YOUR CHILD, THE MUSICAL GENIUS

Your baby-the Musical genius

Colwyn Trevarthen, Emeritus Professor of Child Psychology and Psychobiology at the University of Edinburgh, writes:

“I have seen what power music has in communication with infants. Mothers’ songs, action games and dances, and instrumental and recorded music of more popular “folk” kinds, appeal to young infants many months before words have any sense, pleasing them, animating them and calming them to peaceful sleep. Infants also participate musically with skill. They hear music and join in. We are certainly born musical.”

In scientific studies done with babies, the following has been found:

Babies respond to sounds in utero and are startled by loud sounds. They are also soothed by
the sound of the mother or father’s voice.
At the Tallahassee Florida Regional Memorial center, a study was done on the impact of
music on newborns and premature babies with low birth weight. The babies who listened to
recorded children’s lullabies for an hour a day showed lower stress levels and their weight
normalized quicker than that of the control group.
Five month old infants can discern between the smallest interval in music, namely, a
semitone. (This is significant as not even some older children and adults can do this.)
Infants, 8-11 months old, can perceive and remember melodies.
Infants between the ages of 7-9 months can “chunk” music in the same way experienced
musicians do. That means they are aware of how musical phrasing (sentences) works
intuitively.
Infants can detect changes in rhythm when the same notes were played in various rhythmic
combinations.
They were also able to tell the difference between two songs they had never heard before
where one song was “normal” and the other digitally altered.
Infants showed preference for original music versus altered music.
A blind baby of only a few weeks old responded to a familiar song sung by his mother by
moving his hands rhythmically. This shows reaction to familiar voice and song.

Babies are born into a musically rich world where music permeates their daily lives.

Music can be listened to at the touch of a button: in the car, at home, at daycare – almost anywhere.

This music is mostly not even chosen by the parent- as is in the case of shopping malls and while watching movies or TV programs.

Just by watching infants it is easy to perceive just how early they are ready for music. An Italian research project confirmed the power of music. Pregnant mothers and their partners regularly sang and played music to their unborn child. Soon after the birth the familiar music was played and sung to the babies and every baby reacted to the sound. Each baby reacted to the songs differently. Some sucked more vigorously, others opened their eyes wide, some turned their heads towards the sound and others relaxed.

Parent’s singing can calm, cheer and assist babies to fall asleep. The most important sounds your child will ever hear are the sounds of his/her parents’ voices. The songs I have written take into account the developmental age of your child and the stages of development. There are game songs, lullabies and songs to use while performing daily routines while interacting with your baby in a playful, loving way.

References:

Papoušek, M. 1996b. Intuitive parenting: a hidden source of music stimulation in infancy. In Musical Beginnings, ed. I. Deliege and J. Sloboda. London: Oxford University Press.

Trevarthen, C. (1997) Preface to M. Pavlecevic, Music Therapy in Context: Music, meaning and relationship. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.