A team from the University of Jyväskylä in Finland analyzed how music marks people’s emotional biographies. According to a study published in the journal memory, Most of the deepest musical memories begin in adolescence and early adulthooda stage in which the brain is particularly sensitive to emotions and social experiences.
researchers They surveyed approximately 2,000 people aged 16 to 65 from 84 countries. Each participant had to mention a song that was personally meaningful to them, and the scientists calculated the participant’s age at the time the song was released. The average age was found to be approximately 17 years.
The authors explain this phenomenon as follows: “Reminiscence bump”: the human tendency to recall experiences that occurred between the ages of 10 and 30 with extraordinary vividnesswhen identities and most enduring bonds are strengthened.
The analysis showed nuances depending on gender. On average, Man ties his strongest musical memory to a song he released when he was about 16 years old, For women, on the other hand, that point occurs around age 19 or 20.
Researchers interpret this as reflecting different ways of constructing musical identities. Men associate music with independence and belonging to a group, while women associate music with emotional bonds and emotional experiences.
Over time, the trajectories also diverge. Men tend to keep favorite songs from their youth, while women incorporate new songs into their repertoire. emotional. However, scientists have revealed that this does not mean that some groups are more nostalgic than others, but rather a different use of music as a mirror of emotion.
Rather than being fixed early in life, musical connections can be strengthened at a later stage. As a result of the research, Older people also build strong bonds over recent songsa phenomenon the author calls “musical recency.”
teeth melody New emotions can evoke emotions as powerful as those in the first years of lifeopening new possibilities for music-based therapies, especially in the treatment of memory and aging.
Another related finding is that ‘Cascade Bump’: Young people feel a deep emotional connection to songs released decades before they were born.
According to research, this occurs for the following reasons: Exposure to music from parents and home environments and the availability of older repertoire on streaming platforms.. In this way, music becomes an emotional bridge between generations.
The authors conclude: Each person carries with them a “sound biography” made up of songs that accompany their important moments. Hearing melodies from the past not only evokes memories, but also activates areas of the brain such as the hippocampus and amygdala, reactivating the original sense of the moment.
Through various scientific studies, Music activates multiple brain areas associated with thinking, emotion, movement, and memory.. This simultaneous stimulation triggers the release of neurotransmitters and hormones that strengthen social bondsevoke memories and evoke emotional responses.
On top of that, Musical practice can change brain structure: some areas observed to be larger in musiciansespecially for those who started training at an early age.
The National Institutes of Health Clinical Center assures us on its website that there is scientific evidence suggesting that: So-called “music-based interventions” are useful at different stages of life, from childhood to old age.
These interventions require Improve mental or physical health through exposure to and practice of music. However, experts stress that much of the research is still preliminary, with many results coming from small group observations and case studies. therefore, More extensive and rigorous research is needed to confirm the therapeutic effects of music Under certain conditions.
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