Posted in Music at Heart category on 11th May 2013

14 week old baby sings in tune

Suzuki says, "Ability develops early."

Yesterday, at the end of a Music at Heart early years class as everyone was preparing to leave my studio, I engaged with one of our newest members, Jonah, as he lay in his pram, singing the falling third 'Cuckoo' greeting which forms part of the Suzuki Early Childhood curriculum. Jonah, aged 14 weeks, looked back at me intently and sang, at pitch, forming his mouth into a round 'ooo' shape in imitation of mine. Everyone stopped and looked at each other: "Did we really just hear what we think we heard?"

Of course we did! Suzuki families know that ability develops early, and environment nurtures growth. As we celebrated, Jonah's mum told me that his sister, who is a Music at Heart recorder pupil and also knows the cuckoo greeting very well, often sings to her little brother at home. As Suzuki says, "Children learn from one another!"