memorising the melody, the lyrics, the movements and the rules of the game. All of this develops the working memory.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A CHILD LEARNS AN INSTRUMENT?

Well, their memory is always involved!

Let’s make an example:

– to be able to read the note DO/C on the music stave, the brain must recall the information stored in the memory regarding the other notes and correlate them with a first mental representation, both visual and auditory (semantic memory);

– to coordinate the fingers, the brain uses a whole set of visuospatial, auditory and motor programming strategies that involve short and long-term memory (as well as other mental functions);

– to control and balance a gesture-sound coordination, the brain implements a set of cognitive functions including working memory. This kind of coordination takes lots of years to develop and it's one of the goals of our music classes inspired by the Gordon's MLT.

Easy, right? :)