Baby music

March 10, 2006 9:50 AM

Music for babies?

I need input and suggestions from parents regarding music to play for my one week old daughter.
Right now, I have been playing Baby Einstein's Baby Bach, which seems to soothe her when she is fussy. I am also planning on dusting off some classical music records that we have, vinyl being much more soothing and natural than digital.

I am just wondering, from a psychological perspective, is it better to stay with simpler melodies, or should she hear more complex and emotional music? Any ideas as far as rock or folk music?

posted by bradn to education (29 comments total)

vinyl being much more soothing and natural than digital.

I can't think of any reason to mention that other than to try to start a fight!
posted by aubilenon at 9:58 AM on March 10, 2006

I was amazed out how much our kids loved the baby bach and baby mozart.

In classical, how about some of Eric Satie's piano works, or Debussy's La Mer? In real Bach, the Goldberg Variations. Vivaldi's four seasons, the Albinoni adagio, the Barber Adagio, the Faure Requiem... lots of good stuff comes to mind.

In Jazz, any Blue Note era Miles Davis, Clifford Brown and (especially) Jimmy Smith -- Back at the Chicken Shack, Houseparty, The Sermon...

Pop's harder but there's a ton of good ambient stuff out there.
posted by unSane at 10:14 AM on March 10, 2006

vinyl being much more soothing and natural than digital.

I can't think of any reason to mention that other than to try to start a fight!

I really can't either. It's not like the baby is going to notice.

I also don't think it matters what you play, as long as baby responds favorably to it. Such a little thing as how complex the melody is isn't going to make a huge difference in your baby's development.
posted by agregoli at 10:16 AM on March 10, 2006

Music for Babies.
posted by lovejones at 10:25 AM on March 10, 2006

haha, I was gonna say what lovejones said.
posted by rxrfrx at 10:26 AM on March 10, 2006

Raymond Scott's Soothing Sounds For Baby.
posted by zonkout at 10:45 AM on March 10, 2006

I just had a humorous image of a baby listening to Music for Airports with huge headphones on its tiny head.
posted by rabbitsnake at 11:02 AM on March 10, 2006

seconding Satie. My parents played him nonstop when I was small. Makes you really pay attention to patterns and math.
posted by luriete at 11:06 AM on March 10, 2006

...vinyl being much more soothing and natural than digital.
LOL. Have you thought about singing to your baby?
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 11:07 AM on March 10, 2006

vinyl being much more soothing and natural than digital.

I can't think of any reason to mention that other than to try to start a fight!

Not at all trying to start a fight, I guess I'm just naive. I honestly didn't think it was even debatable.

Anyway thanks for all the suggestions. Of course, she will be the ultimate judge of what works.
posted by bradn at 11:10 AM on March 10, 2006

weapons-grade has the right idea. Singing is wonderful. Sing lullabys, nursery rhymes, Sarah Mclachlan, Usher, Motley Crue, whatever you're into. Babies love it, especially if accompanied by dancing.
posted by raedyn at 11:37 AM on March 10, 2006

My friends played stuff like ELO, Coldplay, Rob Dougan, and the Eternal Sunshine for the Spotless Mind to their little girl. She's smart and it's unbelievably adorable to watch her beg for "the Blue Sky song!"
posted by schroedinger at 11:43 AM on March 10, 2006

And tell & sing the kids your stories. Those crazy, embarrassing, dangerous, silly things that happened to you and your parents. They will love them, despite being immersed in a culture that buys and retells Hollywood versions of its identity.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 11:48 AM on March 10, 2006

Make up songs. Sing about whatever you're doing: folding laundry, cutting vegetables. Invent stories. Tell Cinderella from your head instead of reading it from a Disney book. Create stories of the adventures your cat goes on while everyone is out of the house.

Rediscover your own imagination and playfulness. It's good for you.
posted by raedyn at 12:01 PM on March 10, 2006

Boards of Canada
posted by Merdryn at 12:03 PM on March 10, 2006 [1 favorite]

Brian Eno - Music for Airports.
posted by erebora at 12:05 PM on March 10, 2006

I'll 2nd the singing. My daughter loves it. I'd sing the same song at the same time of day (just before bed) to her as often as I could and now it's the perfect calm-me-down song. (It happens to be the Universe Song by Eric Idle from The Meaning of Life, so I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter what you sing, just that it's you singing.)
She also loves the Baby Mozart stuff. Classical is a great choice because it's easy to listen to, the melody is easy to follow but there is a level of complexity that keeps it interesting over an over again... unlike some kids tunes I know.
Lastly, Sharron Lois and Bram. Kids love this stuff, cuz it's silly and melodic.
posted by Hanover Phist at 12:10 PM on March 10, 2006

This was going around the internet some time ago, disproving the "mozart effect" theory. Perhaps not entirely helpful, but funny at least:

To my sophisticated musical friends:
A new report now says that the Mozart effect is a fraud (via Terry Teachout).

For you hip urban professionals: no, playing Mozart for your
designer baby will not improve his IQ or help him get into that exclusive preschool. He'll just have to be admitted into Harvard some other way.

Of course, we're all better off for listening to Mozart purely for the pleasure of it. However, one wonders that if playing Mozart sonatas for little Hillary or Jason could boost their intelligence, what would happen if other composers were played in their
developmental time?

LISZT EFFECT: Child speaks rapidly and extravagantly, but never really says anything important.

RAFF EFFECT: Child becomes a bore.

BRUCKNER EFFECT: Child speaks very slowly and repeats himself frequently. Gains reputation for profundity.

WAGNER EFFECT: Child becomes a megalomaniac. May eventually marry his sister.

