Music Power

Learning needs memory. For your memory to keep working, you need to teach it stuff. You store it in your memory and use it later. Once you’ve learned to ride a bike, you never forget it. You might get shaky if you don’t ride for a while. But it doesn’t take long to get the hang of it again.

Here’s where music can help with memories. Listening to music is an excellent way to help you remember things. That’s because our brains like joining things together. Ask your mum (or dad) to tell you one of their favourite songs.

Then … ask them what was happening in their lives when they first heard that song. They might tell you a story about where they were, what they were doing, or who they were with.

Music has a powerful way of connecting our emotions to events. Remember, emotions help us learn. Happy brains learn way better than sad ones. Those helpful brain chemicals fizz around. Our hippocampus kicks in, and we remember stuff.

Next time you work on homework or study for an exam, hit play on your favourite playlist. Keep the volume low (remember, this isn’t dance class). Concentrate on the school stuff. Let the music play. You might get distracted and start humming along. That’s okay, but limit how much time you spend humming. Remember, the music is the background. A calm brain that stores helpful memories is the goal.