When the perception is formed starting from a larger concept or object and then it is focused on to more detailed information, then such a method of forming perception is termed as top down processing.
This processing takes into consideration the general impressions and then focusing on the finer details to make a final perception.
Due to the top down processing the circumstances under which a particular emotion or object is perceived influences our expectations in that particular situation.
Therefore, when we listen to sad music our brain already perceives that the word spoken would be in context to the current situation and hence, the word gets perceived as mourning rather than morning and this is an example of top down processing.
