How music frames life and memories as we move through life

Music, its a funny old thing.

So emotive, ever changing. Its also how most of us express ourselves.

How we dress. What culture we follow. Our outlook on life. They are all traced back to music.

Through the course of our lives, the soundtrack changes with us.

Music can affect our mood and our memories.

In many ways its magic and that soundtrack can do many important things for us.

It trigger’s our memories

Music forms a bond to our memories in the brain.

A certain song for example can take us straight to a certain place in time.

Its a time stamp for the up’s, down’s and milestones of life.

When music triggers a memory, it can also trigger the emotions, sights and smells that go with it.

When we replay those memories in our minds, they are much stronger when linked to the music we are hearing.

This is one of the reasons that music can be effective in helping people with Alzheimer’s or Dementia.

It helps people connect to their memories and improves mood amongst other things.

It can shape our outlook on life

Life is unpredictable. Its a journey and an adventure.

Over a lifetime there are more up’s, down’s and bumps in the road than we can count.

When these changes happen in our lives. Music can be a great comfort.

The lyrics empathize with our situation, the music surrounds us and comforts us. It’s familiarity helps us to make sense of the big events in life.

Almost nothing else has the same effect on our mood and emotional state.

Our tastes expand and so does our outlook on life

As time marches on, the soundtrack to our lives evolves. The music we listen to changes.

We explore new genres, new artists, new formats.

When we do that, we also tend to explore the culture that goes with that new music.

As the soundtrack evolves so do our interests and our outlook on life.

Of course reading does the same thing, but music is the more accessible medium of the two.

Final thoughts

Music, its more than something we only listen to.

It adds color and context to our lives and gives us stronger bonds to our memories.

As we go through life, we have this great resource to help us navigate the journey.

When we get to the points where want to take a look behind us. That process can be greatly improved by using the soundtrack of our life to view those memories.