Memory
Basics:
Memory for spoken sequences involves syntax, semantics, and prosody. Likewise, memory for melodies involves musical structures as well as performance-specific prosody.
Research Questions:
How do these elements combine in memory? When a melody and text appear together in song, what type of representation is formed in memory?
Current research:
We are testing adult musicians and nonmusicians on their memory for musical sequences and accompanying text. Is the text best remembered with a musical cue? Is the melody best recognized with the accompanying text? What type of representation is stored? Can a melody be used to trigger language memory? Does the tune help the listener to attend to the text?
