Charles Darwin once observed that music exists in every human culture. He believed this universality pointed to something deeper than entertainment; music must have helped our ancestors survive. Early humans may have used music-like communication to bond, share meaning, and coordinate group action. Today, neuroscience is revealing just how right he may have been.
From before birth, we are wired for music.
Auditory processing begins in the womb, where babies are immersed in rhythm including the steady beat of the mother’s heart, the sway of her movement, and the melodic contours of her voice. By birth, babies can already recognise familiar sounds, particularly their mother’s voice, and they enter the world with an innate sense of rhythm. This rhythmic sensitivity is not incidental; it is a foundational tool for making sense of the world.
The brain is, at its core, a pattern-seeking and prediction-making machine. Rhythm satisfies this drive. It provides structure, repetition, and predictability, helping babies organise sensory input and begin building understanding. This early sensitivity to rhythm becomes the basis for communication, movement, and learning.
But music’s power goes far beyond rhythm alone.
Research shows that sound – particularly music – has a profound impact on the whole brain. The auditory system is not just about hearing; it is a gateway to brain-wide development. In fact, Dr Alfred Tomatis, founder of the popular auditory stimulation programme The Tomatis Method, suggested that a large proportion of the brain’s stimulation comes through the ear. Music, in particular, activates cognitive, motor, sensory, and emotional networks simultaneously. It has a unique ability to capture attention and support memory, making it a powerful driver of learning.
This is why music can be described as a “whole brain workout.”
Music and language are deeply connected. In early life, they share the same neural pathways. Studies with infants show that before the language centres of the brain are fully developed, babies process speech through the music network. In other words, they experience language as music first through rhythm, pitch, and melody. Only later, around age six or seven, does language begin to separate into its own specialised system.
This means that the more babies engage with music, through listening, singing, and interaction, the stronger and more efficient these shared pathways become. This directly supports their ability to hear, produce, and understand speech.
In the first two years of life, the brain is working intensely to build the foundations of communication. During this time, babies learn to:
- Separate speech from background noise
- Recognise and repeat vowel sounds
- Build “recordings” of sounds through repetition
- Begin distinguishing more complex consonant sounds
These processes depend on rich, repeated, and meaningful auditory experiences. They also depend on human interaction. Babies need to see faces, watch mouth movements, and engage in “serve and return” exchanges, where sounds, gestures, and responses flow back and forth. Without this, development can be delayed.
Music naturally supports all of this.
Through singing, rhythm, and movement, babies are exposed to clear patterns of sound, exaggerated expression, and repeated sequences; all of which help the brain organise and store information. Techniques like infant-directed speech (slower, more melodic, expressive communication) further enhance a baby’s ability to distinguish sounds, detect word boundaries, and understand meaning.
At the same time, music strengthens emotional and social development. Shared musical experiences trigger the release of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins; these are the chemicals that support bonding, mood regulation, empathy, and wellbeing. This is why singing, rocking, and moving together can strengthen attachment between babies and caregivers from the very beginning.
Music also plays a crucial role in developing rhythmic awareness, which underpins coordination, timing, and sensory integration. Simple activities such as rocking to a beat, clapping, dancing, or exploring sounds help strengthen these skills. Over time, this supports not only movement, but also communication and cognitive development, including early foundations for reading and mathematical thinking.
Importantly, early development is time sensitive.
Babies are born with all the neurons they will ever have, but these cells are not yet fully connected. Synapses – the connections between neurons – are built through experience. In the first few years, the brain forms connections at an extraordinary rate, reaching peak connectivity around age two to three. After this, unused connections are pruned away.
This is the principle of “use it or lose it.”
Rich, repeated experiences are essential to strengthen the connections that matter most. Music provides exactly this: engaging, patterned, repetitive, and socially interactive experiences that help organise the developing brain.
Play experts highlight that effective learning experiences are meaningful, joyful, socially interactive, actively engaging, and iterative. Music embodies all of these elements. It may even be one of our earliest forms of play, bringing together connection, communication, and creativity in a way that naturally supports brain development.
For babies and toddlers, whose brains Professor Sam Wass describes as “still messy and overconnected”, music offers structure. It helps them make predictions, recognise patterns, and build understanding through repetition and shared interaction. It supports motor skills, auditory processing, emotional regulation, and communication all at once.
In essence, music is not just part of development, it is central to it.
Providing rich and varied musical experiences from birth helps build the neural networks needed for speech, social interaction, emotional regulation, and lifelong learning. It lays the groundwork not only for communication, but also for confidence, self-expression, literacy, and even mathematical thinking.
We are born ready for music. The question is whether we give children enough opportunity to use it.
Because in those early years, every song, every rhythm, every shared musical moment is helping to shape the architecture of the brain, and the future of the child.
Importantly, this understanding is not just theoretical; it is already being put into practice.
Earlier this month, Barnet Education and Learning Service partnered with Boogie Mites to bring these ideas to life through an Under 2s cluster training. Around 30 practitioners from 15 early years settings took part in a half-day session led by Boogie Mites Trainer Liv McLennan. Following the training, attendees were given access to a few activities from the Boogie Mites Teenies programme to trial within their own settings.
Early feedback from practitioners highlights both the immediate impact and the longer-term potential of this work.
One practitioner reflected, “The music session was very helpful. I was able to get many ideas that I can use in my class right away. It also gave me confidence that what we usually do in our baby class is effective.” This sense of validation is key; when practitioners understand the neuroscience behind their practice, everyday interactions become more intentional and impactful.
Others spoke about how the training deepened their thinking and extended their practice: “We were encouraged to think about our creative music sessions in our settings and how we might develop our practice to increase the children’s engagement, experiences and involvement leading to enhanced wellbeing, progress and development across all areas.”
The quality and clarity of the training also stood out. As one attendee shared, “The programme was very detailed and clearly laid out the benefits of music on development,” while another highlighted the delivery itself: “I absolutely loved hearing from Liv who brought so much passion and knowledge across all domains of children’s development and cross-disciplinary research.”
Crucially, practitioners left with practical, achievable strategies. “It shows how it’s possible to have short bursts of music activity using any type of instrument or none at all. I will definitely try to implement this into our setting,” noted one participant. This reflects an important message: effective musical experiences do not require specialist resources, only intentional, responsive interaction.
The training also sparked a desire for continued development and wider impact within settings. One practitioner commented on the value of seeing practice in action: “I would have welcomed having Liv in my setting, leading a full and complete music session so that we could learn and emulate her practice as a team.” Another is already planning to embed and share the learning more broadly: “I will share this training with the wider nursery team so that they can develop their own confidence, whilst also timetabling a weekly music session for all age groups.”
This feedback reinforces a powerful point: when practitioners are given the knowledge, tools, and confidence to use music intentionally, the impact extends far beyond a single session. It begins to shape whole-setting approaches, enriching the daily experiences of babies and toddlers.
There are now plans to develop this project further, building on the strong foundations already established and continuing to support settings in embedding high-quality musical experiences in the earliest years.
The research is compelling, but more importantly, the practice is achievable.
You don’t need specialist equipment or long sessions. You need consistency, connection, and confidence.
Short bursts of singing. Simple rhythms. Shared musical moments.
Built into every day.
Because when music becomes part of everyday practice, it becomes part of how children think, communicate, and connect.
