Music And The Babe

February 9th, 2009

I’ve been anxiously anticipating the development of our baby’s sense of hearing for a while now.  For one thing, it’s the only interface that I’ll have for communication to Lil’ E until I meet him(/her).  But I’m also excited to be able to play music in utero!  I think it’s important to develop a sense of rhythm, groove, and melody as soon as possible.  Our baby has ears now, but more specialized hearing organs will be present around week 22.  Around that time I plan to present:

Brian Eno – Ambient 1: Music For Airports: I’m sure some of Eno’s subtlety will be lost in transmission, but I think that Music For Airports is the perfect in utero music.  It was composed to be played in airports in a time when they were kept silent.  Just something to cover the din of people rushing of to catch their flights.  The womb is a noisy place, and I’d like to think that this album can help color the day to day swishyness that’s going on in there.

The Grateful Dead – One From The Vault (8/13/75): I really had to think about this one, and I’m stil not sure that this will be it.  It has to serve not only as my child’s introduction to the good ol’ Grateful Dead, but perform some basic developmental function as well.  Bear’s Choice or Harpur College?  I dig the acoustic tip, but too much primal dead and sloppy rhythm.  My personal favorite 12/29/77 or the perennial favorite 5/8/77?  Pretty, for sure, but at times a little trippy for Lil’ E’s delicate brain.  Nope, it has to be one of the damn prettiest shows played.  A rare year, indeed, finding the boys incredibly focused.  With new research showing babies have a solid sense of the beat as newborns, I have to presume the tight drumming would be appreciated.  A nice mix of sharp jamming and fun tunes, just perfect for the hot summer days baby will have in utero.

Motown: I don’t have too many strong opinions on how folks should raise their kids, but I have to say that if you deny your child James Jamerson, you should go to jail.  Children need rock solid groovable bass lines to learn and grow.  

Yo-Yo- Ma, Edgar Meyer and Mark O’Conner – Appalachian Journey: Picking some American roots music is tough.  Bill Monroe type bluegrass is just too fast and dirty.  I’d like to find time to play some old South Carolina backwoods banjo music, but I have a feeling Tori will only stand for so much of me putting headphones on her pregnant belly!  So I chose one of my favorite suites of music by virtuoso musicians.  Guided by the spirit of the Scottish, British and Irish folk music that would become American roots music when it settled into Appalachia, this album really embodies melody for the little one.  Since it’s based in folk music rich in simple petatonic scales, it’s like a Dick and Jane reader for melody.

Of course, I know that playing these albums isn’t guaranteed to help develop a musical sense in baby, but it doesn’t hurt to try!

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