Music and Story

As humans we crave music just as much as we crave story. It’s an integral part of our everyday lives and can evoke sadness, joy, serenity, awe, or excitement. The reason for this is deeper than just pleasure; music has both an intellectual and emotional impact on our brains. Listening to a good song doesn’t just bring out an emotional response but also gives you an intellectual reward.

One way music affects story is the effect melodies and catchy rhythms have on the mind which allows us to remember the information a lot quicker than usual. I’m not sure if you have ever noticed but do you wonder why you can remember song lyrics so easily? Most times without even realizing it we will learn and memorize an entire song in a matter of minutes. This is called automatic memory which means you remember information that is appealing or interests you. This is why we are able to retain song lyrics and remember these stories so well. Songs were a way people passed on traditions and stories over time as well like the ABC’s, nursery rhymes, The Odyssey, and even advertising jingles.

 Every song tells a story and every time we listen to it we take part in that story. We visualize scenarios where the music would apply and imagine or make a story about our events. Music is another form of story for our story-craving minds. For instance, in Passenger’s song, Let Her Go, we hear a soft calming melody and experience different scenarios in our head about what the song is about.

 Only miss the sun when it starts to snow

 Only know you love her when you let her go

 Only know you've been high when you're feeling low

 Only hate the road when you're missing home

 Only know you love her when you let her go

And you let her go

The lyrics above cause the listener to get many different images in their head. You can picture a man who took some girl in his life for granted and now is forced to watch her leave, a man who tried so hard for someone only to watch them fall for someone else, or some other form of lose. Music has the power to evoke emotions and help you learn and create a story in the process.  Music and melody have an effect on the human brain and allow us to really immerse ourselves in a scene or song. This is exactly why in movies we hear different types of music in movies because they have an effect that draws out different emotions. For example, in Jaws you know exactly when the shark is coming because the music starts playing, you get those butterflies in your stomach when you hear a romantic song while watching a couple fall in love and feel their pain and heartbreak in a sad song when they are separated. The music is there for a reason and adds to the effect of the story on us. The need for music in our lives is a result of our story-craving minds because songs are just another form of story.

Here's Passenger's song Let Her Go

 

Here's one example from a famous movie where music played an important role in the scene: