On my google reader account today was an article about why a melody sticks in your head, and about the psychology and cognitive science behind it. To this date, we can only still hypothesize about why this happens. They compare it to studying deja vu. Though they haven't found an answer yet, they have found certain aspects of songs, such as being simple in terms of harmonic structure but having a striking moment, that are in common with most songs that get stuck in people's heads. Maybe we'll never know for sure about this phenomenon!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I've heard these informally referred to as 'songworms' - those melodies that just won't go away. It is an interesting issue to be explored. Can you include a link to the site?
ReplyDeleteI think it's also interesting how certain songs and melodies effect different people in unique ways, and certain songs get stuck in people's heads while they don't in others. This would definitely be an interesting research project and cognitive science study, and I am very curious to hear about new information on this topic!
ReplyDeleteThis is a really interesting topic, especially because it extends to non-musicians as well. Memory can be a difficult task for some students, especially when playing solo repertoire. Perhaps there is a way we could channel this concept and put it to good use. If we teach students to recognize and replay themes in their heads, it may help them memorize music more efficiently.
ReplyDelete