Mary Powers asked:

>my sister is expecting her first child next month.  she has asked
>for music recommendations for babies.  Are those "mozart for babies" CDs
>any good? I'd appreciate any advice/recommendations.  thanks.

I wouldn't know, I doubt it.  Mozart is always good of course and not only
for babies, Mozart for babies sounds to me too much like a commercial
prank!!.

When my wife was pregnant with my third daughter, she used to practice the
bassoon a lot, and we like to think, that because of that my daughter now
has a very good musical ear, and an innate talent for the violin, she is
now 25, and a good violinplayer, but if it is true, that exposure to such
deep sounds while still in the womb, had anything to do with it? I have
never seen any research about wether the influence of prenatal exposure to
any kind of music at all has any influence on the child in later life, the
least you would expect is a study in which different groups are followed,
one which got an intensive Mozart diet before birth, and one group with
absolutely no music at all, and perhaps still another, with continuous
exposure to Bill Haley, the Beatles, or heavy house.  Child psychologists,
get on the ball!

Peter Wisse
The Hague