Suzuki Baby Class is an interactive, structured, unique and beautiful experience for babies with their parent to learn western tonality as a mother tongue. While I don't have any scientific evidence to prove that humans actually inherit genetic tone deafness (as so many people want me think of them) there is now scientific evidence that babies can learn music as a mother tongue from the moment they are born through interactive rather than passive musical experiences. Dr. Laurel Trainor, director of the McMaster Institute for Music and the
Mind says,"Our results suggest that the infant brain might be particularly
plastic with regard to musical exposure."(Science Daily) This study can be found at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120509123653.htm.
Science Daily goes on to quote Trainor, "'Babies who participated in the interactive music classes with their
parents showed earlier sensitivity to the pitch structure in music,
says Trainor. Specifically, they preferred to listen to a version of a
piano piece that stayed in key, versus a version that included
out-of-key notes. Infants who participated in the passive listening
classes did not show the same preferences. Even their brains responded
to music differently. Infants from the interactive music classes showed
larger and/or earlier brain responses to musical tones. The non-musical differences between the two groups of babies were even more surprising, say researchers.'"
Science Daily reports, "Babies from the interactive classes showed better early communication
skills, like pointing at objects that are out of reach, or waving
goodbye. Socially, these babies also smiled more, were easier to soothe,
and showed less distress when things were unfamiliar or didn't go their
way."
Suzuki Baby Classes are offered every Wednesday morning at the SuzukiPortland Studio.
Catherine Whelan
503 244 6190
