Memory and Music
Memory plays an imperative role in the existence of music. After a fundamental delineation of what human memory is, I will attempt to show that the human creation of music, therefore existence of music, fundamentally depends upon memory�s role in composition and performance. The composer and performer contribute to the creation of music as they can relate to and comprehend musical meaning, so I shall then delve into the intricate role memory plays in the meaningful interpretation of music and attempt to draw some points of substance. To accomplish this, I will firstly examine the possible roles memory plays in the appreciation of the fundamental structural elements of music and culminate my argument with an analysis of how employed techniques in musical form are dependant upon the listener�s memory to achieve intended effect.
Memory is the process of storing and retrieving information in the brain. The four different types of remembering commonly distinguished by psychologists are recollection, recall, recognition and relearning. Relevant to topic discussion, are the first three categories, with recollection and recall being apposite to discussion of the association between memory and composer or performer, and recognition being apposite to discussion of the association between memory and listener. Recollection involves the reconstruction of events or facts on the basis of partial cues, which serve as reminders. Recall is the active and unaided remembering of something from the past. Recognition refers to the ability to correctly identify previously encountered stimuli as familiar. Also of importance is distinguishing short and long-term memory, as discussion on the role of memory in music�s existence may advert to the time context of several seconds or a song�s duration to the interval between ones musical experiences
In my previous essay I regarded music as �a combination of pleasant, hence ordered sounds, so complex that even in the most basic instances of human creation, the chances of similar ordered sound occurring in nature [were] negligible�. Music is ordered sounds existing temporally through a continuum of time. Two aspects of this statement of crucial significance are the word �ordered� and reference to a �continuum of time�. Quite simply, the reason why humans can interpret �ordered� sounds is because we possess the ability to correlate an immediately occurring sound with preceding others that have been deposited in short-term memory. Sounds, like anything that exist �in a continuum of time�, must be memorised for at least the duration of that continuum to be put into perspective.
The initial human relationship with ordered sounds is the empirical experience of musical enjoyment. Beyond this is the capacity to retain within long-term memory ones musical experiences. It is with this memory of music�s structural elements that the composer can subconsciously recall, perhaps if inspired recollect them, so as to imagine them in their new relationships. Similarly, the performer is directed by their memory of music previously heard or performed, which that before them resembles or from which, in some degree, it differs. Or if it is music that they are already familiar with, they may subconsciously recall the pattern of physical movement with which their instrument was played.
I have briefly discussed the unequivocal necessity of memory in the composition and performance of music, what about the role of memory in the appreciation of music? Firstly, I will inquire into what aspects and to what degree the human connection to rhythm, harmony and melody, fundamental structural elements of music, depends upon memory. I have also included timbre for reasons mentioned in discussion. A significant portion of discussion content in the following section attempts to deduce whether appreciation of these structural elements is the result of innate responses or cultural impingement. If some aspects of music appreciation are culturally acquired and a familiarity with certain sounds is required, then the listener would subconsciously utilise relevant musical experience deposited within long-term memory.
The concept of rhythm could not exist without memory. Not because appreciation of rhythm is an acquired process, for human responses to basic rhythmic patterns are innate, but because, as I will elucidate, rhythm unfolds over time. The human heart, beats in a three-four rhythm, a fact not lost on researchers that contributed to the making of a music therapy CD used to relax several-week-old babies. On average it beats at a tempo of 50 to 55 beats per minute. As music tempo increases from this measure the listener is usually roused and most people would have subliminally tapped to a four-four rhythm. Such points indicate that the appreciation of rhythm at a most fundamental musical level, is an innate response to the awareness of mathematical consistency occurring within intervals of consecutive sounds. More importantly, it is awareness of this concept that requires memory; for ordered repetition unfolds over time. Each sound can only be considered as ordered if correlated with short-term memorised sounds that preceded it and the occurring rhythmic pattern is memorised to regulate anticipation of proceeding sounds.
Timbre, the characteristic of a particular sound, is a significant aspect of the musical experience. It seems that there are general methods of sound creation existent in all cultures, such as the employment of stringed, wind and percussive instruments for the purpose of music creation. People can generally distinguish a musical sound from a non-musical sound, such as the antithetical appreciation of sounds emitted from a harp and a chainsaw, though recognition of a musical sound differs from profound enjoyment. Humans may have an innate proclivity in recognising particular sounds as musical and others as not so musical, though I believe that derivation of profound enjoyment from a sound of particular timbre is an acquired preference. It is evident that within the broad spectrum of instrumental sound creation, people from other cultures derive profound musical enjoyment from the unique timbres created by their own instruments and vocal styles. Although we may recognise these exotic sounds as being musical, we are not inclined to instantly derive the degree of musical enjoyment from these sounds that we would derive from sounds created by conventional Western instruments and vocal styles with which we are already familiar. Memory therefore plays an active role in the appreciation of sound characteristics, for without it, familiarity with and recognition of sound characteristics could not take place.
I will consider harmony and melody as related structural elements, as I plainly regard harmony as being a simultaneous and melody as being a consecutive joining of sounds or notes. It remains uncertain how and to what extent, if any, human connection to these structural elements is grounded in cultural experience and/or deep biological roots. Prevalent is the former view, though there is evidence to suggest the latter plays a role also. I will provide some supportive evidence for both theories, though shall attempt not to digress too much from the crux of this particular section, which is to infer that appreciation of melody and harmony may have some grounding in the acquisition of cultural experiences and therefore requires memory.
