Mothers have been singing lullabies to their babies since time
immemorial. When I was a new mother, I, too, attempted to sing
lullabies. But I often forgot the lyrics, so I hummed whatever
came
into my head. Once I found myself singing a Led Zeppelin rock
song,
(which might explain my now grown son’s proclivity for heavy metal
music). Whatever the song, however, he always went to sleep
peacefully
in my arms.
Occasionally, when I didn’t
have the time to sing to him, I put on some soft music, and he would
happily nod off. This was the era of the LP, so there wasn’t much on
the market in the way of formal lullabies, so I played classical
music. I also experimented with playing the piano for and during
his
nap time and found that it worked like a charm.
Recent research has proven
the efficacy of playing soothing music for the purpose of inducing
sleep in subjects of all ages. Interestingly, when babies heard the
voices of their own mothers, they fell asleep. When unfamiliar voices
sang to them they became restless and wakeful. However, when they
listened to soothing instrumental music, the babies fell asleep
easily.
It would follow, therefore,
that instrumental music is an effective addition to or substitute for
mother’s sweet pipes. When the instrumental music is composed for and
integrated into lullaby form, consisting of simple melodies and
harmonies, gentle mood and triple meter, (which mimics the
resting
heartbeat), it results in a successful synthesis of art and science.
Lullabies, therefore, which are composed specifically for the
inducement of rest and sleep, would be the most suitable choice for
baby’s dream time.
A wonderful
technique for
soothing baby to sleep is to play the instrumental lullaby music while
holding, rocking, or quietly sitting with the child. It might
also be
effective to softly hum along with the music. What a beautiful
way to
communicate a mother’s love to her precious child.
I composed the lullabies on
“Good Night Lullabies” for my grandchildren. Drawing upon my experience
as a young mother who enjoyed playing music for my son for his nap
and/or bedtime, I endeavored, on some level, to recreate a
similar
atmosphere for his children. It has
been a blessed experience to have held and rocked my grandchildren to
sleep while listening to the lullabies I recorded just for them.
And
to my exquisite satisfaction and joy, they fell asleep peacefully every
time. |