MAHLER EFFECT: Child continually screams - at great length and volume - that he's dying.

SCHOENBERG EFFECT: Child never repeats a word until he's used all the other words in his vocabulary. Sometimes talks backwards. Eventually, people stop listening to him. Child blames them for their inability to understand him.

BABBITT EFFECT: Child gibbers nonsense all the time. Eventually, people stop listening to him. Child doesn't care because all his playmates think he's cool.
posted by purplefiber at 12:32 PM on March 10, 2006

I've tried to mix up the music for our 10-month-old little guy. The Baby Einstein stuff is OK, but I think we both get a little bored with it after a while. Songs seems to be real hit or miss with him. Some stuff he seems to like (he'll be calm and attentive when listening), some stuff he doesn't (he'll be easily distracted or fussy).

Here's his 'greatest hits':

Celia Cruz -- "Cao Cao Mani Picao" (He loves the 'Go! Go! Go!' part)
Latin Playboys - "Mustard"
Julee Cruise -- "Rockin' Back Inside My Heart"
Iron & Wine -- "Such Great Heights"
The Carter Family -- "Wildwood Flower"

What I like about these songs is that the melodies are very 'hummable.' I put him to sleep each night holding him and walking back and forth humming these songs. I think there is something about the resonance of the humming that winds him down and puts him to sleep. Since he is used to the melodies, I use them to calm him down if he gets fussy when we are out somewhere. Usually works pretty well. Came in especially handy after he got his shots at the doctor's office.
posted by Otis at 12:38 PM on March 10, 2006

GLASS EFFECT: Repeats self, repeats self, repeats self, incessantly, incessantly, incessantly...
posted by kindall at 1:14 PM on March 10, 2006

Thirding Satie.
If you're going the Mozart route, you might want to consider the all-vocal, super-twerped Swingle Singers. Their Bach, Vol. 1 record is really good too. Crazy cats.
Music for 18 Musicians.
because he's also a genius, The Richard D. James Album seems appropriate (maybe just the more chilled tracks).
Spike Jones (although this might be too crazy).
Milt Jackson, Tortoise, Martin Denny. Dig those vibes.
Maybe something sweet and peppy?
posted by hellbient at 2:45 PM on March 10, 2006

I played all kinds of music for my daughter. Her favorites from baby and toddlerhood were the ones with catchy melodies. Bonus points if Mom would sing and dance and make funny faces. (Now she's 10, and she still likes the ones we can sing to.)

Honestly, I played everything from old punk to zydeco to 80's metal bands to alt-country to blues to classical, because that's what I liked.

At one week of age, the sounds of her parents' voices are going to be the best music on the planet to your daughter, so I wouldn't spend her college fund on music. In fact, if you can sing, record yourself singing a few favorites and play that for her.

A word of warning: when she gets old enough to make requests, be sure that the choices she has available to her are palatable to YOUR ears, or you will be forced to poke out your eardrums with forks after the one-billionth spin of "The Wheels On The Bus" or somesuch.

I've heard "Return to Pooh Corner" from Kenny Loggins is delightful to some children, but my kid hated it, FWIW.

Also, the Lilo and Stitch soundtrack CDs have lots of cool Hawaiian music, some with children singing.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 7:25 PM on March 10, 2006

I'm not a parent but I'd say expose her to as great a variety of music as possible. Kids love music. When I was a kid my parents played mainly classical and they told me that when that music started I would always stop crying and sit and listen with rapt attention. When I was a little older (maybe 3 or so) they'd occasionally leave the Light Programme on and I'd get to hear pop music. Apparently I'd get all excited and start bopping around. I loved the noises that came out of that old radiogram.

Expose her to everything and see how she reacts. If something upsets her, change it. But have fun seeing what surprising things make her smile and dance.
posted by Decani at 8:17 PM on March 10, 2006

Of course, when I say "dance" I mean "kick her little legs about".
posted by Decani at 8:18 PM on March 10, 2006

I think that They Might Be Giants recorded a children's album.
posted by WCityMike at 8:44 PM on March 10, 2006

Pete Seeger.
posted by Eothele at 9:20 PM on March 10, 2006

FWIW, I was allegedly repeatedly exposed to the Eroica in utero. I still like it. Ba ba ba BUM bum bum BUM bum bum BUM diddleiddleum, bum, bum dum dum bum dum dum bum...
posted by flabdablet at 11:34 PM on March 10, 2006

Apparently I used to pester my parents to play Robert Johnson all the time when a toddler, and when I couldn't stop my friend's baby from grizzling recently, I remembered that and stuck Johnson on, and she was quiet and happy within a couple of minutes. Early gospel recordings worked a treat too, of the maudlin rather than rousing sort.
posted by jack_mo at 10:28 AM on March 11, 2006

I was amazed, when I became a parent, by the number of people who assured me that listening to Mozart would make my newborn daughter more intelligent. When I expressed scepticism, they became extremely indignant ('but it's been scientifically proven!'). Mozart really is the last taboo -- question your faith in God and no one will turn a hair, but question your faith in Mozart and you're a lost soul.

The only music that my daughter seemed to respond to, in her first few months, was brass-band music. Maybe it reminded her of the sound of the heartbeat in the womb. Or maybe she just liked military marches.

Anyway, if you're looking for music for your daughter, may I suggest sea shanties? As other people have already said, it's much better to sing to her, rather than just putting her crib next to the CD player. She'll get far more out of it -- and so will you. (There's a good site here, too, if you want to add a few sea shanties to your repertoire. I'm particularly fond of the sad ones, like 'Toll for the Brave' and 'Tom Bowling' and 'Van Diemen's Land'.)
posted by verstegan at 4:19 PM on March 11, 2006