Musical connections may start in the womb as parents introduce soothing sounds of recorded music and songs sung or instrumentals played by their parents. At the beginning an infant is a receptive listener and enjoys hearing music, later an older baby will become an interactive participant with music by swaying, smiling, shaking hands, kicking feet and making cooing sounds. Once a toddler has developed stronger muscles and has mobility, more opportunities arise for them to express themselves during music time.
The visual chart below shows the three areas of involvement with music, each engulfed by the other. The receptive newborn baby embraces music and becomes an interactive participant after three months. A toddler’s physical body and brain development leads to an expansion of their musical capabilities. Such talents are shown off by dancing, shaking, clapping, stomping, or singing some words as the song is played or sung.
If a young child is persistent in the development of their musical talents over a period of time, and chooses to share their skills by performing, they’ve moved into the performance area. A performer who demonstrates their skill is not only talented, but also has over time created and strengthen a variety of neuron pathways in multiple parts of the brain. Neuroscientist Daniel Levitin has stated, “We’ve learned that musical ability is actually not one ability but a set of abilities, a dozen or more. Through brain damage, you can lose one component and not necessarily lose the others. You can lose rhythm and retain pitch, for example, that kind of thing.”
Music — Receptive When an infant/baby listens to recorded music played on a device or to a singing parent, their musical world has expanded immensely from their time in the womb. The baby’s brain is internalizing and trying to make sense of the sounds heard. The infant/baby’s auditory perception changes with their growth and development.
Music — Interactive A baby/child actively participating with music played and/or sung by a parent is shown through their engagement with each musical selection. Body movements, vocal sounds, facial expressions and/or instrumental music-making communicates active involvement. Both receptive and interactive aspects are working together.
Music — Performance A child performs musical selections after continuous practice and instruction from a music teacher or knowledgeable musician using a musical instrument and/or their voice. Additionally, acquiring the skills to sing, write and/or play music may be self-taught. In some instances, their musical talent starts to appear at a very young age. Performing music requires practice and dedication from a child, all leading to their appearances before an audience. Their talent might be showcased in multiple places: at home, a recital, community events, or even on a large stage. All may be presented to a live audiences and/or shared via social media sources.
Music and people go together like peanut butter and jam. Music is something that has been noted by historians to date back to over 43,000 years ago. Natural objects were altered to make music. Scientists have discovered rocks, shells, bones, sticks that were designed for musical purposes by numerous groups of people. Recently in 2025, Dr. Taylor a biological anthropologist determined that some human bones dated back to the Late Prehistoric age (1300–1528 AD) in Southern Texas and were used as musical instruments. Some scientists have implied that they believe vocal sounds would have accompanied their musical gatherings. There are no recordings (of course) from that period of history; however, it’s still evident that music was part of their life.
Currently in the world today, the importance of music and its connections to a child’s life are known to provide positive influences to their over all development. Dr. G. Bierly and Analise Best of Indiana State University stated “Before a baby begins to speak, or in some cases before the baby is even born, exposing the infant to music helps speed up the speaking process and helps them develop language at an early time simply through exposure. Similarly to how an infant’s language development is impacted by music, a toddler that has a small vocabulary will be able to expand their range just through listening to music. They will either be able to put what they have heard into use through context clues or through asking questions.”
Now for a closer look at what one can do with their toddler—there will be more activities and ideas coming up in the following Posts. Oh, check out the section within this website–called Music Time pre-birth to 1 year, it has additional songs, materials and content that can be used with young toddlers also.
Happy days to you,
Kylene
“The true beauty of music is that it connects people. It carries a message,
and we, the musicians, are the messengers.”ROY AYERS, MUSICIAN
Resources & References
Andrews, Evan, (2015), What Is the Oldest Known Piece of Music?, History Channel, https://www.history.com/articles/what-is-the-oldest-known-piece-of-music
Best, Analise, Bierly, Greg, Ph.M. (2024), More Than Melody: The Impact of Music on Language Development, Indiana State University, https://scholars.indianastate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1005&context=honorsp
Iversen, John, UCSD Neuroscientist, (2015), Does Music Change a Child’s Brain?, USCD Symphony Study, TED Talk, https://youtu.be/M2sqXbwlaWw?si=N7TiqahAPxrYghXx
Taub, Benjamin, (2025), Unknown Tribe Of Ancient Hunter-Gatherers In Texas Made Music Using Human Bones, IFL Science, https://www.iflscience.com/unknown-tribe-of-ancient-hunter-gatherers-in-texas-made-music-using-human-bones-78643