Review: Lovely Baby & Mommy CD

It's no secret that babies love music. I try to integrate music into our everyday lives in many different ways. Whether it be on TV, in movies, on the radio, on a CD, or us singing to our babies, music is a constant in my home. As a matter of fact, while I was pregnant with Sophie, whenever pretty much ANY Beatles song came on, she would literally "dance" in my belly! (Which got to be fairly uncomfortable during the 3rd trimester!) To this day, though, she still loves The Beatles, and loves music in general.

Sometimes as a parent, it is difficult to find childrens' music selections that stimulate a baby's mind and senses WITHOUT driving the adults completely insane. My babies love Sprout, especially the Goodnight Show. I don't know about you all, but I cannot STAND Nina and the cheesy songs she sings. They are like fingernails on a blackboard to me. I'm not knocking Sprout, though, as there is a wealth of wonderful shows for babies and toddlers, and a lot of music that is soothing and educational. I just don't. like. Nina. I know that some of you moms will gasp in horror when I say this, but I DO think there is such a thing as TOO MUCH TV. Especially for babies. I don't believe in just parking my kids in front of the television all day long. Sophie would love it if I did, as she is just as addicted to the TV as her Daddy, but I seriously try and limit TV time in my home. Did you know that studies have shown that too much time in front of the TV actually contributes to attention problems during childhood? That's one of the many reasons why I much prefer to listen to music, which actually stimulates the brain, especially when paired with creative play.

So being the music lover that I am, and the mother of two babies, I was excited when I was given the opportunity to review the Lovely Baby & Mommy CD.

The Lovely Baby CD Series was created by Raimond Lap, a renowned Dutch composer. These CD's were specifically created for babies, from the prenatal stages to 36+ months of age. Lovely Baby & Mommy is one of only 2 CD's that include lyrics. The rest of the Lovely Baby series are purely instrumental recordings.  Here is more about Mr. Lap, as found on the Lovely Baby website:

ABOUT RAIMOND LAP:
Dutch composer, Raimond Lap, is a highly-respected and well-known composer of music for film, television and radio. As the creator of the Lovely Baby CD series, and having spent many years testing and refining his music, today Mr. Lap is recognized as an international baby music expert. His baby music creations have earned him gold and double-platinum sales awards.

"I could never dream that my music has so many influences on people. I created it for babies, they love it, but also parents enjoy the relaxing effect of the music. Some even fall asleep while listening. Most important to me is the fact that my music can change the next generation, and make it a better world."

Upon the birth of his first child, Raimond sought out quality music that would offer his child the benefits associated with early learning that music could provide. Unable to find any that met his high standards, he set out to create his own. He was convinced that the right combination of classical influences and modern styled music would give his child a future head start. This new music would stimulate his son's brain more than normal and help him develop musically and intellectually. He never gave a thought to the fact that someday in the near future, this music would grow into the worldwide resource of "edutainment" that it has become today

All four of his children have had amazing results in school, showing great creativity and special musical interests and talents. He is convinced that apart from inherited genes, the intellectual level was reached simply by confronting his children with his specially created music.

"Music has an indelible influence on our next generation. Responsible entertaining and educational elements, in combination with a scale of styles and classical influences, stimulate the brain of our children and gives them a lifelong creative, emotional and intellectual advance.'"

The ultimate goal of his endeavor has been to enable parents to present only the best and most appropriate music for their babies.

"It's a fact that music has a great influence on the development of a baby's brain. I truly believe this is underestimated - but we could change things. My music is meant not only for entertainment, but also for learning and developing. Let's offer our next generation the advantage of early learning."

I just love Mr. Lap's commitment to not only giving families music that is entertaining and a joy to listen to together, as well as being enriching the the ever-developing minds of babies. This CD, as well as the other Lovely Baby CD's, have many benefits, which include:

-Helps develop physical development and range of motion

-An essential survival tool for traveling families

-Stimulates creativity and a love for music

-Enhances cognitive and behavior skills

-Relieves stress for the whole family

-Promotes parent-child bonding

-Introduces sound to babies

-Nurtures the imagination

     and let’s not forget…

-Babies stop crying - parents start smiling!

Here are some music samples from the Lovely Baby & Mommy CD:

She Is A Mom

You Can Sing Along

As you can see, these songs have a beautiful, soothing melody and lyrics that are both simple and heartwarming at the same time. The simplicity of the wonderful lyrics certainly don't overpower the instrumental music, they seem to enhance these pleasant melodies.

I played the Lovely Baby & Mommy CD for my babies, ages 15 months and 3 months. My toddler daughter just lit up when hearing these songs. She stopped what she was doing, (getting into everything in sight) and her eyes got wide. She got a big smile on her face, and she even started to "dance". She especially enjoyed the tracks, 'Sound Sound Blues', 'Baby Impressions', and 'My Closest Friend'.  Xander, my 3 month old, even seemed to react to this music, on a far less obvious scale of course. He got wide-eyed as well, and even cracked a smile or 3.

I even enjoyed this CD, which honestly surprised me. A lot of the music geared towards babies is not the most pleasing to the adult ear. (At least not mine. There's nothing worse than getting The Wiggles songs stuck in your head all day!) These songs, while definitely made for babies, were a joy to listen to. Many of the songs have soothing piano melodies that are reminiscent of Billy Joel or Elton John, while others are a bit more fun and upbeat. They also feature "baby voice" snippets, and let me tell you, they really caught Sophie's attention. Babies LOVE hearing other babies, so I think this was a nice, special touch that helped to enhance my babies' listening experience.

I would definitely recommend the Lovely Baby & Mommy CD to any family with babies. It is a nice change of pace from the typical "baby music" that the entire family can enjoy. So turn off the darn TV and listen to some music! Your babies will thank you! :)

BUY IT:
You can purchase Lovely Baby & Mommy, as well as all the other CD's in the Lovely Baby series here on their website. You can also learn more about the benefit of adding music into your baby's daily routine on this informative site.

***Disclosure: I received a complimentary CD to facilitate my review. No other compensation was provided. All opinions are 100% honest and have not been influenced in any way.***

---

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.