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Interlude
Yes, yes, the kid still goes to music, though I've noticed lately that there has been a marked decrease in what I liked to think were the Songs for Grownups.
So now I have to ask, what is the allure of "The Wheels on the Bus"? There are scads of versions of it. It gets sung in every baby group. I can't really discover who wrote it because its origins always get listed as "Traditional" in databases. And here I wonder. . . "Angels Watching Over Me," "The Banks of the Ohio" and "House of the Rising Sun" are what I think of as "traditional"- a song about urban transportation (especially if it's as popular as this one) just seems as if someone would take responsibility for writing it. I mean, it isn't like one of those fabulous songs about trains like the "Death of John Henry." The drama of this song comes not from the beauty and danger of the tracks or the pain of industrialization. Instead, there is only the less romantic, maddening rush hour crowds (the driver says "Move on back!" over and over) and the sad combination of crying babies and their mothers who are unable to quiet them (the mommies on the bus say "Shh, shh, shh," all through the town) and are probably contemplating jumping out the window.
Still, Felix graduated to an "older" (that is to say non-infant) class and there has been some shift in the curriculum. There's a push for the kids do a little more (leading to the inevitable ear-grabbing when Felix gets asked where his eyes are), and a taste of classical music. Today's selection, which I've heard at least as many times as I've heard "The Wheels on the Bus," but it doesn't grate nearly as much: "Air on the G-string" from Bach's Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D Major.
Which leads me to my question of the day. Ever since Felix was born, people have asked about his classical music listening and have hectored me about how Handel and Bach are really best for babies. Does anyone know why Handel and Bach get the gold stars? What's wrong with the other classical superstars?
posted by Elise at 10:33 AM
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said...
Nothing grates my nerves quite as much as people "prescribing" classical music for babies, when they themselves never listen to it. Grrr...
Anyway, my guess is that Handel and Bach get the seal of approval for the same reason that Mozart does--the baroque formality is supposed to be good for encouraging logical thinking. (Though the "Mozart Effect" study was never replicated, and the subjects were adults, not babies. There's no real evidence that it helps. Likely it's being born to people who listen to classical music that provides a big advantage.)
1/09/2006 11:10 AM
Elise said...
Well, I tend to hate and react badly to all kid prescriptions, too. The whole thing just seems to be just another thing that parents are supposed to feel guilty about and it is so hard to figure out what "natural" behavior around a baby should be anyway that all of these accusations about less than stellar choices make me frustrated and furious.
I'm sure the whole Mozart Effect is what started it, but for some reason the word got out about Handel and Bach in a way that makes me wonder if someone got paid off... I have heard so many recommendations for those guys' works from all kinds of folks, that I was just wondering what on earth was going on.
1/09/2006 11:58 AM
gennyland said...
I grew up on the Beatles and Kenny Rogers and I turned out just fine.
1/09/2006 1:01 PM
sinless said...
I know Bach's music is considered to be mathematically complex. That is probably part of the reason, but that's just a guess.
4/03/2006 10:04 PM
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