Take that, Baby Einstein

[velvetpage]

There's no evidence that playing Mozart to a newborn makes them smarter.

I play classical music around my house because i like it. I sing songs and play games with my children because we all enjoy it. It's the interaction, the use of high-level linguistic and cognitive skills, and the physical activity, that develop their brains. The best way to encourage a child's intellectual development is to play with them, talk to them, sing to them, and engage them in activities that you both enjoy. If you're doing that, it won't matter if the music is Mozart or Metallica - it will still benefit them.

Thanks sassy_fae for the link.

Comments

[etherlad.livejournal.com]

Some classical arias have words. Conversely, some modern stuff I really enjoy (like some Delerium and Jam & Spoon) does not.

sassy_fae just pointed out to me that the arias are still likely to be in a foreign tongue, so there's less pressure to listen to what they're saying.

We could go back and forth on this for hours. (:

[neebs.livejournal.com]

I should probably admit that I pretty much LOATHE classical music and so have only ever in my life probably heard 10 pieces, none of which have words. I defer to you on this one. =)

[velvetpage.livejournal.com]

What do you loathe about it? And what have you heard of it? (I'm not trying to grill you, btw. I just want to know because I can't imagine my life without classical music. Many of the people I've known who have started out with an aversion to classical music have actually come to enjoy some of it, once they realized that Eine Kleine Nachtmusik was not the be-all and end-all of it.)

Would you be open to a few suggestions of routes to take to learn about it?