Neurological Effects of Prenatal and Infant Stimulation and a Comparison of Suzuki and Kindermusik Early Childhood Music Programs

Abstract

At five months gestational age, fetuses' hearing systems are formed and they can hear outside sounds in the womb (Barnett 1998 pg. 42). Speech patterns and familiar voices can be recognized within the womb (Ludington-Hoe, 1985, pg. 28). After birth, the brain goes through rapid changes as neural pathways are wired (Saladin 2007). Kindermusik and Suzuki Early Childhood Education assert that early childhood music classes aid in brain development and acquisition of music skills. Until fairly recently, rationale behind prenatal and baby music classes came primarily from anecdotal evidence regarding the baby’s responses to music and movement. Teachers and parents reported that babies would smile and kick their legs in delight during baby music classes. In addition to classroom anecdotal evidence, Dr. Suzuki’s story of Hiromi is often cited in defense of early music stimulation. In Dr. Suzuki’s book, Nurtured By Love, (1983) Dr. Suzuki describes Hiromi, a five-month-old girl who had heard her older brother practice Vivaldi’s Violin Concerto in A minor, RV 356, Opus 3, No. 6 every day. During a master class, Dr. Suzuki played a Bach minuet and watched Hiromi’s expression. Her eyes lit up upon hearing the music and the sound of the violin. When he began to play Vivaldi Concerto in A Minor, she turned to her mom with a big smile, waving her arms and kicking her feet as if to say, “I know that music!” Years later at a large concert 150 kids performed the concerto, but Dr. Suzuki noticed one girl in particular; she was playing with perfect posture and swaying back and forth to the melody. Dr. Suzuki learned that this was the same Hiromi he had met when she was five months old; she had grown and developed fine ability on the violin. Although this is a great story, it does not offer any empirical evidence proving that Hiromi's early experiences influenced her musical abilities. Many early childhood music programs report that music stimulation can increase brain development, although empirical evidence was rarely cited. The Suzuki Early Childhood Education website, www.suzukiece.com, states, “Early childhood experiences lay the foundation for all later learning and determine whether or not children succeed in school and later life”. The Kindermusik website, www.kindermusik.com, reports that, “music helps children learn” and offers a page of current research from psychologists, including Don Campbell, author of The Mozart Effect (1997). Campbell reports, “The more music children are exposed to before they enter school, the more deeply this stage of neural coding will assist them throughout their lives”. Educators must insist that there is substantial research to back up such statements. Early research into brain development and music showed an increase in spatial-temporal reasoning (the ability to transform and manipulate mental images without a physical model) in preschoolers after receiving weekly piano lessons for nine months (Rauscher, Shaw, Levine, Write, Dennis, Newcomb 1997). Other areas of brain development were not affected. The interpretation of this research lead to exaggerated claims regarding brain development by both media and educators. Over the past few years much attention has been given to the educational possibilities during the first years of life. Scientists have made great discoveries and psychologists have formed new theories regarding learning and brain development during the prenatal and zero to three ages. Teachers, parents, and administrators are rethinking policies and teaching practices in response to the discoveries. Scientists’ understanding of brain development and function is still very limited and in its early stages. The information known about the brain is very complex, and it is often presented to the public in a very simplified manner. Consequently, teachers, administrators, and education policy makers often have a very rudimentary level of understanding regarding the limited amount of research, and to develop practices, policies, and promises resulting from an over-simplified understanding can be inaccurate and possibly detrimental to children. The purpose of this research is to explore music and the effect of early stimulation on brain development from a scientific point of view. This research will examine how prenatal and early childhood stimulation influences learning and development. Philosophies, curriculum, and program goals of Suzuki Early Childhood Education (ECE) and Kindermusik are compared and critiqued to investigate whether one program has an advantage over the other. Kindermusik was chosen for comparison because it is the largest music education program for young children in the world. Suzuki ECE is smaller but specific to the Suzuki community. Teachers and parents will have a greater understanding of how the brain functions and responds to early experience. In addition, perhaps this research will inspire more music programs to incorporate baby and toddler classes into their curriculum.