Finally, Songs For Daddy
Author's Product Rating - 4 STARS
Pros
Silly baby/toy noises; simple melodies; easy to learn lyrics; promotes father/child bonding.
Cons A bit silly to adults, especially the first time through...
The Bottom Line
Until baby becomes more interactive, encourage together-time with Daddy with the Lovely Baby & Daddy CD. He'll catch himself singing along before he knows what hit him...
FULL REVIEW
The night my daughter was born was one I'll never forget. After fourteen and a half hours of induced labor and meeting the most precious little girl in the world, bedtime was quickly upon us. My husband, telling me that he was "exhausted", collapsed upon the fold-out cot in our large hospital room and slept the sleep of the dead - leaving me - physically and emotionally exhausted from the day's efforts, and with second degree tears to boot - to contend with this fussy newcomer. I still hold a grudge about that night - so why is it that I compulsively buy every article of clothing that says "Daddy's Girl" and toys that I think he'll appreciate playing with as well?
It was along the lines of promoting daddy-daughter bonding that I acquired a copy of the Lovely Baby & Daddy CD.
What is Lovely Baby?
Lovely Baby CDs are "the first line of music specifically created for babies, and the first non-classical series for prenatal to 36 month-olds. Created by Dutch composer, Raimond Lap, this all-instrumental series integrates baby and toy sounds into contemporary styles of music that not only optimizes brain development, but helps build intellectual, social, emotional, motor and language skills in babies."
These CDs for the youngest listeners have been thoroughly tested in studies around the world, and are currently available in more than fifty countries. Other CDs in the Lovely Baby line include Lovely Baby CD (parts one through four), Baby Classics, Baby Christmas and Lovely Sleepy Baby. (Is Lovely Baby & Mommy currently in development? I don't know, but I certainly hope so!)
According to the CD insert, the Lovely Baby CD series is the music of choice for leading infant education programs and early childhood development professionals throughout the United States.
What About Daddy?
The role of the father as a primary caregiver in his children's lives is a relatively modern concept, and baby items geared specifically toward Daddy are few and far between. Having never heard of music written just for fathers - aside from the occasional country song - I was immediately interested in this CD. My husband loves music, and our baby loves music, so surely this would be a great way for them to spend time together - right?
The songs on this album were written from a father's perspective, in hopes that it would help strengthen father-child bonds. The back cover of the CD reads as follows:
"Lovely Baby & Daddy CD is the first music in the world for babies, toddlers and daddies, created by award-winning composer, Raimond Lap. His music represents the best in baby education and entertainment, for which he has been awarded double-gold and double-platinum awards. Millions of babies worldwide enjoy his music. Raimond combines elements that stimulate babies and toddlers, with lyrics meant only to be understood by daddies. He believes the concept of this unique album can strengthen the awareness of how incredibly valuable it is to be a dad. Lovely Baby & Daddy CD will provide rich and educational enjoyment for the whole family."
And so I obtained the CD and put it into the small CD-boombox we'd purchased for our daughter's bedroom, where we generally listen to baby songs while we're playing with her. That evening, he headed off with her for some quality on-the-floor time, and I heard him turn the CD player on. Silence. A few seconds later, he was peeking around the corner at me. "Honey," he said, "what was that?!"
Well, What WAS That?!
I admit, I had listened to this CD before springing it on my husband and daughter and it is a bit... unconventional. The first track, Baby Power, begins with tinkling chimes, squeaking and rattling sounds, and babbling noises from a baby who may or not be real - while some of the coos sound like a human infant, others are a bit more synthesized. Like my husband, I immediately wondered what I had gotten myself into. After nearly a minute of these noises and nothing more, the composer begins to sing. His voice is gentle and smooth, gliding effortlessly over simple, repetitive lyrics with just a hint of a foreign accent on some words (sadly, one of them is "daddy".)
The lyrics on this album, while perhaps written with daddy in mind, were also obviously written with baby in mind as well. Aside from being repetitive, they are written as though talking to a small child - and, as you'll know if you've ever spent time with a small child, this kind of banter often doesn't make much sense. The chorus from lead song Baby Power goes "you're playing with your toys as if you're discovering the world/the beauty of these little things more precious than diamond rings/I've been watching you for an hour/guess that's baby power". And another insight from Baby President: "little thing, little thing, so innocent and small/one day you'll be, one day you'll be, oh so big and tall...")
All of the songs on this album have similar baby/toy/tinkling melody noises, at least in part of the song, although some do have more interesting rhythms than others. Baby President, for instance, begins with a haunting soprano sax solo which leads into be-bop vocals, and a cute 'story' line. It, and several other songs, are fun and funky for baby as well as parents.
The complete playlist of this CD is as follows:
1. Baby Power
2. Proud To Be Your Daddy
3. Let's Rock and Roll
4. Play Baby Play
5. This Is Baby's World
6. All My Love For You
7. Baby President
8. The Language of Love
9. Baby's Cool Down
10. Sleep Tight, Little One
SO. Worth A Try?
Well, that depends largely on you. The CD in itself is no Mozart, but it was never meant to be - rather, it's a lighthearted look into baby's world, with a few words on Daddy's take on his new role. The melodies and squeaky noises can be a bit unnerving the first time you listen - especially if, like us, you weren't prepared for what you were about to hear. To an adult, parts of the CD are downright laughable - but then, it wasn't made for us grown-ups, was it?
My five-month-old daughter perked right up the first time she heard the babbling baby sounds, looking all around the room for the source of the noises. After a few repetitions, she stopped looking for the invisible baby, but still listened intently to the unusual sounds coming from her boombox; what she liked best, though, was when my husband picked up on some of the lyrics and began singing them to her during playtime.
And so Lovely Baby & Daddy has fulfilled its purpose in our home. While my husband may prefer listening to other styles of music on his own time, he's happy enough sharing the childlike melodies of this CD with his little girl, singing to her to be rewarded with a huge, drooly grin - and she's obviously happy to be spending time with him as well.
More Good Things
According to the CD insert, additional benefits of Lovely Baby music include:
* enhances cognitive and behavioral skills
* introduces sound to babies
* provides spatial-temporal reasoning to help with mathematics
* promotes the development of reading skills
* stimulates creativity and a love for music
* nurtures the imagination
* especially effective for mothers-to-be during their third trimester
Is all this true? To be honest, I don't know. We haven't had our CD long enough to tell, and I'm not sure I'll trace reading or math skills back to one particular part of her infancy at any rate - but we have nothing to lose by giving it a try, and potentially very much to gain. Even if the music doesn't make her a baby genius, however, if it strengthens the bond between her and her daddy, it's well worth the price.
Recommended
Yes
Great Music to Play While: With Family