Before I start my blog and talking about my own music and memories, I wanted to give a fun little fact about this. Music and memory is actually what I am working towards studying. As some of you may know from my previous blog, I am a double major in Music and Biochemistry and with that I one day hope to get my masters and phd in music cognition research. So this blog post goes perfectly with that goal since music does truly hold such power to unlock and store memories.
To start off my blog the first song that truly holds a deep connection to me is Kokomo by The Beach Boys. I lived with my grandparents for a good chunk of my life and they had this song on CD. I remember hearing it in the car one day when we were going, I believe it was to dinner, and I just always wanted to listen to it from there on. If I was in the car, best believe we heard that song at least once. When I was about 4 or 5 my grandparents, great grandparents, mom, and I went on a big family trip to St. Augustine in Florida. Now, I was a little kid...so don't hate but in the song there's a lyric that says "Off the Florida Keys, there's a place called Kokomo" and I fully thought that's where we were going. So for a long part of that car ride, I was singing that song over and over again (that drive was from Ohio to Florida...so over 10 hours). I feel bad for whoever was sitting next to me, but then again, it's a great song so who wouldn't want to listen to it. You can be the judge for yourself, but trust me, you'll like it.
The next song, absolute banger. I was once again a little kid, I've always loved music what can I say. Now before I tell you the title, I probably had no business moving and grooving to this song at 6 years old, but I was only 6 so I had no idea what was being said or what any of it meant, I just knew it was fun to dance to. The song I am talking about is Single Ladies by Beyonce. I heard it on my mom's iPod when we were in the car once and it was just so fun to dance to. After that, if we were in the car my mom would put it on just to see me dance. When she said the lyrics "now put your hands up" they were immediately put up and I was dancing. There was only one part of the song I did not like, and it was the bridge. I just didn't like how it didn't match the rest of the song so I didn't know how to keep dancing. As I grew up I started to learn the dance for the song and now I move and groove even more. You can't tell me this doesn't have a good dancing hype beat.
Okay the next song, I was not quite as young. In middle school, 7th grade to be exact, on TikTok there was this song called "The 100 digits of Pi". I had no desire to know this song, but it was all over my for you page. After hearing it so many times, I ended up memorizing it. I wasn't even trying to though so that's the crazy part about it. One day in math, on national pi day, we had a competition to see who knew the most digits of pi. Luckily I whipped out that song in my head and I ended up winning. Now I hear that song like maybe once a year but guess what, I still got it and if you asked me to demonstrate in class I'd have no problem. It baffles me how much can be remembered or memorized just by adding a little melody to it. If you wish to learn some digits of pi, here you go!
Alli! We love The Beach Boys haha. That is such a funny story, and it is so 6 year old of you. Also, who wouldn’t dance to Single Ladies? It is such an iconic dancing song, and I don’t think anyone needs to know what it is talking about. The Pi Song is one that I absolutely never learned. I guess I never put in that effort, but I definitely will be asking you to prove it.
ReplyDeleteAlli, I absolutely love that you got down to Beyoncé and especially "Single Ladies" because I was also a big fan of that song. We would've gotten along great as kids! I also unwillingly learned a good chunk of that digits of Pi thanks to that very same song. I love that people who lived so far apart as kids still had such similar experiences!
ReplyDeleteHi Alli! Single ladies is suchhhhh a classic, and don't worry I was doing the same thing at 6 years old too! Also I am traumatized by the pi song lol!!
ReplyDeleteYES THE PI SONG. That is a weirdly core memory for me as well, though it sounds like you have more of it memorized than I do. Your interest in cognition through biochem. and its connection to music sounds like a fascinating field of research, you should tell me about it sometime. I have driven to Florida countless times to visit my grandfather and can verify that the Beach Boys are the perfect vibe for the trip!
ReplyDeleteAlli, I love Kokomo, It always is a good song to warm me up in the winter and look forward for the summer. I love how personal it is too you, what better song than kokomo. Who wouldn't dance to beyonce, All the single ladies in specific reminds me of the Chipettes every time I hear it.
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ReplyDeleteHi Alli. I don't have as deep a connection to Single Ladies, but I do remember hearing it in the car a lot growing up. Sidenote, the instrumental is so weird on that song I don't know how Beyonce made a song so good with a beat like that. Also, I thought your Pi Song story was funny. Sometimes I think not caring about something makes it stick with you more than if you like it.
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