Baby Mozart - Music Festival

-- Repeat play
-- Language tracks (Spanish, French and English)
-- Discovery cards
-- Puppet shows
-- Toy chest

It's called "the Mozart Effect," the notion that exposing youngsters to the melodies of the maestro can improve verbal ability, spatial intelligence, creativity, and memory. It's a pretty big leap of faith to understand that effect unless you personally see a toddler react to the stimulation. The Baby Einstein folks have a series of tapes (Baby Einstein, Baby Bach) that add visual stimulation to the bouncy recordings (using vibraphone, Rhodes electric piano, and even a glockenspiel). The melodies are heard against colorful imagery of spinning tops, wave machines, soft baby toys, mobiles, and the like. Several parenting groups and magazines have heralded the tapes for children 1 to 36 months, but the Orwellian aspect of introducing babes in arms to the TV screen may cause many to just pick up the CD. --Doug Thomas

Stimulating images of brightly colored objects float across the screen accompanied by entertaining sound effects and the masterful and melodic tones of Mozart. Aimed at children from one to 36 months, this video joins its counterparts Baby Einstein and Baby Bach in promoting the notion that exposure to the stimulus of classical music can help promote brain development in such areas as verbal ability, spatial intelligence, creativity, and memory. Musical selections include excerpts from several of Mozart's piano sonatas, concertos, and symphonies, specially arranged to appeal to infant and toddler ears...