I remember when I first heard “Strawberry Fields Forever.” I was at a party for the most popular girl in the sixth grade. The Beatles’ Anthology 2 had just been released, and the fads of the 1960s were back in style. Everyone was wearing bell-bottoms and vintage platforms, except for me. In my awkward 11-year-old mind, I was mortified by the very thought of being the odd one out—especially when I was already the only African-American child in my class.
But there was something about hearing “Strawberry Fields Forever” while I stood against the wall watching everyone dancing and singing. It was comforting to know that I, too, could sing along and enjoy the music that the world has come to know and love.
Now we can share our many memories of the Beatles online. The Magical Memory Tour, developed by the British Association for the Advancement of Science (with support from the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives, among others), is an exploration of autobiographical memory and musical culture’s impact on the brain. The project invites all of us to write memories of how we think, feel and perceive the legendary British band. The memories already posted on the study’s Web site cover a range of emotions and experiences, from the untimely death of John Lennon to hearing “Yellow Submarine” as a kindergartner. The project will be collecting memories for a few months.
It has been said that music is a universal language, and in the case of the Beatles, that saying certainly rings true. As an avid music fan, I can't think of a group that has had such a global impact. Beatles music has been covered and even sampled by contemporary artists, most recently by American Idol contestants. Perhaps a study of the impact of Beatles cover versions and songs that sample their work would also be worth exploring.
—Lauren Wilson
