Baby boogie

Isis recently posted on her musical education which got me to thinking about Benben's musical education -- in part because Isis introduced me to Peter Gabriel and re-introduced me to Paul Simon, and Benben and I have been dancing to "So" and "Graceland" during vertical time or fussy time.

So far Benben has listened to Mozart, Bach, and Beethoven (both on his mobile and off Maman's MP3s), the fave trio of the baby education world (even though the "Mozart effect" has been debunked). He has also been introduced to Marin Marais and Couperin, as well as Renaissance chants of Josquin Desprez. He has heard pieces by Haydn, Chopin, Handel, Grieg, Tchaikovsky, Boccherini, and Paganini from a surprisingly good CD that came with our free diaper bag from the Enfamil formula (and no, Benben isn't on formula, but we thought an extra diaper bag would be helpful and that having a few cans of free formula around in case of an emergency is not a bad idea no matter what the breastfeeding fanatics say -- see the ban on free formula bags in MA).

He also listens to Jacques Brel, Serge Gainsbourg, and Francis Cabrel -- we need to get some Edith Piaf in there! -- and let's not forget the hundreds of traditional French children's songs on CDs Bebjamin's been given by his grandmother and great aunt.

And much much Miles, as well as some John Coltrane. (This isn't taking into account the jazz he has listened to with his papa when he's gone to work with him and I wasn't around.) [benpapa inserts: I wish I could mix music and editing -- no such luck.]

There is also Sting, Cake (which calmed Benben down immediately the other day), and Bare Naked Ladies. And Shakira. (Maman really has a thing for dancing to Shakira's "La Tortura" and "Hips Don't Lie" these days -- very good for getting rid of her baby belly...) And we mustn't forget the Buffy Musical ("Once Again With Feeling").

I'm sure I am forgetting something. Lots of somethings.

Any suggestions for good vertical time music or for Benben's musical education?

-Benmaman

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postscript from papa, who sometimes joins the dance

Here's what A.Word.A.Day has to say about 'tarantism':

tarantism (TAR-uhn-tiz-uhm) noun

An uncontrollable urge to dance.

[After Taranto, a town in southern Italy where this phenomenon was experienced during the 15-17th centuries. It's not clear whether tarantism was the symptom of a spider's bite or its cure, or it may have been just a pretext to dodge a prohibition against dancing. The names of the dance tarantella and the spider tarantula are both derived from the same place.]

Emphasis added.