The Mozart Effect for Children: Awakening Your Child's Mind, Health, and Creativity with Music

Don Campbell's reputation runs the gamut from serious educator bent on improving the health and intelligence of his audience to clever marketer, making a fast buck from specially trademarked pseudoscience. In The Mozart Effect for Children, Campbell explains early on why Mozart's music is thought to have such amazing powers, and while he cites no statistics or studies, his lyrical explanations of Mozart's simplicity and elegance will have many reader's heads nodding in agreement--it's difficult to disagree with "his music is at once deeply mysterious and accessible, and above all, without guile". A few pages are devoted to descriptions of studies done by French specialist Dr. Alfred Tomatis, and "Spotlight on Specialist" pages throughout the book are an attempt to add a more clearly scientific feel. Still, most of what passes for science in this book is anecdotal and will not make a satisfying read for those looking for original research.

Each chapter is devoted to a particular age, from prenatal to mid-elementary school, and parents and educators can find excellent musical menus, practical suggestions, and entertaining games to play at the end of every chapter. The menus include suggestions for appropriate times to play the various pieces, as well as a brief description of the type of music, helpful in case you're not immediately familiar with "Adagio from the Divertimento" or "Concertante from the Serenade No. 9". Games range from simple variations on pat-a-cake to rhythmic chanting designed to improve memory skills, and parents will enjoy playing at least as much as their children will. Perhaps you child's IQ will magically improve from listening to Mozart, perhaps it won't. At worst, Campbell opens up a world of music-related learning for your family that can be both enriching and entertaining. --Jill Lightner