Is any music genre more disrespected? Adults don’t want to be caught listening to lullabies. And there’s an opportunity here—not just for scholarship on lullabies, but for a broader study of how shame impacts music education and music criticism.
You may find the research of Ellen Dissanayake interesting. She connects hominin motherese (i.e. "baby talk") to the first lullabies. Essentially, lullabies are a possible origin of music which could have predated language.
One glaringly obvious reason for lack of historical documentation and scholarly attention is that lullabies were made up by and sung primarily by women. Heartbreaking and infuriating that so many of humanity’s most precious moments are buried or lost to us as a result of male chauvinism.
I went there as a responsible adult to note a glaring oversight by the author. I think critically about what I read. I am worldly. You, on the other hand, whined, cowered, disparaged, specified your age like a toddler, and deflected. Man up, son. At your age you should be making real contributions, not these fart noises you call ripostes.
Very interesting observations. It prompted me to look for papers on lullabies and it would seem there are quite a few. I am not a parent - and never likely to be one - so have not any personal experience, but I am a musician and instrumental teacher. https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=lullaby+music&oq=lullab
I've been playing drone based music from the Balkans for awhile, and think it's only sometimes relaxing, and sometimes the opposite. My take is that droneness is independent of arousal. I have enjoyed your books and look forward to you writing more about droney music.
"sweet baby james" and "you can close your eyes" by james taylor, for more modern pop lullabies. live at the troubador with carole king album has good versions of both lullabies.
But don't parents use lots of different music as lullabies? I definitely sang Baby Mine and Go to Sleep (lullabies from Disney movies, Dumbo and Mary Poppins, respectively) to my daughters at bedtime. But, I also sang Angel From Montgomery, They All Laughed, and any number of MURDER BALLADS, either because of the slow tempo or slowing down the tempo to lullaby territory and the song itself made no difference because a baby doesn't understand the content.
Both a funny and lovely piece. Thank you. Hush-a-bye don't you cry, go to sleepy little baby, when you wake you shall have all the pretty little horses/ blacks and bays, dapples and grays, coach and 6 little horses. or Hush little baby dont say a word, Mama's gonna give you a mocking bird/if that mocking bird don't sing mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring....." There is a lot of philosophy in some of these lullabies. Would love to work with you on such a book. Cantor Bob Cohen, rcohen4@hvc.rr.com
there is this project where parents are invited to compose and sung lullabies together with others,
can read about this here.
https://earlylearningnation.com/2024/03/carnegie-halls-lullaby-project-helps-parents-write-love-songs-to-their-infants/
You may find the research of Ellen Dissanayake interesting. She connects hominin motherese (i.e. "baby talk") to the first lullabies. Essentially, lullabies are a possible origin of music which could have predated language.
I wrote about this in my blog here: https://www.uncagedbird.studio/blog/human-survival-may-have-depended-on-singing
I've learned a lot from Ellen Dissanayake's book Homo Aestheticus—which has had a significant influence on my recent thinking about music.
Thanks for the recommendation. I was waffling about that title, but I'll add it to my queue now.
Montserrat Figueras' "Ninna Nanna" (2002) is a great collection of lullabies spanning several centuries with excellent cover notes too: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJQyfXNNWkaqtbLycJC4EXtY2SxKCd8ni
Listen to James Taylor and Carly Simon sing Close Your Eyes on YouTube and tell me it's not as powerful and transcendent as any adagio you can name
"Someone to watch over me" serves to calm me and my child. It can be a wish for the child to be protected and to become a protector.
One glaringly obvious reason for lack of historical documentation and scholarly attention is that lullabies were made up by and sung primarily by women. Heartbreaking and infuriating that so many of humanity’s most precious moments are buried or lost to us as a result of male chauvinism.
Why do you have to go there, Bill?! You took something interesting and appear to have shat on it to tow the party line.
I must say as a 33 year old interested in interesting things the article was both enlightening and enjoyably erodite.
10/10 would read again.
I went there as a responsible adult to note a glaring oversight by the author. I think critically about what I read. I am worldly. You, on the other hand, whined, cowered, disparaged, specified your age like a toddler, and deflected. Man up, son. At your age you should be making real contributions, not these fart noises you call ripostes.
For information about the lullaby-pacifier to teach premature babies to suck, see https://news.fsu.edu/news/arts-humanities/2012/05/21/musical-pacifier-invention-to-help-premature-babies-one-lullaby-at-a-time/
Very interesting observations. It prompted me to look for papers on lullabies and it would seem there are quite a few. I am not a parent - and never likely to be one - so have not any personal experience, but I am a musician and instrumental teacher. https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=lullaby+music&oq=lullab
I've been playing drone based music from the Balkans for awhile, and think it's only sometimes relaxing, and sometimes the opposite. My take is that droneness is independent of arousal. I have enjoyed your books and look forward to you writing more about droney music.
"sweet baby james" and "you can close your eyes" by james taylor, for more modern pop lullabies. live at the troubador with carole king album has good versions of both lullabies.
But don't parents use lots of different music as lullabies? I definitely sang Baby Mine and Go to Sleep (lullabies from Disney movies, Dumbo and Mary Poppins, respectively) to my daughters at bedtime. But, I also sang Angel From Montgomery, They All Laughed, and any number of MURDER BALLADS, either because of the slow tempo or slowing down the tempo to lullaby territory and the song itself made no difference because a baby doesn't understand the content.
Murder ballads? That has to be a first.
Both a funny and lovely piece. Thank you. Hush-a-bye don't you cry, go to sleepy little baby, when you wake you shall have all the pretty little horses/ blacks and bays, dapples and grays, coach and 6 little horses. or Hush little baby dont say a word, Mama's gonna give you a mocking bird/if that mocking bird don't sing mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring....." There is a lot of philosophy in some of these lullabies. Would love to work with you on such a book. Cantor Bob Cohen, rcohen4@hvc.rr.com
I agree completely!
Great article!!!! how about the importance of nursery rhymes on our concept of acceptable phrasing ????