New studies investigate the effects of music on learning, memory, and emotions through two different approaches. One study indicates that music we are familiar with can boost focus and learning, while the other highlights how emotionally charged music can alter the way we perceive past memories. These results imply that music may play a beneficial role in therapeutic practices aimed at cognitive enhancement, especially in conditions like PTSD and depression.
The narrative of this piece begins with a tune that is both faintly familiar and enjoyable. If I pause to immerse myself in the sound for just a moment, it becomes clearer. Freddie Hubbard’s smooth trumpet melodies over Herbie Hancock’s soothing, repetitive piano pattern remind me of “Cantaloupe Island.” As I return to writing, their music takes a backseat, followed by other instrumental tunes: enchanting, yet not distracting, these sounds nourish my focus and productivity.
I envision Yiren Ren immersed in her studies, focusing on research that uncovers how music affects learning and memory. She might be listening to Norah Jones or another artist she enjoys, as this form of familiar music significantly enhances our studying experience. Additionally, Ren’s research suggests that other genres of music can modify our emotional states and affect how we recall past memories.
Ren, a sixth-year Ph.D. candidate at Georgia Tech’s School of Psychology, leads two recent studies published in the journals PLOS One and Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience (CABN).
“The studies are interconnected as they both investigate innovative uses of music for memory modification, offering insights for everyday life and clinical applications,” remarks Ren.
However, the overall research examines music’s effects from distinct perspectives, explains Ren’s advisor and co-author, Thackery Brown.
“One study focuses on how music impacts the formation of memories, emphasizing learning,” Brown, a cognitive neuroscientist and head of the MAP (Memory, Affect, and Planning) Lab at Tech, says. “The other study examines existing memories, questioning if we can alter the emotions associated with them using music.”
Creating Moods with Music
When we view a film accompanied by a strong musical score designed to evoke feelings, the sound directs us precisely in the direction the composer intends. In their CABN study, Ren, Brown, and colleagues from the University of Colorado (including former Georgia Tech Assistant Professor Grace Leslie) discovered that such “mood music” can also significantly influence how we remember our histories.
Their research involved 44 Georgia Tech students who listened to movie soundtracks while recollecting a challenging memory. Ren emphasizes that this was not a clinical trial; these participants were not diagnosed with mood disorders: “We aimed to begin with a random sample to see if music could influence the emotional aspects of their memories.”
Indeed, it can. As participants listened to film scores, they integrated new emotions into their memories that corresponded with the music’s mood. Remarkably, the influence persisted. The following day, when participants recalled these memories without any music, the emotional tone still reflected that of the prior day’s soundtrack.
Using fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging), researchers observed these changes in brain activity among participants, noticing enhanced connectivity between the amygdala, which processes emotions, and other brain areas related to memory and information integration.
“This reveals the adaptability of memory in relation to music and highlights the significant impact music has on reshaping our existing memories,” Ren states.
Ren, a multi-instrumentalist with aspirations of becoming a professional musician, initially pursued a dual degree in film production and sound design alongside psychology at Boston University.
By merging her musical interests with neuroscience, Ren aims to devise music therapy strategies that assist individuals with mood disorders such as PTSD or depression, especially in situations where someone might amplify the negative aspects of a memory.
While time machines do not exist to revisit and play uplifting music during negative events that shape our memories, “we can recall old memories while exposed to emotive music,” Brown notes. “This potentially enables us to alter our feelings and change the emotional tone associated with certain memories.”
Welcoming the Familiar
The second study revisits age-old questions: Is it beneficial to listen to music while working or studying? If so, are there types of music that are more advantageous? The responses to both inquiries seem to depend, at least in part, on personal preferences. However, there are boundaries.
Reflecting on my earlier description of “Cantaloupe Island” and how this well-known jazz standard positively affected my focus while writing, similarly, Norah Jones aids Ren during her research into music and memory. However, were I to examine my concentration levels, I might opt for a different jazz style, such as upbeat 1950s bebop with its chaotic rhythm or perhaps a cacophony of screeching cats; either scenario would demand my full attention, resulting in minimal productivity.
For this study, Ren combined her musical talents with her research passions, investigating whether music could improve or impede our capacities to learn or remember new information. “We aimed to explore music’s potential as a mnemonic device that facilitates easier memory recall,” she explains. (For instance, the mnemonic phrase “Every Good Boy Does Fine” aids novice pianists in remembering the order of notes on a keyboard.)
In this study, 48 participants learned sequences of abstract shapes while listening to varying music types. Ren played a traditional or familiar piece with a logical structure in terms of tone, rhythm, and melody before presenting the same notes in a jumbled order, resulting in a more atonal sound.
Participants who listened to recognized and orderly music learned the shapes’ sequences more efficiently, as their brains established a structured framework for the new information. Conversely, music that was familiar yet irregular (similar to the writer’s bebop example) complicated the learning process.
“Depending on its familiarity and structure, music can enhance or obstruct our memory,” states Ren, who aspires to delve deeper into the neural mechanisms driving music’s influence on human behavior.
Aiming to complete her Ph.D. studies this December, she is seeking postdoctoral research roles that will allow her to further her work conducted at Georgia Tech. Expanding on this foundation, Ren hopes to create music-based therapies for depression and PTSD while also investigating new rehabilitation methods for aging individuals and those with dementia.
“These preliminary studies indicate that music can aid or hinder our memory depending on its familiarity and structure,” Ren concludes. “I am thrilled to merge my lifelong passion for music with my fascination for human memory, as I believe the next phase of my research could yield valuable insights to support the development of music-based interventions for mental health and cognitive function.”
