The ‘Mozart Effect’ & The Benefits of Music and Children

Whether it is Raffi, the Wiggles, Disney music and more – most children love music. Like most preschoolers, your child or a friend’s kid most likely already loves music and has favorite songs that he or she likes to listen to over and over. So how did this happen? Did you encourage it? Long car trips? Or did they hear it at home?  Preschoolers are a great age to introduce and expand their musical horizons. I grew up in a household where my dad played the guitar and I played the piano – I am very thankful for growing up in a musical household and the “torturous” days of piano lessons (wink, wink). Even my little cousin Spencer received a drum set this past Christmas and I was thrilled to see him tap the beat and use the cymbals so well! He even ‘air-guitared’ Bon Jovi’s Livin’ on a Prayer.

In 1997, a man by the name of Don Campbell wrote a book called “The Mozart Effect: Tapping the Power of Music to Heal the Body, Strengthen the Mind, and Unlock the Creative Spirit” which discussed a theory that listening to the musician Mozart can increase one’s IQ and that playing specially selected classical music to infants will benefit their mental development.  These theories can be controversial, but I do agree that the relationship to sound and music (both played and listened to) have not been explored enough.  Campbell wrote a follow up book called “The Mozart Effect” where he stated …

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Big Sis Knows What To Do

Last weekend we drove down to Los Angeles (from the Bay Area) for my cousin’s baby shower. The drive there was a piece of cake. It took us about 8 hours with only 2 stops. Amazing, considering we had a newborn. Meanwhile, my 4-year old was her usual self asking us what number to count to before we get to LA, and repeatedly asking, “Are we there yet?” (Click here to read about our memorable trip to San Diego.)

The drive home was a completely different story. It took us almost 12 hours with so many stops that I vowed never to drive a long trip like that ever again! For some reason, my 3-week old was hungry EVERY HOUR. “Didn’t I just feed you?” And other times he would howl and cry, and we couldn’t figure out why. He wasn’t hungry. He wasn’t wet. He wasn’t hurt or sick. He just wanted to be on Daddy’s lap or in Mommy’s embrace. I guess I’d rather have that, too. But after so many stops for no reason other than to take him out of his car seat, we’d had enough. Our so-called “solution” was to let him scream in agony — while we listened in agony! Then, miraculously, Big Sis saved the day. Miranda sang “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” and Paulo stopped crying! The first time it happened, we thought it was just luck. But it happened a couple more times, and it worked every time. One time she even sang a different song (some song from “High School Musical”), but it didn’t work. So we asked her to stick to his usual request because that’s what Paulo liked. She gladly complied.

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