Music + Baby: Talking or singing?

How do babies go from “aahh!” to “do, re, mi”?

Parents are sometimes surprised to hear that they can start Music Together® classes with their babies as soon after birth as they’d like. That’s because all children are born music makers. Yes, your baby’s cries, coos, and squeals are also their first attempts at singing! Like all early learning, it starts with parent and caregiver support.

Think about how children learn a language. Babies are not born with the ability to speak their language; rather, they are born with the potential to learn to speak their language. It’s only through prolonged exposure to language and practice making sounds (babbling) that children acquire language competency. The same is true for music-learning. We’re all born with the potential to learn music—and 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.

The good news? You can support your child’s music development the same way you do their language development: through reinforcement and play.

Learn more from our friends at Music Together, from whom we borrowed this article.