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Well, when I refer to the Mozart effect, I refer not simply to the packaged CDs which you can buy under that name, although I did play a tape with that title when my son was a baby. I refer to the notion that if you surround a child with music (preferably live music and the musicians themselves) - just as Mozart was submersed in this environment as a child...then you will have a natural musician on your hands. Why? Because children are natural imitators. Also it is important for the music student to know that music is a part of our everyday lives and that it is played by everyday people, not just people on stages at huge venues.

It really isn't as easy as it sounds though, because you're going to need to strip away some distractions. Little Mozart did not have video games and MTV to sway him off course. Taking these things away from a child when he's already addicted to them is hard and you'll have a battle on your hands, so ideally you would start out - from birth - with very little in the way of electronics. In fact, I really think all of these toys they market to young children (babies, even) with flashing lights and annoying electronic music have a detrimental effect on your child's willingness to embrace real music and the patience necessary to learn to play an instrument.

We also enrolled in the Kindermusik program when my son was almost 2 years old, and we participated in that for 5 years. This is a great program and it assures that your child will (at the very least) be around singing every week. I usually shun "early learning" programs, but this felt very natural and not at all forced or academic.

Finally, my husband plays drums and we have many friends who are musicians. I have always been sure to invite these people over and have them play in front of my son. Starting when he was about 3 or 4, he would pick up his eukelele and pretend to "jam" with Daddy and his friends. Seeing real music, camping out at outdoor music festivals...these things provide so much more stimulation than listening to a CD. I think all of these things really helped when it came time for my son to start formal lessons, he was practically begging for it. That's what I wanted all along - I never wanted to "force" him to take lessons, that would defeat the purpose.

Learn more about this author, Stacy Evans.
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