23.7. 1993 Vitoria-Gasteiz / Spain - World Federation of Music Therapy

the foetus through the amniotic fluid and conducted
through the bones in the head. The mother's activities
and movements are experienced as rhythmic rocking
motions. The impact of this sound/vibration/motion
environment upon us becomes evident when we
recognize the powerful effect that rocking has on infants
and young children in distress. A study conducted by
Byrne and Horowitz (1981) demonstrated the
effectiveness of rocking as a method of comforting
newborn infants from one to three days of age. Dr. Lee
Salk (1960) studied the use of the sound of a heartbeat
as a source of nurturance, comfort and security for
infants and found that newborns gain weight more
rapidly, are less restless, have fewer gastrointestinal
upsets and cry less frequently when a recording of an
adult heartbeat is played continuously.
At birth, the baby's relationship with the sound
environment is no longer a purely receptive one. The
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baby emits his own sounds which enable him to enter
actively into interaction with the significant objects in his
environment. His cries are characterized by variations in
pitch, intensity, tone quality, rhythmic motifs and tempo.
In effect, the elements of both vocal and musical
communication are emerging, and the eventual advent
of babbling provides the remaining building blocks of
verbal communication. The early vocalizations allow the
baby to express his needs and when the environment is
responsive, these needs are met. Sound-making
permits the baby to elicit a nurturing response and
allows both the baby and the caretaker to locate
themselves in space relative to each other.
Ostwald (1973) stresses the importance of sound as a
means of communication.
No person can live in isolation from others. Sound is an
all-important medium for breaking through one's shell to