Anishka Jannu Week #16 - Power and Muscle Memory
Many musicians tend to rely on their muscle memory without knowing it. If you have ever played an instrument before, you are probably aware of way instruments become easier to play the more you practice. Surprisingly, your mind does not need to be focused on playing the instrument during this time. Even if your brain is thinking about other ideas while you play, your sense of the instrument and the way your fingers play improves each time you practice.
This phenomenon, called muscle memory, is fairly contrary to what most people would expect. This is because practicing academic skills requires people to be consciously thinking about how to improve. On the other hand, musical prowess is gained by letting your minder wander and releasing one’s focus. An article on the power of muscle memory states that it “[frees] you to focus on telling a story with the music and your performance” (StringOvation Team). Muscle memory is actually more important than most people assume. Without it, music would not be the relaxing, destressing experience that it is for most of us. Similar to meditation and exercise, music allows people to let go of their fears and anxiety by implementing them into their music. Sometimes, the music reflects positive, happy situations of life. On other occasions, it may contain elements of sadness and grief.
No matter which emotion is reflected by the music, it is crucial for people to appreciate the phenomenon of muscle memory. In addition, research on the effects of muscle memory demonstrates that it “[develops] stronger connections between the brain through the spinal cord” (StringOvation Team). Despite muscle memory occuring mainly in the brain, its effects can even be seen physically between muscles in the back and the brain. These processes showcase how complex the brain and its functions truly are.
Team, StringOvation. “Muscle Memory: What Is It and Why It’s Important for String Musicians.” Connolly Music Company, www.connollymusic.com/stringovation/muscle-memory-what-is-it-and-why-its-important-for-string-musicians. Accessed 15 May 2024.
Hi Anishka! I gravitated toward your blog when I saw the accompanying visual that supplements the blog—one of the violins and its usage. As a violin player, I agree with your claim about muscle memory. Often, I try to express my emotions in the form of music by playing my violin. I do not choose the song I want to play then; the muscle memory of the most recent song that I have practiced surfaces at the top of my mind, and I decide to play that song. Music is one of the best forms of self-expression and relaxation—as I realized when I started playing the violin half a decade ago.
ReplyDeleteYou connect the aspects of playing music through muscle memory to research being done on the brain. I think this is a masterful representation of the knowledge that humanity possesses right now about the physical characteristics that we may not be able to see firsthand. Calling this a physical process despite the abstract nature of the occurrence is an interesting interpretation. The compare and contrast being done here between mathematical memory and music reminds me of something that my violin teacher tells me to help me remember notes. When he explains the process mathematically, it makes it easier for me to understand—drawing parallels between the two worlds is certainly a noteworthy manner of comprehending the wonders of musical prowess.
Hi Anishka, I'm not much of a musician. I do play piano, but mostly I play when I'm going through sporadic bursts of inspiration and not regularly. I do dance though and at least in my experience most of the things you said apply to dance too. My dance teacher, ever since we were little five year olds prancing around her studio, would remind us about posture and make sure we performed each step properly. She would tell us that it was because if our muscle memory ingrained wrong movements into us then even when we're older we wouldn't be able to change. I'm not sure about the science of her theory, but what she said had some value because what you practice is what you become. I think that is why practice is so important because it helps not only our brain remember our movements and the algorithm, but it also helps our bodies. That's my favorite thing about dance how each step essentially becomes a part of you as you do it more and more often.
ReplyDeleteHi Anishka! Your blog is so interesting and I completely agree with the muscle memory concept as I have experienced it firsthand in multiple different scenarios or hobbies. I used to play the piano in the third grade, although I absolutely despised it, yet now when I find a piano, I am still able to play the first 10 seconds of Fur Elise as it has been ingrained into my head. This is the same thing that I have noticed with dance, as performances that I have done in elementary school that I practiced tirelessly for are still in my muscle memory, and I am able to execute the same moves perfectly. With muscle memory, one is only able to remember it if one shows a great deal of interest in the particular activity. For example, because I hated the piano, I don’t remember any of the other pieces that I learned. Fur Elise is the only song I remember because I wanted to learn that song myself as of it was extremely popular. Because I was intrinsically motivated, it has stuck with me all these years. Similarly with dance, I expressed a genuine passion and interest for this activity, and because the motivation came from internally, I am able to remember most of my pieces over the years. Muscle memory comes not only from practice, but also for your desire to do the activity.
ReplyDelete