Benefits of Classical Music for Babies

Listening to classical music probably will not make your baby smarter or raise her IQ. However, it may help to prime her brain for specific types of thinking. Classical music has a structure that is different from and more complex than most other types of music. According to Diane Bales, Ph.D., in an article entitled "Building Baby's Brain: The Role of Music" on the Education Oasis website, this structure seems to stimulate the same pathways in the brain that are responsible for spatial reasoning.

  1. Positive Effects on Language Skills

    • According to former preschool teacher Ann Gadzikowski, a one-time grants coordinator of the Chicago Children's Museum, the museum conducts an exhibit that illustrates that there is a strong connection between language development and musical ability. It is necessary to learn to identify subtle auditory differences in order to develop both language and music skills. Listening to the complex patterns of classical music can help a baby learn to distinguish between similar sounds, such as "D" and "B." Classical music can help a baby to develop auditory memory and improve her ability to decode auditory data.

      You can encourage this effect by playing music for your baby. Try different selections of classical music. If you play a musical instrument, practice near your baby. However, keep in mind that loud music can damage your baby's hearing, so be sure to keep the volume soft to moderate. As your baby gets older, consider giving her music lessons early. If your toddler shows interest in music, you do not have to wait until school begins. Children as young as three and four can understand and become proficient in the basics of certain musical instruments.

    Calming Physical Effects

    • Classical music can also affect your baby's physical well-being. Listening to slow, soft classical music will help your baby to relax. His breathing will become deeper and slower, allowing him to relax and rest more completely. Your baby's heart rate will also be positively affected. According to a study cited in "Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association," the heart rate will increase or decrease depending upon the tempo of the music. Therefore, listening to a slow piece of classical music will help to slow his heart rate and reduce tension, which can be beneficial at bedtime.

    Uplifting Effects on Mood

    • Listening to certain types of classical music can lift your baby's mood. Listening to such music helps the body create endorphins, which are natural relaxants that are released in the brain. Endorphins can improve mood, relax the body and even reduce pain. According to the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA), classical music can reduce pain, improve mood, and promote healing.

    Reduction in Birth Trauma

    • The experience of being born can be both frightening and stressful for a newborn baby. Dr. Slavka Viragova of the Kosica-Saca Hospital in Slovakia believes that classical music can reduce this trauma. While a baby is in utero, she listens to the mother's heartbeat. The sound of the heartbeat is familiar and comforting to the baby. Some classical music achieves a similar effect. Dr. Viragova uses the music of Mozart to comfort infants during and after the birth experience. The newborn babies listen to Mozart for ten minutes at a time, six times per day.

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