Introduction
Music helps improve memory. For as long as I can remember I’ve heard people say that scriptures for memorization, or really anything relating to scripture memory was difficult to master. Being trained as a musician, I wondered if a tune would help. Although I’m not the first to try or introduce this, I have learned that people CAN learn and memorize scripture using songs based on scripture, or simple Bible memory songs.
I’ve included an example of one of my scripture songs for worship, a simple memory verse song, part of my daily meditations. These scripture tunes are not really part of any scripture songs album… yet.
3 Benefits of using music to help us remember:
Minimize Your Stress…
Why is it we can’t seem to remember things without music helping us out?. Often when studying something head on, we create our own stress. The reason we can’t remember things is related to the stress in our lives. Music induces a state of meditation, resulting in relaxing our brains and enhancing memory. This process actually disengages the brain freeing it from “debris which can impede its memory function.”
Improve our mood…
There is a part of the brain called the hippocampus. Music can stimulate chemicals that improve our moods. When learning something new, an enhanced mood can ease the task. Music helps improve memory.
Allow you to think more clearly…
With less stress and an enhanced mood, you can think more clearly. When this occurs memory improves.
Conclusion – Music helps improve memory
The basic theory of why music can facilitate improved memory and enhanced learning has to do with its ability to generate positive emotions. Positive emotions generate an expectation of reward while negative emotions impair memory. This is attributed to the hippocampus which mediates both emotions and memory formation. Music helps improve memory.
Perhaps you’ve heard of the Mozart Effect or the Vivaldi Effect. Both are research studies that show when classical music, without words, memory can be stimulated to produce better test scores. Pleasurable learning can improve test scores. Positive mood management is real and aids us all in learning and remembering. I use this idea to write songs that help people memorize scripture.
How do you use music to improve your mood – or help you remember what you want to learn?
Sources:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/memory-medic/201312/does-music-help-memory
