Lyrics, melody, tempo, rhythm changes are all things that musicians must keep in mind
Struggling to recall someone’s name or thinking hard to unearth that key information we know is stored somewhere in our head are things we’ve all experienced at one time or another. Forgetfulness did not spare Bruce Springsteen, Arijit Singh, Mika, Vishal Dadlani and many other singers, who at times struggled to recall the lyrics of their own songs while at a concert!
Unbelievable, right?
Is something wrong with our memory? Is forgetfulness a sign of an impending psychological disease? Go get a brain holiday folks!
Forgetfulness might be frustrating for all of us. But these momentary lapses may actually be good for memory. What’s more, the mind going blank temporarily comes with its own set of benefits.
“Memory is an attention function. When we focus on something and become aware of it, it gets registered in our working memory, and the more we revisit it, the stronger it becomes,” says Dr. Jyoti Kapoor, Senior Psychiatrist and founder-director of Manasthali - Mental Health and Wellness Services. When people are overly stressed, distracted, or have too many things on their plate, they are unable to attend to events around them and thus do not remember them. “Most patients who tell me they are forgetting things don’t remember them in the first place. It’s like if you have too many programmes running on your phone or computer at the same time, it will hang or shut down,” she explains.
Forgetfulness makes memory stronger
“Trying to retrieve a semi-forgotten memory makes it stronger, so following an episode of forgetfulness, if one tries to retrieve it with effort, the memory will become stronger than before,” says Dr Kapoor. The same principal applies to taking study breaks and attempting to remember what was studied after the break. It can also do away with the person’s false sense of command, as memories with momentarily high retrieval strength prove less accessible later.
Put another way, memories are neither strong nor weak.
“Going blank occasionally is common even in normal individuals. This is a subtle sign of your brain demanding rest from the hectic multi-tasking that we all practice nowadays,” says Dr. Abhinay M. Huchche, Consultant Neurologist, KIMS Hospitals. “Holidays from work help maintain brain health and should be the new norm,” he feels.
Focused work, minimal multi-tasking and avoiding total early retirement from work can go a long way in preventing dementia and preserving the memory circuits, says Dr Abhinay, adding, “Therefore we advise people to not immediately go to Google Search for answers their elusive memories are not throwing up, and instead, wait a while and try to recall.”
Neeti Mohan, who has sung two songs for Ranbir Kapoor and Vaani Kapoor’s Shamshera, recently opened up about an incident in 2009 during which she forgot the lyrics on stage. “I blacked out and forgot. Overnight, our song had to be changed and then I just kind of forgot the lyrics. I felt so lost. I think it can happen to anyone and I feel it was a lesson for me. I don’t want to be in that kind of pressure ever. I am glad it happened to me because it taught me to not take pressure. I still forget the lyrics but I don’t take pressure about it.”
CLEANSING OF MIND
Purbayan Chatterjee, an Indian sitar maestro, describes going blank while performing on stage as a positive experience. “It’s essentially a process of cleaning your mind. This blankness has a lot of benefits as a practising musician, especially as an improvisational musician,” smiles the sitar maestro, known for fusing traditional Indian classical music with contemporary world music genres.
The best improvisational music is created when you are completely immersed in the moment. “You have to reboot your mind every microsecond and not let the baggage of the previous moment weigh on you or be concerned about what your next move will be,” he says. The maestro goes on to describe it as a wiring of the brain and heart, and a matter of mind and body coordination. “So that little moment or second of blankness is a little silence from your brain’s chatter that helps you bring out the next moment in all its beauty,” he believes.
“I don’t consider forgetfulness to be a disease. Sometimes your mind is unable to recall so many things. In the case of artistes, their minds have already stored so many songs, lyrics, and professional things. It’s natural for an artiste to lose track of time on stage. Finally, our physical bodies limit us. We forget things, whether they are songs or people, and then recall them quickly. It all depends on how your mind is working on that particular day,” says Bollywood music director, singer, and composer Vipin Patwa.
PRESERVING MEMORY
Experts say it is important to pay heed to memory lapses, relax and take time off, avoid multitasking all the time, and stay away from alcohol and other intoxicants which aggravate memory issues. “It’s also pertinent to get a psychological assessment if the situation is frequent, so that the underlying causes can be treated,” says Dr Jyoti Kapoor.
Smoking, alcohol, high cholesterol and uncontrolled blood pressure and diabetes are risk factors for memory lapses.
“Memory blackouts are our brain’s way of switching off and resting the conscious mind, while the subconscious is still working to organise thoughts.”
— Dr Jyoti Kapoor.
“Early retirement from work or retiring in toto starts showing effects later in the form of memory disturbances and may end up in dementia.”
— Dr Abhinay M Huchche.
“It’s essentially a process of cleaning your mind. This blankness has a lot of benefits for a practising musician, especially an improvisational musician.
— Purbayan Chatterjee, Indian sitar maestro
