Rocking and Bouncing Can Affect Your Baby's Music Preference

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

05 Aug 2008 11:42 AM

Did you know that the way you rock and bounce your baby can affect his sense of rhythm and even what type of music he prefers? Researchers at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada studied how babies perceive music. Since parents usually bounce or rock their babies while singing to them, the researchers wanted to see if there was any connection to the development of rhythm or later preference for music in the babies.

The researcher took a look at seven-month old babies. The babies listened to an ambiguous piece of music. That is, the music couldn't be defined as any one type, such as a march, a tango or a waltz, for example.

While the babies listened to the music, they were bounced according to a specific music beat or style. One group of babies were bounced on every second beat, as if they were listening to a march, while the second set of babies were bounced every third beat, as if they were listening to a waltz. These types of music have their accents on their respective beats.

Later, the babies seemed to prefer the music that matched those beats that they had been bounced on. So the babies who were bounced on the third beats preferred the waltz, for example. The researchers took this to mean that the bouncing along with the music made the babies remember the music, and that the interpretation of sound is influenced not only by their music itself but by other senses.

I wonder, though, if a music preference can be inherent. I remember being a nervous new mother. Whenever I couldn't feel my son move in my womb, I would play some Beatles music. Inevitably, he would always start kicking. I tried other music, but it never worked as well. To this day, he likes the Beatles and Rock and Roll.

What do you think?

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Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat.

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Kara (21275) 05 Aug 2008 11:57 AM

Katelyn used to kick when her dad would play red hot chili peppers when she was in my tummy It's hard to tell her favorite type right now because her favorite song is the itsy bitsy spider.

Mary Ann Romans (26876) 05 Aug 2008 01:25 PM

Kara, let me know as she grows! My youngest loves itsy bitsy spider, especailly when the spider tickles his neck. LOL

Dale Harcombe (10321) 05 Aug 2008 03:02 PM

Both our kids would have listened to, been sung to and been rocked to similar things. They're adults now. Our son grew up to like heavy metal and a lot of rock. He still does. The other, our daughter, likes her rock but also opera, ballads, songs from musicals etc. We figured our daughter was just more like me in her taste. And not sure where our son got his from! Yes his father liked the Beatles, Bob Dylan and Rolling Stones but heavy metal?

Mary Ann Romans (26876) 05 Aug 2008 04:10 PM

That is so interesting Dale! So you didn't bounce your babies to heavy metal? :)

Tashi (1013) 06 Aug 2008 05:59 PM

As long as I can remember, all of my life, I've loved Elvis Presley music. My parents are from the same era as EP. I am the same age as EP's daughter. But I don't think Mom ever sang or played Elvis music around me. I can't figure it out. I did, however, spend over 2 months in the hospital as a newborn. Maybe the nurses were singing tunes from Elvis's "68 Comeback Special" to me?? ;-)

Dale Harcombe (10321) 06 Aug 2008 09:02 PM

No heavy metal but Elvis sure got a work out with both kids. Actually he still does at my y place. And the first thing I did in the hospital was turn the radio on to music so our kids would be used to it and love it.

Mary Ann Romans (26876) 08 Aug 2008 06:38 AM

Did you find that the music calmed your babies down? I always did.