Why can one song send shivers down your spine, transport you back years in an instant, or make your foot start tapping before you’ve even realised you’re moving?

In this episode of Pause Here, we explore the fascinating science behind music and the powerful role it plays in memory, emotion, movement, breathing and connection. We look at why certain songs give us goosebumps, how the brain predicts and responds to rhythm, why familiar music can become deeply tied to our memories, and how tempo, silence and musical structure can influence the way our body feels.

Press play, follow the rhythm, and discover just how much of your life already has a soundtrack.

• Witek, M. A. G., Clarke, E. F., Wallentin, M., Kringelbach, M. L., & Vuust, P. (2014). Syncopation, body-movement and pleasure in groove music. PLOS ONE, 9(4), e94446.
• Salimpoor, V. N., Benovoy, M., Larcher, K., Dagher, A., & Zatorre, R. J. (2011). Anatomically distinct dopamine release during anticipation and experience of peak emotion to music. Nature Neuroscience, 14(2), 257–262.
• Kaiser, A. P., & Berntsen, D. (2023). The cognitive characteristics of music-evoked autobiographical memories: Evidence from a systematic review of clinical investigations. WIREs Cognitive Science, 14(3), e1627.
• Janata, P. (2009). The neural architecture of music-evoked autobiographical memories. Cerebral Cortex, 19(11), 2579–2594.
• Jacobsen, J.-H., Stelzer, J., Fritz, T. H., Chételat, G., La Joie, R., & Turner, R. (2015). Why musical memory can be preserved in advanced Alzheimer’s disease. Brain, 138(8), 2438–2450.
• Grahn, J. A., & Brett, M. (2007). Rhythm and beat perception in motor areas of the brain. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 19(5), 893–906.
• de Witte, M., Spruit, A., van Hooren, S., Moonen, X., & Stams, G.-J. (2020). Effects of music interventions on stress-related outcomes: A systematic review and two meta-analyses. Health Psychology Review, 14(2), 294–324.
• Bernardi, L., Porta, C., & Sleight, P. (2006). Cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and respiratory changes induced by different types of music in musicians and non-musicians: The importance of silence. Heart, 92(4), 445–452.
• Bratman, G. N., Anderson, C. B., Berman, M. G., Cochran, B., De Vries, S., Flanders, J., ... & Daily, G. C. (2019). Nature and mental health: An ecosystem service perspective. Science advances, 5(7), eaax0903.