Ongoing History Daily: Do babies need live music? Yes.
A question from new parents: “Should I expose my baby to live music?” The answer is “yes.”
A recent study at the University of Toronto revealed that infants have longer attention spans when experiencing live music. Sure, you might want to give them an iPad to stare at, but that apparently doesn’t work as well as live music. Videos don’t captivate them a whole lot but live music elicits physiological changes like a synchronization of heart rate to the music.
The final conclusion? “Findings suggest that performer–audience interactions and social context play an important role in facilitating attention and coordinating emotional responses to musical performances early in life.”
The big caveat? Volume levels The live music cannot be too loud for those delicate little ears.
Yeah, ok, but… live music for a baby can be anything from teaching them about the alphabet to riding the school bus.
Put a toddler down in front of grandpa with a pot, spoon, comb & whisk. Add a few stuffed teddys. That child just become an A&R rep., promoter, manager & groupie. All before the beginning of Sunday brunch.
Don’t put a screaming baby in front of a wall of amps. A child should at least be able to understand a volume dial before they’re plugged in. Allow kids time to grow into
A Space Outta Sound
Nightmares on Wax