Popular music and autobiographical memory: intimate connections over the life course

Abstract

Personal memories are commonly influenced by experiences within and beyond our control; one such influence is that of music. Routine experiences with music can become intense and deeply moving, and are affected by the listening environment. Whether mundane or profound, musical experiences become intertwined with autobiographical memory, often creating lifelong associations that include visual, aural and emotional elements. Autobiographical memory reacts differently to music than other kinds of memory. While the literature on this is relatively sparse at present, it is rich in potential, and is paid increasing attention in the areas of history and heritage. Autobiographical memory can be thought of as memories of events or experiences concerning oneself (Rubin 1995, Conway and Pleydell-Pearce 2000). It differs from collective or cultural memory fundamentally in that the perspectives of individuals are considered paramount, as opposed to the co-constructed narratives that arise from groups, cultures and communities. As Kong (1999) carefully problematises, memory, history and heritage are related in complex ways, and the addition of music further complicates this relationship. On a basic level, autobiographical memory can be seen as the building block of more complex collective and cultural memories. These shared memories often help shape our histories and the tangible and intangible things we think of as heritage. Music especially has the capacity to elicit affect within individuals, which often becomes a shared affect or bond between music fans globally. The ways in which music affects us, both personally and collectively, could contribute to the kinds of histories that are written, and the heritages of the modern age we choose to preserve.