classical music for kids

  SuperBoy listens to classical music primarily. Why? I wrote about it here, but to reiterate briefly: 1) Science. Studies on mice (albeit, not people) have demonstrated that the neurons in little forming brains develop in a more orderly fashion when exposed constantly to classical music, versus pop/silence, versus the very detrimental rock/heavy metal which actually showed a distortion of neurological development in mice necropsies. Wow. Your child’s brain is this delicate sponge that’s developing every second. In the first year of life, the brain grows more than any other time. Sheer growth, sheer added and changing. So that’s one scientific reason. But say you don’t believe those studies translate to people. Okay, try some of these other ones out. 2) Beauty. Developing a sense of beauty and depth of wonder are universal parenting goals, right? Would you rather your child know the words to a hip hop song replete with questionable pejorative phrases that are misogynistic? Or would you prefer she recognize Vivaldi’s Four Seasons? Or know the words to a great aria from one of the great operas? Okay, so maybe she won’t do it in Italian, but she can sure hum along! Classical music is more beautiful and uplifting in my opinion than pop, oldies, rap, metal, or even classic rock. 3) Knowledge and identifiability of instruments. Listening to classical music of all kinds, not that bad elevator stuff or dental office reruns, encourages and enables children to identify specific instruments that aren’t present in other forms…