Istvandity/The Lifetime Soundtrack, 6. Change: The Past, Present and Future of the Lifetime Soundtrack

This concluding chapter synthesises the ideas raised by the previous chapters to produce a sociocultural perspective on the workings of musically motivated autobiographical memory in everyday life. Key concepts of the Lifetime Soundtrack, affect, archives and musicianship are reiterated for their relation to a renewed perspective on memory, and are discussed in terms of their future application in memory and music research. Some of the preeminent ideas from previous research reviewed in Chapter 1 are revisited in order to exemplify the ways in which they have been expanded through original ideas and empirical evidence brought to light throughout the book. This chapter argues for a greater consideration of autobiographical memory within music sociology and cultural research, such that memory can be seen as a missing intermediary link in studies of music perception and social interaction. Finally, the chapter emphasises the importance of musical memories as a tool for meaning-making throughout life, but especially in older individuals. Ways in which this concept may be used in wider contexts are discussed with reference to areas both within and external to memory studies.