The Soundtrack of Memories: How Music Can Enhance Your Memoir Writing
Music is an incredibly powerful force. It has the ability to transport us back in time, often triggering memories that we may have long forgotten. For many, a simple melody or a familiar chorus can evoke a vivid scene from the past—one filled with conversations, emotions, and moments we can nearly relive as if they were happening in the present. As memoir writers, we’re tasked with delving into the past to tell our stories authentically and compellingly. Research plays a crucial role in this process, and surprisingly, music can be one of the most effective tools to help you access and enrich your memories.
As the Grammy Awards approach this Sunday, where music’s greatest—past and present—are honored, it feels like the perfect time to reflect on how songs shape our lives and how aspiring memoirists can use this power to deepen their writing.
Music as a Memory Trigger
There’s something magical about music. A song can take you back to a specific moment in your life, sometimes as sharply as if no time has passed at all. This happened to me recently when I was driving and listening to Sirius XM. Olivia Newton-John’s “Let Me Be There” began playing, and instantly, I was back at my wedding in 1992. The scene unfolded before me: the crowded dance floor, filled with people of all ages dancing, laughing, and celebrating. I could feel the warmth of the moment—joy, a touch of surprise that this ‘old’ song was being played, and the exhilaration of dancing with my new husband. The memory rushed in, not just as a vague recollection but as an almost physical experience.
That’s the power of music. It doesn’t just remind you of a moment—it can take you there.
When writing a memoir, these flashes of memory are invaluable. They are the threads that connect your life’s story, allowing you to paint a fuller picture of the past. Sometimes, the most vivid scenes arise from the sensory triggers, like the sound of a particular song, which leads to a flood of other details—conversations, feelings, and even scents or sights.
Memoir is about capturing those moments, and tapping into music as part of your research can bring your memories to life in surprising ways.
How Music Can Aid Memoir Research
The process of writing a memoir isn’t just about sitting down and remembering; it’s about digging into the layers of memory to uncover the truth of your story. Research helps you fill in gaps, and one often overlooked source is music.
Here’s how you can use music as part of your memoir-writing process:
Create a Playlist of Significant Songs
Start by building a playlist of songs that hold personal significance to you. These can be the songs from your childhood, your teen years, your wedding, or songs you listened to during particular life phases. Listen to this playlist while you write, and pay attention to what memories surface.Reconnect with Forgotten Moments
Sometimes, listening to a song can unearth memories you haven’t thought of in years. A song from your first high school dance might remind you of how nervous you were asking someone to dance, or it might lead you to recall a long-forgotten conversation with a friend. These seemingly small moments are often what make memoirs relatable and poignant.Enhance Emotional Depth
Memoirs are not just about what happened; they are about how you felt during those moments. Music has a unique ability to access emotions, both positive and painful. Listening to the music of your past can help you rediscover the emotions tied to specific events, making your memoir writing more emotionally rich.Research the Cultural Significance of Music
In addition to personal memories, think about the cultural context in which you were listening to certain songs. What was happening in the world at the time? How did the music reflect or influence your generation’s views? Incorporating these cultural references can add layers of meaning to your memoir, connecting your personal experience with the larger social or historical context.Use Music as a Prompt
If you’re feeling stuck, play a random selection of music from your past. Sometimes, unexpected songs can bring back powerful memories that you didn’t realize were significant. This can be a useful exercise to break through writer’s block and inspire new writing.
My Own Musical Memory: A Wedding Flashback
When “Let Me Be There” by Olivia Newton-John came on the radio, I wasn’t expecting to be thrown back to the early ‘90s, standing on a dance floor at my wedding. The memory came rushing in with so much detail—who I was dancing with, how I felt, the joy of seeing everyone from different generations enjoying themselves. I even remembered my surprise at hearing that particular song, as it was already old by 1992. It wasn’t just the song that brought back the memory; it was the feelings, the energy in the room, and the significance of that day.
This moment, as fleeting as it was, reminded me how powerful music can be in helping us access these vivid snapshots of our past. And as memoir writers, we need to lean into these moments because they are the heart of our stories.
The Grammy Awards this Sunday are a perfect example of how music can resonate through generations. It’s a time when we celebrate the artists and songs that have shaped our culture, and for many of us, have accompanied us through some of the most pivotal moments of our lives. Just as the songs of the past continue to live on in our memories, new songs are being written every day that will become the soundtrack to new moments in our lives.
Music’s Role in Creating and Revisiting Memories
Every year, the Grammy Awards honor the musicians and songs that have impacted millions of people. The songs we hear today may become the memory triggers of tomorrow. Just as “Let Me Be There” transported me to my wedding, a song from this year’s Grammy winners may one day take you back to a meaningful moment in your life.
As memoir writers, we are tasked with capturing these moments and giving them meaning on the page. Music, with its ability to evoke deep memories and emotions, can be one of the most useful tools in your writing toolkit.
How to Use Music to Write Your Memoir
If you’re an aspiring memoirist, consider using music as a research tool. Here are a few practical steps you can take to integrate music into your writing process:
Create a timeline of your life and pair it with the music that defined each era. Use that music as a guide to help you recall important events and emotions.
Play background music while you write. Choose music from the era or event you’re writing about to help immerse yourself in the feeling of that time.
Attend live music performances or listen to music events like the Grammy Awards. The live experience of music can stir emotions and memories that you can later use in your writing.
Write about a specific song and the memory it evokes. This exercise can help you create rich, emotional scenes that draw readers into your story.
In the same way that the Grammy Awards celebrate the best in music, memoir writing celebrates the best moments of our lives—moments that have shaped us, defined us, and lingered with us long after they passed.
So, the next time you hear a song that takes you back to a moment in your life, take a moment to reflect. Let the music guide you back, and use it to write a scene that is rich with emotion and detail. Music is not just a tool for entertainment; it’s a key that can unlock the door to your most treasured memories, ready to be written into your memoir.
By using music as part of your research, you can tap into those hidden memories and write your life story with greater depth, clarity, and emotional resonance. Just like the Grammy Award-winning songs that stay with us for years, your story, too, can be one that resonates with readers for generations.