Have you seen the movie Coco? You should – it’s a very moving story. But if you pay attention to the music you’ll notice that the melody to the son “Remember Me” is played in several different ways – each with a very different effect on the psyche. In this episode I examine the psychology of this music. Along the way we’ll see how minor chords and musical repetition affect, of all things, the release of dopamine in the brain.

Resources for this Episode

• The movie Coco on IMDB
• Have scientists found a secret chord for happy songs?
• What is Music Therapy?
• The Psychology of Music and the Role of Expectations and Minor Chords
• Singing and music benefit memory, emotional well-being in dementia
• Shopping, Dopamine, and Anticipation
• Expression, Perception, and Induction of Musical Emotions: A Review and a Questionnaire Study of Everyday Listening