Commercial Jingles and Earworms

     All of us have heard a commercial jingle. Seems harmless, right? No, a commercial is not dangerous. But do you really want Sleep Country or Nationwide's jingle imprinted in your brain? While jingles are "fun" and "catchy," when hearing them especially at a young age, they can stick in the human brain for years. Not dangerous, but annoying. How does all this relate to music? Well, without the tune, it would not imprint.

     Mattress. I bet when you read the word mattress just now, you immediately thought of sleep country. Am I wrong? When you see a product, do you immediately think of the jingle? Why do I ask this? Well, because that is what manufacturers want to happen. Don't think they do not know that it will get stuck in our heads, because they do. And does this work? Yes. It does. In the 1920s, when commercial jingles began, an unpopular product was being advertised. What happened next? Well, in  the broadcasted areas, sales in the product increased. So the company decided to broadcast it nationally. I bet you can guess what happened next.

    What causes the song to get stuck in our heads? Earworms. No, it is not an actual worm, it is a piece of music, that when someone hears it, it tends to stick in their mind so that they seem to hear it, even when it is not being played. 98% of people have been affected by an earworm. Also, an ear worm is not just a jingle. It could be a pop song, a jazz song, or even a classical piece. If you have an earworm, my advice is to listen to another song, or turn on the radio. That is what my grandma did when I got "Ain't No Sunshine" in her head when I was practicing my saxophone. Now I know to mix up the songs I play a little bit more. 
 
                             -K.T.