Toddler Tunes

Dear Vinny,

You are one big music fan. This is at least in part because your parents are musically inclined.
But in addition to being predisposed to enjoy music, we've exposed you to a lot of music in the 22 months since you were born. (You might argue that we exposed you to a lot of music in utero, too.)

When I put you to bed, I always sing at least one song to you. Every night, we read (sing) Down by the Bay, which you absolutely adore, and then I sing "Can't Help Falling in Love." Despite my voice's bad reputation (my singing was once mistaken for the sound of someone being strangled by a snake), you seem to enjoy it. Personally, I think that I may not have the best voice tone, but thanks to my perfect pitch, I'm never off-key.

You love Jack's Big Music Show, and from that show you and Daddy learned about the renowned children's singer/songwriter Laurie Berkner. Daddy bought a couple of Laurie Berkner CDs and put them on his iPod. You can't get enough Laurie Berkner. Your favorites include "I'm a Mess," "Under a Shady Tree" (which you refer to as "Twee"), and "Running Down the Hill" ("I-I-I-Wunning" -- from the lyrics).

You've always been fascinated by the piano. In February, we got it tuned, and you watched the piano tuner intently. When the man tested his tuning by playing, you had to sit next to him and watch, and cried when it was time for the piano tuner to leave.

You love to play the piano too. You will actually sit on the piano bench and play for several minutes, which is remarkable, given the attention span of a toddler. You do more than just pound on the keys; you sometimes appear to be picking out a tune of some sort. And when you find a sound that you like, you repeat it before moving on to something else.

Something that's been interesting to watch is your musical development. You don't really sing yet -- you haven't figured out how to make your voice change pitch -- but you definitely can distinguish singing from speaking. You also seem to have tunes going through his head: you'll break out with "I-I-I-Wunning...daaaw Hiw" (for example), even when you haven't heard the song for quite some time.

You sometimes sing along with music -- you especially enjoy singing along with the "Jack's Big Music Show" theme song. It is incredibly cute to hear. You know to lengthen or shorten syllables with the rhythm, but like I said, you haven't figured out how to change the pitch of your voice yet. You also clap to the rhythm of songs, and dance too. It is so cute when you dance. You jump but you haven't figured out how to get completely off the ground, so it's more like springing up to your tip-toes and back down.

In a few years, I would like for you to take piano lessons, because one thing I regret is that for all the musical talent and skill that I have, I don't know how to play the piano. I'm looking forward to the further development of your musical talents!

Love,
Mama