On Prince And How The Loss Of Musical Legends Affects Our Brains

2016 has been a brutal year for music lovers. If you use social media, you may have seen endless posts dedicated to our departed heroes like Merle Haggard, David Bowie, and now, Prince.

The celebrated music icon died Thursday at the age of 57. Grief is being shared via all manner of tributes around the world. But what does the passing of a beloved musician awaken in us? Why do these losses really punch us in the gut?

Filmmaker Michael Rossato-Bennett studies how music affects the minds of Alzheimer's patients. He says it touches us on a deeply emotional and biological level.

“Here's the thing - there are certain artists that seem to live inside of our bodies. And we're so phenomenally grateful to those people, especially when we're young. They dive into our very makeup, into our very identity.”

He says the link music makes with our bodies and brains runs deeper than we know. And although those connections may dull with age or disease, they can be coaxed out of us.

“When you reawaken these emotions, and you reawaken memory, you're literally triggering different parts of the brain. And that's where Prince lives. Long after you've forgotten everything you did in your adult life, and I throw on "Purple Rain" for you - it's gonna take you back. And you are gonna be there in that moment when you are becoming, choosing what you were gonna be.”

That may be little comfort after a legend dies, but, you can re-ignite those connections again and again, by simply listening to the music that you love.

More on Michael Rossato-Bennett and his work with Alzheimer's Patients can be found here.