Music has always been an important part of my life. My mom hummed as she cooked, cleaned and sewed. My Dad whistled tunes that I still can recall today. The old 78s record player was commonly active. When we finally got television, it was the Lawrence Welk musicals and the Dean Martin and Andy Williams’ weekly shows. (“Everybody loves somebody sometime. . .”)

I started piano lessons at age 8, later organ lessons. Both continued in college. I sang in the high school choir and madrigal, and the university choir. I sang in church choirs & played piano & organ for many church services in communities where I resided.

Recently I came across some startling information. It appears my auditory cortex in the brain’s temporal lobe has “earworms.” These are not creepy crawler earth worms; they are pieces of songs our mind remembers. When they start, the music memories go round & round in the mind without control. Advertising jingles, television ads and short songs often become earworms. (“Halo everybody Halo; Halo is the shampoo that glorifies your hair.”)

The auditory cortex processes and stores these sounds, including music. Researchers have concluded that the auditory cortex is a little like our own personal MP3 player. Today we can hear music anywhere using personal playlists, creating the possibility of future earworms. Recall the number of Disney cartoons using classical music as their background? Those cartoon melodies can plant seeds for earworms.

I embrace my earworms that are most active in early morning waking hours. Yesterday it was “We three kings of Orient are. . . .” — by far not my favorite Christmas Carol & in Spring even! This morning it was “His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me ” – a favorite hymn. Or it might be from the round of a popular camp song “All you etta, all you etta; think of all you etta.” Many musical jingles used to advertise products become earworms. One I often recall is “Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh what a life it is.”

If you can sing the musical jingles below or name the products, you may have active earworms or a very good memory, and advertising has been successful!

See the USA in your _____________(1950s)

You’ll wonder where the yellow went when you brush your teeth with____________ (1953)

My bologna has a fist name, it’s __ __ __ __ __ (1960s)

Double your pleasure, double your fun. (1959)

A little dab’ll do you. (1950)

I’d like to teach the world to sing.(1971)

 Do you have earworms? What do you hear? Let’s create an orchestra!

Carol Tamparo