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Why do babies love music?

Why do we seem to love music from the day we're born? Are we born musical? Tom Service and experts reveal how babies interact with all kinds of music.

Why do we seem to love music from the day we're born? Are we born musical or do we learn it along the way?

Whether it's melodies by Mozart, Queen, nursery rhymes or Baby Shark, music seems to captivate our babies - but what is it about these tunes that they're enjoying?

Tom is joined by infant psychology expert Dr Laurel Trainor to find out how babies really interact with music - what are they hearing in the womb? Do they have musical preferences? Does participating in music have any developmental benefits? And is there any truth in the so-called Mozart effect?

How do you go about writing music for tiny people? Andrew Davenport, creator and composer of iconic pre-school hit In the Night Garden and Moon and Me explains how babies and music go hand in hand.

And Tom finds out why we've sung lullabies to our infants all over the world since Babylonian times.

Hannah Thorne - producer

Available now

29 minutes

Last on

Fri 18 Sep 202016:30
BBC Radio 3

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Clip

Music Played

  • Benjamin Britten

    Simple symphony Op.4 for string orchestra or string quartet

    Performer: English Chamber Orchestra. Conductor: Benjamin Britten.
    • Decca.
    • 4175092.

  • Johannes Brahms

    5 Songs Op.49

    Performer: Tom's Music Box.
    • Sweet pie records.
    • 192914639947.

  • 3rd Bass

    Pop Goes The Weasel

    • Columbia.
    • SELECT 001.

  • Pinkfong

    Baby Shark

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Serenade in G major K.525 (Eine Kleine Nachtmusik)

    Conductor: Neville Marriner. Performer: Academy of St Martin in the Fields.
    • decca.
    • 4337622.

  • Franz Schubert

    Symphony no. 5 in B flat major D.485

    Conductor: Claudio Abbado. Performer: Chamber Orchestra of Europe.
    • DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON.
    • 423-654-2.

  • Queen

    Bohemian Rhapsody

    • PARLOPHONE.
    • 0777-78949220.

  • Andrew Davenport

    In the Night Garden Opening Theme

    • BBC MUSIC.
    • LTDMG016.

  • Andrew Davenport

    Tombliboo Bricks

    • BBC MUSIC.
    • LTDMG016.

  • Andrew Davenport

    Hello Igglepiggle

    • BBC MUSIC.
    • LTDMG016.

  • Andrew Davenport

    Hello Macca Pakka

    • BBC MUSIC.
    • LTDMG016.

  • Andrew Davenport

    The Tittifers Bedtime Song

    • BBC MUSIC.
    • LTDMG016.

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Sonata in C major K.545 for piano

    Performer: Maria João Pires.
    • DG.
    • 427 768-2.

  • Franz Schubert

    Symphony no. 5 in B flat major D.485

    Conductor: Marc Minkowski. Performer: Les Musiciens du Louvre.
    • Naive.
    • V5299.

  • Totó la Momposina

    Mami Wata

    Performer: Totó la Momposina.
    • Rough Guides.
    • RGNET1255CD.

  • Johannes Brahms

    5 Songs Op.49

    Performer: Juhani Lagerspetz. Performer: Truls Mørk.
    • VIRGIN.
    • VC5450522.

  • Gabriel Fauré

    Dolly - suite Op.56 for piano duet

    Performer: Katia Labèque. Performer: Marielle Labèque.
    • Philips.
    • 4201592.

  • Richard Strauss

    5 Lieder Op.41

    Conductor: Kurt Masur. Performer: Jessye Norman. Performer: Gewandhausorchester Leipzig.
    • PHILIPS.
    • 411 052-2.

  • Eric Whitacre

    Seal lullaby

    Performer: Eric Whitacre Singers.
    • DECCA.
    • DECCA-2743209.

  • Ellie Greenwich

    Be My Baby

    Performer: The Ronettes. Composer: Jeff Barry. Composer: Phil Spector.
    • Phil Spector Records.
    • 0777 7-80316 2 8.

Broadcasts

  • Sun 23 Jun 201917:00
    BBC Radio 3
  • Fri 28 Jun 201916:30
    BBC Radio 3
  • Sun 13 Sep 202017:00
    BBC Radio 3
  • Fri 18 Sep 202016:30
    BBC Radio 3

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