Hi there,
I love to sing.
The trouble is I’ve always had an annoying inability to remember lyrics. It’s a bit of a joke amongst some of the musicians I’ve worked with, but it just feels like my brain doesn’t process lyrics properly.
Music no problem at all, but words? Well, that’s another story, and not all the mnemonics in the world are going to help me (and for more on that go to Marvellous Musical Mnemonics).
But I’m hopeful that I still have a pretty healthy brain, because there’s growing evidence that suggests a strong connection between music and better brain health, and I’m all for it.1
This is especially the case when you’re older.2 Participation in any kind of musical activity for older adults has been linked to improved memory, especially the kind we rely on to help us complete short-term or daily tasks, like remembering numbers or undertaking something that has more than one step, like cooking dinner.
It’s also the kind of memory that influences our executive function. This is the set of skills that helps us to learn and reason, to plan, manage, and complete tasks, to solve problems, to focus our attention, and to self-monitor (phew, what a list). In other words, all those things that are pretty crucial when it comes to getting through the days in one piece.
The research suggests that if you play an instrument you’re actively improving your performance when it comes to memory and thinking tasks, while singing is connected to improvements in planning and managing tasks.
But don’t despair if you’re not playing or singing, because I’m going to suggest that you’ll still reap huge rewards from any kind of participation in the world of music, and that it’s never too late to start.
Actively listening to music (as opposed to only having it on in the background), satisfying your curiosity about one particular aspect, such as rhythm, theory, chords, melody, and so on, learning the fundamentals of note reading, or singing along to your favourite songs? I think all of these will definitely go towards improving your brain power.
So with all this in mind (ha ha) I think I’m doing pretty well. And if at my next gig I have to resort to going ‘la la la la’ or ‘doo be doo be doo’ instead of singing the words, well, that’s just the way it is.
To hear me sing, go to Kate Paine Sings, where I sing all the right words, promise 😉
Thank you for taking the time to read my post. If there's anything else you're curious about or would like me to explore further, please let me know.
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Thanks, Kate ❤️
https://www.protectstudy.org.uk
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/gps.6061