The Ancient Greek mathematician and philosopher Pythagoras, discovered while producing tones with vibrating strings, that the relationship between two tones produced by strings of simple-ratio length (e.g. 2:1) were consonant, in contrast with the relationship between two tones produced by strings of complex-ratio length (e.g. 45:32), which were dissonant. Recent studies have shown that even in the case of six to nine month old infants, processing of consonant intervals was better than dissonant intervals, a bias which occurred for both harmonic and melodic intervals. These results indicate that the auditory system of the brain may in fact better respond to simple-ratio intervals better than complex ratio intervals. It is quite apparent though that much variation exists in the tonal systems employed throughout various cultures and even in the one culture; attitudes towards musical styles differ. Not every culture employs the ostensibly �natural� diatonic scale predominant within Western music. One alternative scale I find particularly interesting is the Javanese tonal system pelog, which divides the octave into a mixture of seven small and large intervals. In an attempt to understand this disparity I propose a synthesis of the two differing views on the origins of music appreciation. Humans possess an innate auditory system that determines our propensity to relate musically to various harmonies and tonal systems with differing degrees. This is evident in the natural consonance of a �fifth� to the natural dissonance of a �tritone�, or preference for a harp�s harmonious sound over the cacophonous sound of a chainsaw. As children are exposed to sounds, musical preference is given to harmonies and tonal systems within these sounds that they can predominately relate to. The fact that in most cultures harmonies and tonal systems that infants may have an innate propensity towards are exposed to them in a consistent manner guides formation of their concepts and notions of music. Javanese children for example, are not consistently exposed to tones within order of the diatonic scale. This does not mean that they are deprived of musical enjoyment, but rather they derive musical meaning from harmonies and tonal systems that assume musical precedence within the sounds they are exposed to. If they were exposed to the diatonic scale and developed a familiarity with it, a consequential derivation of greater musical meaning would from it would result. In premise summation,
The enjoyment of the listener in even the simplest composition is conditioned by his familiarity (i.e. recognition) with similar melodic and harmonic passages based on the same tonal relationships.
Also, as with rhythm, the concept of melody, as a succession of related notes in a continuum of time, could not exist without memory. For each notes placement is only made musically relevant by its comparison to memorised preceding notes for tonal resemblance or contrast.
I have considered the role of memory in the appreciation of rhythm, timbre, harmony and melody. I will now progress to musical form, the orderly arrangement of these musical elements, and establish the role memory plays in the effect of musical form. The two fundamental characteristics of form are repetition and contrast. It is evident that musical form concepts, in soon to be illustrated varying degrees of complexity, require memory. As song form also unfolds over time, the basic notions of memory application I considered earlier in discussing the role of memory in rhythm pertain to this section. A simple example of memory�s role in musical form is evident in an analysis of �pop� song construction. The effectual flagrant repetition of a catchy chorus throughout a �pop� song relies on the listener�s capacity to remember the chorus and recognise it in following occurrences. In a musical jargon perspective, rudimentary musical forms such as binary (AB) and ternary (ABA) illustrate similar ideas. Binary form requires the listener�s, most often subconscious, memory of section A while listening to section B to discern contrast between the two sections. Similarly with ternary, initially the effect of binary form occurs, then the reciprocation of contrast between sections B and A occurs and consummately, repeated occurrence of section A arouses recognition within the listener and often recollection of Section A�s initial occurrence. On a more intricate level, the concept of �idee fixe�, the reuse of a fixed idea within a musical piece but with a variation of structural elements and musical context, relies on the listener�s memory to enhance the musical experience. I can relate a particular example that is actually dependent upon long-term memory. Jazz-fusion band �Dream Theater� employs the concept of idee fix in their two-part song �Metropolis�, with each part being on two separate albums. I was first introduced to a particular vocal melody in the ending of the song�s first part. In the beginning of the song�s second part, the melody line, remaining in the same key, is reintroduced, though this time it is reproduced on lead guitar and in a different instrumental context. Reuse of the melody line at once roused my recognition, further I could vividly recollect its previous use and thus followed comparison of what I was hearing and anticipation of proceeding notes.
Music could not exist without memory as the whole of music composition; performance and appreciation depend upon it. Sounds can only be interpreted with musical meaning when perceived in relation to memorised surrounding sounds. Musical form can only achieve effect if the listener memorises occurring sections for at least the duration of the piece to recognise contrast and repetition. Recall and recollection of musical impressions deposited within their long-term memory aids the composer and performer in their efforts. Musical memory also generates the thought of music and anticipation of a musical piece�s procession.
References
Green, Lucy, Music on deaf ears, (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1988).
Kivy, Peter, Music Alone, (London: Cornell University Press, 1990).
Storr, Anthony, Music and the Mind, (London: HarperCollinsPublishers, 1992).
Scholes, Percy, The Oxford Companion to Music, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1970).
N.M. Weinberger, "The Musical Infant and the Roots of Consonance", in MuSICA Research notes (Volume IV, Issue 1, Spring 1997).
(located at http://musica.uci.edu/mrn/V4IlS97.html)
Lester, Joel, "Musical Form" in Microsoft� Encarta (Microsoft, 1995).
"Memory" in Microsoft� Encarta (Microsoft, 1995).
(Unacknowledged Contributor)
Hellard, Peta, "CD lulls crying babes", in TheHerald Sun, May 16, 2000.
Discography
�Dream Theater� Images and Word, Atco 92148-2, 1994.