ABSTRACT
The relation of the young child to music has so far received but scanty attention as far as conscientious child-study is concerned; with the exception of two very thorough experimental investigations there only exist a few stray observations. In a certain sense, music is the first of all the arts accessible to the child, for even before it can speak, it listens eagerly to song and piano; and even the simple monotonous tunes that the mother sings to the child have a strangely soothing effect, for the restless child grows quiet and at last falls asleep. Children beat time with heads, arms and legs, march with the soldiers' bands, jump and dance to the songs they hear, and join in accompanying the singing with acting-games. The children had by means of two pieces of wood to beat time to a march played on a phonograph.
