A piece of music impacts us depending on a given circumstance or time period. Sometimes, we listen to a certain song or piece over and over. This can be for coping or just because we love the melodies so much. When months have gone by, we can’t help but associate that song/piece with that particular month and year we listened to that. 

Even if we don’t discover any association, we do remember when we first listened to a momentous song/piece. The more music we uncover, the more memories we create. My playlist of classical music became a memory log of sorts. For example, when I listen to Danse sacrée et profane by Debussy, my mind flashes back to a cookies and cram session for finals right before Christmas break. I remember the satisfying chillness, the gray clouds, the hot cocoa, and the cookies. I discovered and listened to that piece many times during December, which is why my brain has latched onto a memory that encompasses everything my life was during that final month of 2021. Studying for finals. Complaining to friends about finals. The cold weather. Sweet, hot drinks. 

That is just one memory out of dozens. However, in recent weeks, I wanted a memory log that was more tangible. Yes, even though a playlist is a collection of all the discoveries made, I wanted something on paper—something more permanent. 

I decided to go back to the very top of my classical music playlist and well…my brain. I first started listening to classical music on my own in 2019. So, I didn’t have to go that far back. Either way, I wrote down the composer and piece together. Right next to them, I wrote the season and year I first listened to that recording. I consider this an abridged version of my memory log. I definitely want to go back and write down every memory in complete detail. 

A music memory log doesn’t have to be just words. I got creative for the very first piece that touched my heart: Butterfly Lovers. I featured this picture in the thumbnail for better visualization. I took a fountain pen and started doing calligraphy, lettering, and stripes. I wrote the number one in a comic-book art style and then hid two butterflies on the card by dotting their shapes. Then, I embedded the season Fall with those butterflies. I drew stripes around the dots, so that I could write the year as well. 

Why do a music memory log?

I find that a music memory log helps us appreciate our growth in a very creative part of our minds. In school, all our assignments become a compilation of what we have learned in a year. The same concept applies here but with music instead. When I did mine, I loved that I had so many wonderful memories to cling onto. Yes! Even the challenging times! Also, a music memory log is SO much fun to make (whether in writing, drawing, or both), and the process inspires you to trek for further discovery.