The First Cry of the Newborn: Basis for the Child's Future Musical Development

Abstract

This study treats the child's vocal and rhythmic development immediately subsequent to birth and forward, and shows how this development relates to musical learning.' Previous studies relate to the socializing influences of the mother upon her child. New observations offer insights that are of interest to those concerned with inborn traits of children. The starting point is, appropriately, the first cry of the newborn. During the study, tape recordings were made of voices of full-term babies, premature infants, and two-, four-, eight-, twelve-, and fourteen-month-old children. It is assumed that the first cry of the child is a function of a basic need: the entrance of oxygen into the lungs. In this way he performs a reflex action necessary to sustain life. Later on he learns that his cry enables him to communicate his hunger and his aches, discomfort, and frustrations. As a result of the study's observations of infants and young children, the following hypothesis was proposed: The first cry of the newborn is the generator not only of the spoken language and of musicality, but also of movement and of musical rhythm. It was observed through the recordings of voices of different babies that the cry of the newborn comprises approximately five to twelve contiguous sounds. These sounds oscillate, and almost every sound repeats itself many times. When the baby inhales, the initial sound he makes is higher than the sounds that follow. This pattern