What classical music should a baby listen to? Starting at what age ? Which composers to
Music for whom?
Music is universal. “It is present among all the peoples of the world”, recalls Maud Vivien, musician, creator of the association Au hollow de l’Oreille. A baby can therefore listen to all the music. There are just two small restrictions: “too high a sound level and too aggressive music”, says Maud Vivien.
The music in the mother’s belly
“Music can be discovered during pregnancy, in the mother’s belly, specifies Elisabeth Esclattier, teacher of musical awakening and founder of the association 1,2,3… raspberries. The future baby hears it from 6 to 7 months of pregnancy.
What classical music for babies?
Classical music offers an immense choice of works: Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, Chopin, Brahms, Debussy, Wagner, Ravel, Tchaikovsky, Schubert, Vivaldi, Verdi, Bizet, Camille Saint Saëns… It is therefore not easy to know what to listen to your baby.
music learning
If If we think about introducing the baby to colours: green grass, blue sky, red poppy, yellow chick… it is not the same with sounds. What a pity ! “To make sounds exist, you have to initiate the toddler by saying ‘you heard the ringing of the telephone, the noise of the garbage truck, of the bell…'”, recommends Maud Vivien. Whether in the city or in the countryside, there are many interesting sounds. “Putting words to sounds allows you to pay more attention to them,” she insists.
You can also take a toddler to the concert. Some are specially adapted for a very young audience and are of short duration: around 50 minutes. “You just have to respect the recommended age and accept that the child only watches the first half hour before, perhaps, falling asleep,” warns Maud Vivien. It is a discovery, a special moment, which releases a lot of emotions.
“Bringing a small child to a concert allows him to discover a different environment,” adds Elisabeth Esclattier. He discovers the musicians and the instruments. It is an experience of joy. It may then be interesting, at home, to play back to the child the musical excerpts heard during the concert. It will remind him of happy times.
You can also enrol the young child in a musical workshop. Some are offered from the age of 9 months. “These workshops allow the discovery of sounds, musical instruments, rhythm and the understanding of musical notions such as pulsation, rhythms, melody, attacks, nuances, intensities through musical practice and listening. of musical excerpts”, explains the creator of Au hollow de l’Oreille.
