The Rhythm of Change in Music, Menopause and the Mind
- Mar 17
- 6 min read
Written by Kate Castro, Singer/Songwriter/Keynote Speaker
Kate Castro is known for her resilient mindset and founder of SenseK8 LLC. She is a singer, songwriter, and keynote speaker who teaches people the importance of embracing uncertainty during adversity to lead a happier life. You can see Kate in the TV show “Women In Power” coming soon in 2026.
Music has been a powerful lifeline throughout my time on earth, especially during my cancer journey. It carried me through some of my hardest moments. When I was diagnosed, I underwent necessary surgical operations that pushed me abruptly into menopause, and I had no idea what to expect. Although research and conversations about menopause are finally becoming more common, I hadn’t experienced any perimenopausal symptoms beforehand, so being thrown into it full-blown so suddenly was overwhelming.
Chemotherapy already affects the brain, leaving it foggy, slow, and scattered, but menopause intensified those symptoms significantly. I struggled to remember things. Words slipped away. Taking in too much information felt impossible. Some days, I simply didn’t have the mental bandwidth for anything beyond the absolute essentials.
The arts, especially singing, anchored me. My mindset remained positive even when everything around me felt unsteady because I was disciplined in my daily mindfulness practices, including singing. Music has been woven into my life since I was in the womb, but only during these difficult years did I truly understand its immense power on many levels. It offers so much more than sound and emotion. In the last two years, most (not all) of my chemotherapy side effects have faded, thank goodness! But good ol’ Meno definitely lingers.
Sometimes, when it was hard to think of words, I found myself celebrating when I finally remembered them. Though creating a sentence felt like rocket science, my recollection of song lyrics was impeccable. My husband would look at me with a mix of confusion and tenderness and ask, “How in the world do you remember the lyrics to 20,000 songs, but you can’t remember how to form a sentence?” His question struck something deep in me.
That contrast, my mind failing me in certain ways while songs remained crystal clear, pushed me to search for answers. I became genuinely fascinated by how music stayed with me, holding its place when other things slipped away.
Most people know that music is so much more than sound, it’s an experience that reaches into the deepest parts of us.
As I began researching the power of music and the mind, I couldn’t help but fall in love with everything I learned.
1. Music as a multidimensional stimulus
In Harnessing the Arts for Health and Wellness: Music and Mind, edited by Renée Fleming, it explains that spoken language gives meaning little by little, but music reaches the brain all at once. It activates many areas at the same time, even parts we thought were no longer working. That’s why music can still reach people with dementia or other brain changes. It becomes a bridge helping bring back memories, emotions, and connection when other methods don’t.
2. The brain’s ability to process music even when other functions decline
Concetta M. Tomaino, the Executive Director and Co‑Founder of the Institute for Music and Neurological Function, explains how the brain responds to music. Even when someone’s memory starts to fade and everyday abilities slip away, music often still gets through. It reaches parts of the brain that illness can’t easily touch. That’s why a person who seems distant or withdrawn might suddenly brighten when they hear a favorite song, their eyes soften, their fingers tap, or they start to hum along.
My sweet Nana, who had Alzheimer's, did this along with swinging her crossed leg when she heard a lovely jazz song. Music connects to brain regions that stay strong, creating small but meaningful moments of clarity and connection, even when other pathways have weakened. I resonated with this process on an extraordinary level. I experienced it nearly every single day.
3. Clinical observations: Music reaches patients when other methods don’t
For decades, clinicians have been captivated by a powerful question: How can someone who has forgotten so much still remember a melody?
Neuroscience now reveals that musical memory travels along its own remarkable pathways, routes that often remain untouched even as other memories fade. And that’s why a single song can feel like turning a key in a long‑locked door, a moment, a fragment of identity awakened by sound.
My own memory struggles were not nearly as severe, yet they were deeply frustrating. Losing simple words or thoughts felt like losing pieces of myself at times. I had to lean into patience a little bit more, once again. Patience with my mind, my body, and the unpredictable waves of menopause. But beneath that patience brewed a real sense of bewilderment. Why do women have to endure this? Why this neurological chaos, this fog that makes you doubt your own steadiness?
When I spoke with a few friends about their menopausal symptoms, their stories echoed mine. A couple admitted they truly believed they were “going crazy.” They feared something was fundamentally wrong in their brains. Their honesty struck me because I had felt that too. Oh, and don’t even think about chewing loudly, asking me the same question twice, if it’s hot in here, or if I’m having a bad day. My gaze could slice straight through you. Hahaha! I can laugh about it now, but not that long ago, I found no humor in it.
Music restores dignity and presence
Beyond the science, music reaches something deeply human. When life feels confusing, cold, or when a person’s dignity feels fragile, music brings comfort. It helps people join in, express themselves, and feel recognized. In dementia care, these small moments of joy, these glimpses of the real person beneath the diagnosis, are just as important as medical treatments. Through music, people can reconnect with their voice, their memories, and their sense of self.
The pull of melody isn’t limited to human creatures, across many species, they are instinctively captivated by sound. My chocolate Labrador, Jazz, my ever‑faithful companion, comes upstairs to my music room whenever I sing, as if drawn to the energy that music fills the room with. It melts my heart each time!
The cognitive and neurological benefits of singing
Singing is my absolute favorite activity and is truly life‑giving. Annie Fenn, Founder of Brain Health Kitchen and the Neuroreserve site, highlights just how beneficial singing is for the brain.
Singing is far more than an artistic expression. The simple act of producing musical sound stimulates the brain in ways that strengthen memory, emotional balance, cognitive resilience, and overall neurological health. It requires seamless coordination between breath, voice, memory, and auditory processing, giving the entire brain a powerful, full‑spectrum workout. Because so many systems are activated at once, singing strengthens multiple cognitive pathways simultaneously.
Anytime I need to recoup, relax, or take time away from something or someone, I sing, and it immediately brings me visceral joy!
Learning melodies, harmonies, rhythms, and lyrics further enhances the brain’s memory circuits and neural networks. Consistently engaging with music can improve both memory retrieval and the ability to store new information.
Supporting long‑term memory formation
When we sing, multiple brain regions activate at the same time, an essential process that helps transfer short‑term experiences into long‑term memory.
Neuroplasticity: Helping the brain adapt and grow
One of the most profound benefits of singing is its influence on neuroplasticity, the brain’s capacity to form new connections and adapt throughout life. Singing encourages the creation of new neural pathways, helping the brain stay flexible, responsive, and capable of meeting new cognitive demands as we age.
I’m a passionate believer in neuroplasticity. Rewiring the brain is absolutely real and completely possible. I’ve done it myself to become an elevated version of who I once was. Singing has only strengthened and accelerated that transformation. Music didn’t just accompany my experience, it helped transform it!
Read more from Kate Castro
Kate Castro, Singer/Songwriter/Keynote Speaker
Kate Castro is a singer, songwriter, and keynote speaker. A cancer diagnosis provoked a personal and spiritual awakening. Healing and transformation lead her to guide others to find what lights them up in life. Founder of SenseK8 LLC, living in possibility and embracing uncertainty is what Kate encourages others to experience. All challenges have the ability to be opportunities. You can see Kate in the TV show “Women In Power” coming soon in 2026.
