{"id":2090,"date":"2021-03-31T15:30:30","date_gmt":"2021-03-31T19:30:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.musictogether.com\/blog\/?p=2090"},"modified":"2021-03-31T15:30:30","modified_gmt":"2021-03-31T19:30:30","slug":"music-and-your-baby-talking-or-singing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.musictogether.com\/blog\/music-and-your-baby-talking-or-singing\/","title":{"rendered":"Music + Your Baby: Talking or Singing?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Parents are sometimes surprised to hear that they can start Music Together\u00ae classes with their babies as soon after birth as they\u2019d like. That\u2019s because all children are born music-makers. Yes, your baby\u2019s cries, coos, and squeals are also their first attempts at singing! How do babies go from \u201caahh!\u201d to \u201cdo, re, mi\u201d? Like all early learning, it starts with parent and caregiver support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Think about how children learn language. Babies are not born with the ability<\/em> to speak their language; rather, they are born with the potential<\/em> to learn to speak their language. It\u2019s only through prolonged exposure to language and practice making sounds (babbling) that children acquire language competency. The same is true for music-learning. We\u2019re all born with the potential<\/em> to learn music\u2014and with lots of exposure to music and chances to practice musical sounds, we can each learn to sing in tune and move with accurate rhythm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The good news? You can support your child\u2019s music development the same way you do their language development: through reinforcement and play. When a baby first says \u201cda-da,\u201d we typically react with lots of positive feedback and echo back \u201cda-da!\u201d This instinctive response reinforces the baby\u2019s first attempts at speaking, which leads to more babbling with their grownups, and eventually, language fluency. When you reinforce their early singing, too, your baby will also become fluent in music-making!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Music Together Director of Research and curriculum coauthor Dr. Lili Levinowitz, \u201cBabies can’t say words, so often people think they can’t sing, but they can. They just need to learn to control the respiratory\/laryngeal apparatus differently to sing versus to speak. Most parents know that babies learn by imitating the grownups in their lives. If the baby sees YOU singing, they will eventually sing, too. We talk to them so much, and frequently don\u2019t sing, so children may grow up without knowing how to differentiate between their speaking and singing voices.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consider this: Babies\u2019 sounds are essentially \u201csinging\u201d and \u201cspeaking\u201d at the same time. They don’t make the distinction\u2014we do! So, that means we also get to choose what we reinforce. If a baby babbles, “Baaah” on a pitch and we sing<\/em> that pitch back to them, we are supporting their early \u201csinging.\u201d If we choose to speak, \u201cBah,\u201d in response, we are supporting early \u201cspeaking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just as we are born with this potential to make music, we\u2019re also wired to receive music. Studies have shown that even the youngest babies can respond to changes in tempo, distinguish differences in volume and melody, and sense when a song is about to end. It\u2019s in these instances that we can see with our very own eyes our children\u2019s ability to hear and respond to music\u2014even when they\u2019re just a few days old. Here are a few things to look for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n