When do babies start singing?
- Judith Bell
- 1 day ago
- 1 min read
Infants have been listening to the rhythmic, musical features of language from before birth. Once they are born, these musical features are reflected in the melodies of their cries. The baby is born musical, able to be a play partner from birth.
A parent or caregiver validates their baby’s vocalisations by copying their sounds and playing little my turn, your turn conversations. The baby ‘serves’ with an original or imitated gaze, hand or foot movement, or sound and the adult ‘returns’, matching and imitating the infant’s pace and type of movement or sound.
These musical conversations validate the baby’s offerings. The predictability of the timing, phrasing.and structure of these conversations and narratives helps babies to feel connected through this loving relationship based play. This is the basis for helping children feel secure and able to thrive.
The first little video shows a mother holding and rocking her 5 month old baby while he ‘sings’ himself to sleep, comforted by being held and feeling the soothing, rocking action of his mother.
The second video shows the father holding the same baby aged 10 months in a resonating stair well as he listens to the resonating quality of his voice as he purposefully ‘sings’ notes and listens to his own vocalisations.
These short videos coupled with the RNZ concert interview with Julie include the recordings of a two year -seven year old girl. These combined examples illustrate the musical progression of a young child’s singing journey.
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