It’s a common action of a mother to pick up a baby and begin swaying her hips to soothe the child. The motion seems to tie into listening to music and moving with it. Often young babies and toddlers react to music. One can see this in the market of music for children and soothing babies. Another fun connection is live music classes designed for mothers and their young children.
My daughter and I tried our first music class together, a program called Music Together, when she was about six to eight months old. The program encouraged mixed ages of children, gave the parents a song book and a cassette tape or CD of the music they taught, and loved parent involvement. The children experimented with music instruments, danced and sang for about an hour each week. We loved the classes and had fun with the other families involved.
Later (at three years old or so) we were introduced to another music program called Kindermusik. Kindermusik is oriented more at having just the child explore music and instruments. Their programs taught various age appropriate instruments to the children and parents were only invited to join in some classes. Regardless of the approach for these music programs, the children loved being involved with the music making.
I’m convinced some of these young experiences have helped influence my daughter’s music preferences now at the age of eight. She’s ready for her own iPod playlists!
Le Top blog 
That’s really cool. I am looking to get my daughter into something with music and/or dancing. I think it’s a natural thing with kids and I want to nurture it. Music seems to be connected to most of the memories in my life and I want it to be the same way for her.
I happened to see a special CNN piece over the weekend about a mom who uses music to reach and teach her severely learning disabled child. I thought it was a compelling story. She started singing to her child one day out of absolute sheer frustration and exhaustion in being unable to communicate to him and it immediately calmed him. More info here: http://www.itshiphopbaby.com/
My Brother has severe CP (Cerebral Palsy), so much so that he is unable to speak, but can somewhat communicate through laughter and crying. Our family is extremely musical and Mark definitely inherited a side of that. Mom sings to him and he can harmonize back, it is fantastic. He loves to listen to “From the Top” a syndicated program that airs weekly on our local Classical channel. He will sit there and laugh hysterically when he loves something; he’ll start to whine when the brothers turn it off and play their Rock Music. Anyway, it’s definitely therapeutic and it definitely conjures up a huge response from him. Music can move anyone, I truly believe that.
P.S. My friend is a High School Math teacher and wrote her Master’s Thesis on the idea that Music can teach math. She sings songs to and with her class on how to solve equations or how to memorize theorems. It really works!
Kristin, I’m 100% with you on the capacity of music to reach anyone. It’s utterly fantastic that Mark can harmonize with your mom. That must provide such a special bond among your family to share in music together.
Except for the fact that I am tone deaf and the rest of them are musical genius’…oh well we are all “gifted” in different ways.
I’ve read that music is mathematical, and that children involved with music at a young age also do better in math at school!
I think that children identify, and are soothed by music at a very early age. The first time we stayed with Otto (our now 4 year old grandson) he was definitely missing mommy and daddy. My son-in-law is a professional musician – so my husband grabbed one of his guitars and started playing anything he could remember (Paul is a great musician as well.) When Paul played – he stopped crying, when he stopped – the crying started up again. Finally Paul was just strumming and making up words – it was really funny. Incidentally – Paul loved the guitar he tried out that night – and my daughter and son-in-law bought him one for that Christmas!
It’s neat to hear so many other music related connections and stories. Thanks for sharing! I especially loved hearing about music and math, and the special bond music gives families with special needs children.