Note: These tips come from a note which was posted to the BVI-Parents discussion list in July, 1998.
During the time she was in the hospital (nearly 4 months total) we were able to interact with her in only very limited ways, but she always responded to music. Your child may have outgrown this, but one of the things we discovered that worked really well for Rachel as a tiny infant was a tape of very soothing music set to the sound of a heartbeat and water sounds - designed to emulate the sounds heard in the womb. (Wish I could remember the name of the tape.) We (and the nurses) would play this tape for her when she needed to be calmed. It usually prevented them from having to give her morphine, that is how effective it was. We found it in a baby store, so it should be easy to track it down or something like it.
Later, when I was able to hold her, I found that singing very quietly and even humming was very effective in calming her. We seemed to really bond through music.
I believe someone else already suggested this, but it bears repeating - put your child's name into songs. Rachel thinks the words to the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah are, "Rachel baby, Rachel baby..." We found that that particular phrase worked with a lot of tunes, as a matter of fact - "Angel Baby," for example. When that phrase didn't work, Rachel acquired a nickname that she will probably want to kill us for when she reaches her teens - Rachel-Pie. (Like sweetie-pie, cutie-pie...) This worked very well for songs like "In the Mood," (Rachel-Pie, oh boy, she is my baby. Rachel-Pie, oh joy, my little lady. Rachel-Pie, oh boy, she is my baby. There ain't no baby like my Rachel-Pie, yeah.) So just get silly. Find what works, and take it from there. your baby will love it, and even when he is a little older he'll get a kick out of it. Now Rachel laughs when we put her name into the songs, she knows it's a joke and she loves it.
Incorporate movement into your musical time. Just dancing around with your baby is great fun for both of you! Make your musical moments happy and joyful.
As much as you are able, give him different kinds of instruments to play with and tell him what they are called. This is something we are having a hard time with right now with Rachel, because we don't have easy access to orchestral instruments. She thinks all those sounds come out of a keyboard, I fear. But every opportunity we can find, we have her touch the actual instrument and, when possible, let her try to get a sound out of it, or feel it while someone else is playing it. Also, take him to hear live music of different types performed. Recently, Rachel had the opportunity to hear real bagpipes for the first time, and she was simply beside herself. She had heard them on tape, but hearing the real thing just brought it to life for her. Coffee houses are great for introducing your child to the live music experience. The atmosphere is relaxed, the volume tends to be lower, and you can let baby sleep in the stroller when he gets pooped out. (And you can enjoy a nice cup of java!)
Make up songs. They don't have to be elaborate, in fact I would suggest the simpler the better. Steal tunes from songs you already know. We have a song about the joys of Broccoli Soup that is sung to the tune of the Adams Family theme song. "Broccoli soup - knock knock [knock on the table], broccoli soup - knock knock, broccoli soup, broccoli soup, broccoli soup - knock knock. It's creamy and it's yummy, it feels good in your tummy, it tastes so good and nummy, it's brocco-locco-li." Rachel liked the second verse even better. "It's yummy and delicious, much better than raw fishes, it's scrump-de-lump-de-icious, it's brocco-locco-li." Complete silliness! And it got her to eat Broccoli soup!! And for more quiet moments, "From a Distance" by Bette Midler became, "Little Rachel, she is the sweetest girl, she is the sweetest girl I know..." There are all kinds of copy-change opportunities out there, and your forays into songwriting don't have to be masterpieces. Just have fun with it, and so will your child.
As far as the music you might want to buy for him, there is so much out there. Rachel's piano teacher informed us that he and his wife had declared their home a "No Barney Zone!" Well, while I am not so fond of that stupid dinosaur either, Rachel loves her tape of Barney Songs. Disney can be good, although it tends to be sappy at times. Raffi is great fun. The Wee Sing tapes are good, too. We found a tape called "Sounds Like Fun" by Barbara Milne that Rachel really enjoys. It has songs about adding, the alphabet, manners, and just plain fun tunes. And when he gets bored with kid stuff, don't be afraid to get him something more sophisticated. Matter of fact, you will probably find he likes the same music you do. Just look for a variety of fun things. Right now Rachel loves Mexican Conjunto music, along with Indonesian Gamelan, and Western Swing (especially Asleep at the Wheel). So don't sell him short. There's all kinds of music out there. He'll let you know whether he likes it or not. (Rachel cried when we tried to make her listen to opera!)
That's enough to think about for now. Take what you can use, and leave the rest. These are just some things that happened to work for us.
Note: The following suggestions were contributed by Kathryn, another member of the BVI-Parents mailing list.
I found a really interesting site with lots of exotic musical instruments from all over the world that you can listen to online and order. The prices range from $1.00 to a little flute you play with your nose (no kidding!) to hundreds of dollars for professional-quality instruments. Really nice and fun to explore!
Also, my daughter and I discovered a shop in Harper's Ferry, W.Va. this weekend that has a hidden barrel of interesting percussion instruments. If you are in Harper's Ferry this summer, stop by the Herb Lady, right across from the train station. Lots of fragrances to smell too (too many, according to my daughter....she's good for just a couple of odors, then she gets disgusted).
In the front room of the store they have a lot of whimsical items geared toward kids (or the kid in you). Tucked away in a corner of this room is a barrel full of incredible rattles made from huge goards covered with nets which are woven with seeds, long ropes woven from grasses from which dangle huge nutshells that make the most wonderful sound when they clack together. Each instrument was unique and we had more fun exploring in that barrel. Every item was the same price: $20. Too much for me right now, but something to keep in mind for future holiday gift-giving.