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If you have thought that your baby was too young for a music class, think again. A baby’s brain is firing on all levels to build new neural pathways for learning. A music class for a baby also helps build a better understanding of their own emotions and those of the people around them. There are different types of music classes for babies and toddlers of all ages and musical interests.
Are music classes good for baby?
Sound the horns, bells, trumpets, or xylophones! It doesn’t matter what music you are playing — it all helps a baby’s brain develop. While you don’t need a class, it helps to have guided direction on notes and rhythm for your baby to chime in on. Plus there are great social benefits to enjoying a music class together.
Jamie Kolnick — founder and CEO of Jam with Jamie, a nationwide children’s music entertainment and education company — thinks that children of every age can benefit from music. “Music is a language. For children, it is a language in which they may comprehend and express themselves the only most clearly,” she told Mom.com.
Benefits of introducing your baby to music
The University of Washington’s Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences recently published a study that concluded that music improved brain processing in 9-month-old babies. The improvement was in both processing music and speech sounds. Essentially, babies have brains with incredible neuroplasticity and when exposed to music, they are able to improve language, memory, speech, and even spatial reasoning.
Music is filled with mood cues. My son would always come running to get me when the music changed on his Disney movies. He knew something bad was about to happen. If your child starts to pick up on the emotional cues of music, it can help you when things get a little tough.
Music as a parental aid
According to Sarah Hurst, a primary school teacher specializing in early child development, music can provide important cues. “Using music to signal calm-down time, nap times or more wakeful times at home is beneficial,” Hurst told Mom.com. Children often can’t help themselves in how they respond to music, getting energized by happy, playful tunes or getting sleepy with mellow melodies.
Keeping young children interested in music
Developing an interest in music has helped Nebraska mom Melissa Vodehnal keep her children involved with the task at hand. “I’ve found that experiencing music with them through play or just sitting around the dinner table with it on in the background has really kept them interested,” she told Mom.com. Vodehnal notes that even as a piano teacher it can be hard to keep kids on a lesson schedule, but by incorporating it in to their daily lives kids start to develop a passion for the music.
What age is best to start a music lesson?
Every child is different, so keep that in mind as you start music lessons and watch your child progress in comparison to others. Mozart wrote his first symphony at age 8; very few kids, if any, will do that — even when they start music lessons as a toddler. It isn’t necessary to start Mommy and Me music classes when your child is 6 months old, but I do remember learning the “Wheels on the Bus” song before my son was speaking. I could see the joy on his face and him bobbing his head as he loved the class. Just make sure your child can sit up during the class for the best results.
Children younger than 5 should be exposed to music in fun, social classes. Some children may be ready to start formal music lessons earlier than 5, but remember that you don’t want your child to hate music lessons. Formal lessons, like the piano, require a lot of practice. Between the ages of 5 and 10, children will take to early music exposure and find a passion for an instrument of choice. They will also be able to physically handle bigger or more complex instruments.
For Kolnick, it’s never too early to start fostering the love of music in your child — and it has benefits for parents and caregivers, too. “As soon as a parent is comfortable going into a music class!” she told Mom.com when asked what age was appropriate to start a baby’s musical journey. “Not only are music classes a great way for a parent or caregiver to socialize, but it is a fantastic way for their baby to soak in some tunes and begin socializing themselves.”
What music is best for babies?
I’ll admit, we had the whole collection of Baby Mozart, Baby Beethoven, Baby Einstein, and all the rest. The music and energy were amazing and I felt I was giving my son an advantage from the start by exposing him to them. Yes, I bought into the Mozart effect theory that says listening to classical music will improve the listeners’ intelligence, particularly in babies.
It’s a great theory that has no concrete evidence. I don’t think I got any smarter by listening to this music with my son and the kid is just brilliant anyway (not that I’m biased or anything). But seriously, there is no evidence that proves the Mozart effect has any substantial difference. It’s the overall exposure to music that helps babies and older kids build neural pathways for greater intellectual success. Go and find your favorite rock station and get your best air guitar going and start a new trend, the rock-mom effect.
