08/01/2014

Tapping Into Musical Memory

22:37 minutes

Why do musical memories linger long after other memories have faded? That question is at the heart of a new documentary, Alive Inside, which looks at the effects of music on people living with Alzheimer’s and other age-related dementias. Film subjects Oliver Sacks and Dan Cohen explain why music acts as a backdoor to memory and share tips for enjoying music with the elders in your life.

We asked you on Facebook what songs jog your memory. Here are some of the tunes you mentioned:


Segment Guests

Oliver Sacks

Oliver Sacks is the author of Musicophilia (Knopf, 2007) and a professor of neurology at the NYU School of Medicine in New York, New York.

Dan Cohen

Dan Cohen is founder and executive director of Music & Memory in New York, New York.

Meet the Producer

About Annie Minoff

Annie Minoff is a producer for The Journal from Gimlet Media and the Wall Street Journal, and a former co-host and producer of Undiscovered. She also plays the banjo.