Music as Emotional Memory: How Songs Mark Moments in Our Lives

By: Abhishek Soniminde

I am very excited to write about this specific topic. Most of us can relate to it and have often pondered it at some point. Music has and will always be a big part of our lives. During the Stone Age, the songs were of birds chirping or the clashes of the waves on a beach. The songs have either reminded us of the memories we hold in our souls, or they help create moments that we often relate our experiences to. Even though we are way past the Stone Age, songs have evolved from sounds and beats made primarily by nature and sometimes individuals, into a power we can harness in one form or another. Thus, making them more personable and impactful in creating powerful moments in our existence. Now songs have a significant role in marking moments in our lives.

A couple of years before going to Indiana University, I was a sophomore at my high school and had no idea what I wanted to do in life or college. Most people never wondered much about what they wanted to do in college, mainly because they were busy living their lives in the present, as one should. However, I have always been a thinking 10 steps ahead type of person, which has some pros and cons. One important benefit that I received from this type of thinking was that, being in a constant state of confusion, I looked at the outer world for some answers that I could not answer myself. The medium I chose more than others was music.