Music, do you ever forget?

Getting a new laptop.. well, already have it but my granddaughter is using it until the new line of MacBook Air's comes out and she gets the new one.

My old laptop is failing... so I was going thru it to make sure I have any important docs, files, etc saved when I came across some photos I had misfiled... it was photos of the program for my 8th grade graduation. That was in 1962. I remember, well, that I played a cornet solo for the graduation ceremonies. Reading the program I saw that the title of the song and the name of the composer was listed so I typed it into YouTube and found it - a young girl, probably about 8th grade age, playing that very song.

Here's what amazed me, and why I'm posting this:

It was no more than 4 notes into the song when I REMEMBERED the song... and remembered it WELL. Could I? Certainly no, but maybe? I pulled my trumpet out from storage and fired up the YouTube video again.... I couldn't play it BUT... I came, to me anyway, amazingly close. I could play the intro... and some other parts, (a few notes here and there) even though I had not heard the song since my 8th grade performance. And when I say "I couldn't play it" I mean remembering the notes; the song is quite easy and downloading the sheet music I played it easily, today.

Now is that muscle memory or what? It got me to thinking... with a trumpet I played innumerable concerts, recitals, in my youth... can't help but wonder if I heard those songs today would I remember them all? After todays experience I'm thinking "Hey, maybe, just maybe".. - JamesJM