How Does It Go Again?

   Have you ever gotten into your car and put up the volume to a song you really liked? You begin to sing  along but realize you don't know the next part to the song so you begin to mumble pretending you know the song. I know I have!

   Well, according to How Do You Know What Comes Next? a study done at Georgetown University revealed how people are able to remember a song or tune and why they usually repeat what they already sang to remember the next lines.  The study showed that to remember a song two different areas of the brain are used.  One area is used to learn the sequence of the song, while the other is used to recall the lyrics.  The study also showed that higher motor areas participate in both of these areas being used. 

   Researchers at Aalto University used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to determine the activity of the brain in individuals while they listened and recalled music.  These individuals were able to listen to parts of a musical piece for 30 seconds.  They would listen to the specific parts of the musical piece about 20 to 30 times.  They also listened to the entire piece 10 times.  

   The results showed that learning the correct sequence or lyrics to a song requires the use of the brains motor area such as the basal ganglia and the cerebellum; both of which are used to move your muscles to sing.  During the research process both the basal ganglia and cerebellum were active in learning the sequences of the different parts of the melody.  One sound would trigger one neuron, while a different sound would trigger a different neuron. 

   When a person is learning the lyrics to a song or the rhythm of a tune the auditory system send the information to the motor system.  When the song has been learned the activity in the brain moves from the motor area to the auditory and prefrontal cortex, which are areas associated with long term memory and sound.  Lastly, the fMRI used by the researchers when examining the individuals revealed that when a person is trying to recall a certain tune or lyrics it does not take as many neurons to remember the tune or lyrics as it does to learn them.  The researchers compared the process of learning a melody, tune, or lyrics to that of a dominos affect.  One domino triggers the next just like one phrase or melody triggers the next phrase or melody.  

   So next time you are singing or humming a tune and cannot remember what comes next simply repeat the same phrase and you just might remember the rest of your song. 

Article can be read here:  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/10/121015161819.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29