My son has developed a passion for a few CDs, as I noted earlier--mostly French chansons. But he will listen for a while to almost anything--Mozart symphonies, Harry Belafonte, Stephane Grapelli...of course, what those three musicians have in common is that their music is, for the most part, far from melancholy. He definitely seems more attracted to the cheerful end of the musical spectrum, whatever genre of music we're talking about. Bouncy rhythms and bright instruments hold his interest for several minutes; a lovely recording of Erik Satie piano pieces left him rather indifferent, though he didn't seem to mind it too much.
What entrances me while he listens is the bright-eyed, focused look on his face; he stares at the stereo and puts his finger in his mouth, partly from teething, partly as a gesture of concentration. He crouches at the edge of the sofa, his hands resting on the arm or reaching for something on the little table beyond, his feet pressed against my leg; I'm holding him around the waist in case he decides to do a header over the edge of the sofa and onto the floor (he's attempted it a few times).
I don't know if this fascination of his will translate into a profound interest in music later in his childhood; it's much too early to say. But if I can gush for a moment--it's wonderful to see him sit there, his whole being focused on something as simple as a lovely melody.
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