How music shapes collective memory and identity, according to West Chester University anthropologist

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 AP Photo / Matt Rourke

Shown is West Chester University in West Chester, Pa., Friday, May 31, 2019. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

AIRED; March 9, 2026

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Music is more than entertainment. From national anthems to songs passed down through generations, music can shape identity, reinforce shared history, and connect people across time and place.

That’s according to Michael A. Di Giovine, a professor of anthropology and interim assistant chair at West Chester University, who studies how music functions within culture, ritual, and collective memory.

“Music is a mixture of sound, narrative, and stories,” Di Giovine said. “Sometimes the sound creates stories and images in your head, and sometimes it accompanies them and solidifies the information and the imaginaries that are in the music itself.”

From an anthropological perspective, music is often closely tied to rituals and shared experiences. Di Giovine said songs—especially anthems—can serve as emotional tools that unite groups and reinforce shared values.

“That’s why it’s so important in rituals and anthems,” he said. “It’s an affective or emotional tool that brings people together and creates a collective memory around certain ideas or personalities or things a group holds really important.”

Music also acts as a form of communication that can transcend time and geography. Lyrics and melodies often repeat across generations, allowing songs to carry memories from the past into the present.

“It evokes memories from the past and brings them into the present,” Di Giovine said. “You’re kind of conjuring up your own past and the past of others.”

He said that shared musical traditions can connect people who may never meet but imagine themselves participating in the same cultural experience.

“If we’re talking about anthems, people might be imagined singing them whether they’re in Harrisburg, Philadelphia, West Chester, or Erie,” he said. “It connects people through space and through time.”

One of the clearest examples of music tied to historical moments is the national anthem.

Di Giovine pointed to “The Star-Spangled Banner,” which references a specific moment during the War of 1812 and evokes feelings tied to the American flag and national identity.

“That anthem was created to talk about a historical moment in time,” he said. “If we all share our identity as Americans, we share the feelings about our flag from that war.”

Anthems and ceremonial music also play a role in everyday rituals. The national anthem is performed at major state functions, international events like the Olympics, and even routine gatherings such as sporting events.

“Rituals are repetitive acts that create a sense of unity among very different people,” Di Giovine said.

Music’s role in shaping identity extends beyond the national level. States, universities, and other groups often adopt official songs meant to reflect shared values and history.

Pennsylvania’s state anthem, adopted in 1990, highlights several symbols tied to the state’s historical identity, including its role in the American Revolution.

“It talks about being the Keystone State and references things like the Liberty Bell,” Di Giovine said. “Those were the things that, at that moment in time, people thought all Pennsylvanians should celebrate and internalize.”

Underlying much of this is the concept of “collective memory,” a theory associated with French sociologist Maurice Halbwachs. The idea suggests that groups maintain shared memories by tying them to symbolic events, places, or stories.

Songs can serve as those recurring events that keep shared memories alive.

“For a group to share a memory, it has to be solidified in an event, a person, or a place,” Di Giovine said. “A song can be that kind of event.”

Part of music’s power comes from the unique way sound affects the human body. Unlike written documents, music can be experienced physically as well as emotionally.

“Sound is invisible, but it impacts you physically,” Di Giovine said. “It penetrates your body.”

That sensory experience can trigger memories and emotions in ways that words alone sometimes cannot. Smells, tastes, and sounds often evoke powerful recollections even when people are not consciously trying to remember something.

“When you hear a sound, taste something, or smell something, it can bring the past into the present,” he said.

Music also gains power when performed collectively. When many voices join together in song, the result can be greater than the sum of its parts.

“You’re part of something larger than yourself,” Di Giovine said. “That’s what society is.”

In that way, music becomes more than a cultural artifact. It becomes a shared experience that strengthens bonds within a community while preserving the stories and values that define it.