In addition to CCS, your child’s music development can be enriched by a broad smorgasbord of music of various styles, tempos, and instrumentation—jazz, Beethoven, orchestral, solo instrument, world music, etc. There are no limits to the different kinds of music available. Your child will respond to change in tempo, instrumentation, style, more than to a particular kind of music, and will likely attend longer to short segments, repeated, than to long pieces—unless the longer work exhibits frequent change. Vocal music in a different language will be richer musically for your child than music in the mother tongue, as your child’s attention to language of the mother tongue will distract attention to the music.
Recordings of folk songs for children can enhance another dimension of development. These provide more in terms of folk music literature, language development, and delight than music development, but enrich childhood and parenting as well. The Smithsonian Folkways recordings of Pete Seeger are some of the best. You can hear segments of many of these recordings at http://www.Folkways.si.edu. These recordings capture so beautifully the simplicity of fine children’s folk songs with just a solo voice and simple folk accompaniment. Recordings with elaborate arrangements take away from the beauty of children’s folk songs.
Many recordings, whether jazz, folk, or Mozart, will claim to be designed for children, but are often watered-down versions of the genre. Only the finest recordings are good enough for children. If you are going to purchase recordings of jazz, Mozart, world music, and such for your child, go for the real thing. It will be richer for your child and you will enjoy it more. Keep in mind when choosing recordings for your child that you will have to listen to them over and over and over. Quality music and quality recording will wear on you far better than typical “kiddy” recordings.
Fine recordings can be played 24 hours a day as part of your child’s “sound environment.” Share your own favorite kinds of music with your child, and use this time of your child’s developing musical interests to expand your own, attempting to match your child’s openness to all kinds of music. Download a single piece of various styles you wouldn’t normally listen to. Search the web for free examples of music from other countries. Listen to sample recordings on the web and choose the best for both you and your child.
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