Music and Babies

I am now becoming rather scheduled in my Mummy-ing. A couple of weeks ago I decided that I needed to make a list of things to try to do with Oliver every day- or regularly- to help him develop and so we can have fun together. I have a rather impressive looking table that I drew up on Excel and we are doing pretty well!

One of these things is Music Time.

The other week I went to a 'Music and Babies' talk and we did lots of activities that encourage babies to enjoy music, and make them more likely to be interested in learning an instrument in a few years. (Right up my street!) The lady that ran it had us walking around the circle to music, tapping them on the back as we went, in time with the music. We sang silly little rhymes while we stroked the babies, played with them, and helped them to kick toys with bells and shakers in them, and so on. The best bit was when the lady got her violin out and played and sung along to a made-up, two-note tune. The effect was AMAZING: all the babies- and there must have been 15 of them- were absolutely silent, transfixed on the sound. Even the couple of babies who had been screaming their heads off before. I was so impressed- it wasn't even an interesting tune!! Really, really amazing. I then nearly died because I realised that I'd never played the viola to Olly Woo!!! I can't believe I'd never done it!

So from then on, we've held 'Music Time'. Sometimes I play to him, Ben and I are always making songs for him, and every day I listen to a couple of pieces of classical music with him, and dance him around the room. So far he's listened to lots of viola and cello concertos, English choral music, a bit of Jazz and a bit of Tango...

It's fun and we love it!