Research Tells Us

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Research Findings & Quotes from Journal of Zero to Three
The Music Lives of Babies and Families-September 2002

“Rhythmic and melodic dialogue begin in the birthing room. The rhythms and melodies of adult’s earliest efforts to connect with babies reflect the intuitive nature of musical communication.” (Custodero)

Bowlby address the “significance of this ‘reciprocal interchange’ in terms of attachment. Rhythms of dialogues-duets define attachment and are associated with positive cognitive outcomes…”

Stern and Trevarthen both have “applied rhythmic and melodic characteristics to their interpretations of infant social experiences…synchronous rhythmic patterns define healthy development…”

“In a shared social setting or in solitude, music is meaningful to very young and motivates them to participate physically, emotionally and cognitively…in the child-care center the emotional content of music seems to unite the group…to self-comfort, individual children are initiating their own cognitively challenging musical experiences…” (Custedero)

“Music making creates contexts in which children, teachers, and families thrive….infants perceive music in much the say way adults do…adults who observe very young children carefully, learn to recognize ways in which they invite us to be musical with them…” (Trehub)

“Consider the potential for communication and self-expression as infants invite, seek and initiate melodic and rhythmic activity.” (Custedero)

“Even a premature newborn may actively contribute to a precise rhythmic exchange of vocal sounds helping to create a single ‘narrative’ of feeling.” (Malloch)

“Communicative musicality seems to be an intrinsic organizing principle for all movements in healthy parent-infant interactions…meaning of the adult’s words cannot play a role and infant and parent are typically eager to ‘attune’ with each other.” (Stern-Hofer-Haft and Dore)

“We see that a baby a few weeks old can learn to recognize a melody or dance ritual very quickly, and one of an infant’s earliest pleasures comes from recognizing the distinctive phrases and verses of a favorite tune, perhaps heard in utero.” (Trevarthen-Malloch)

“It {music} can bring a child who is severely incapacitated by sensory or motor disability into companionship in thought and actions, supporting language.” (Aldrige, Tonsberg, Hauge, Wigram and Debacker)

“Babies at risk, due to their pre-maturity, developmental disorder or trauma can be sustained and helped to grow in strength and health by peaceful music, especially in intimate communication with the body of a caregiver.” (Van Rees and de Leeuw)

“The most supportive action is to encourage baby’s love of musical company by being part of it…infants play and sing with emotional, musical narrative long before they talk.” (Trevarthen)

“…free and sympathetic expression of what we call Instrinsic Motive Pulse (IMP) of moving and feeling is necessary for development of the mind and for emotional health…that is why music has a unique and permanent value for education, where musical communication can be such powerful therapy.” (Trevarthen)

“The forces of moving and awareness can also transform the adult, with love and enjoyment into a play mate, releasing intuitive impulses to love and sing in ways that engage and support the child’s expression.” (Trevarthen)

“Newborns and older infants are more attentive and responsive to sounds of infant-directed speech than to those of adult-directed speech.” (Cooper, Aslin, Fernald, Werker and McLeod)

“The presence of a baby seems to influence the emotions of caregivers or bystanders, one consequence of which is highly expressive singing…even preschoolers sing more effusively than usual when their infant sibling is in view.” (Trehub, Unyk and Henderson)

“Maternal speech readily captures infants attention, but maternal singing is more effective in maintaining attention…mothers use of music to manage infant moods has parallels in the therapeutic use of music for regulating emotion in disabled or sick children…” (Bunt and Pavlicevic)



Research and Articles:

When They're Very Young   By Keith Powers
Teaching Music Journal. January 2012
NAfME/National Association for Music Education
"In kindergarten and beyond, students gradually develop their musical skills. But music aptitude develops much earlier-and teachers can begin to foster it in preschool."

Too much, too soon

Music and Parenting ~ Somewhat Like A Symphony

Restricting Children's Play May Harm Them

Overpressured, too many kids show signs of grown-up illness

Developmental Milestones of Early Literacy

Early Brain Development Research Review and Update

Movement

Developmental Concepts Enhanced through Music and Movement For 3-year-olds thru Pre-K

Music as Valuable Tool & What's in it For the Parent

Studies Tell Us

Research Findings & Quotes from Journal of Zero to Three - The Music Lives of Babies and Families

Mothers are Musical Mentors

Musically Speaking, Did You Know?