American Music Conference and Walt Disney Records Promote the Benefits of Making Music and Music Education with ``Disney's Little Einsteins Musical Missions'' CD.

BURBANK, Calif. -- Even in the earliest years of life, music plays an important role in a child's development. Children respond to rhythm and simple music from the day they are born. Music brings families together, stimulates thinking and expressive skills and enhances creativity and a sense of well-being. Now, with "Disney's Little Einsteins Musical Missions" (available at retail starting March 28), parents can encourage their child to take the step from listening to music to interacting with music.

"Little Einsteins Musical Missions" CD introduces an all-new, interactive audio experience inspired by the hit Playhouse Disney TV series "Little Einsteins." Children can listen and play along while they blast off on four adventures hosted by their favorite Little Einsteins characters (Leo, June, Annie and Quincy) that are set to classical pieces such as Mozart's "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik," Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumblebee," Bizet's "Carmen Suite #1" and Brahms' "Hungarian Dance #5."

The "Little Einsteins Musical Missions" digipack includes an activity booklet depicting the settings for each adventure (from Seattle's Space Needle to the Egyptian Sphinx) along with reusable picture clings of the characters to provide a hands-on experience while children listen to the CD. Following directions from the Little Einsteins characters and CD narrator, children can clap along, pat their knees, move and play with the picture clings and call out musical terms -- all to complete a musical mission central to a Little Einsteins adventure. Each mission gives children a chance to interact with music and learn music fundamentals, which can help in early childhood development.

Researchers are finding solid evidence that a young child's ability to perceive and distinguish phonetic sounds is enhanced by engaging in singing and rhythmic movement. Studies show that the "steady beat" skill helps children learn and develop on multiple levels including learning to read, enhancing creativity and fostering a sense of well-being. They've also found that active music-making during the school years can strengthen abstract reasoning skills, paving the way to better results in school.

Created by The Baby Einstein Company and Walt Disney Records, "Little Einsteins Musical Missions" was developed in conjunction with American Music Conference (AMC) and music teacher and arts integration specialist Anne Fennell. With over two decades experience as a music educator, Fennell served as a consultant during the creation of the CD, in addition to creating the curriculum guide for "Our Big Huge Adventure," the first DVD title in Disney's Little Einsteins franchise.

"'Little Einsteins Musical Missions' gives children and parents a wonderful opportunity to interact, listen and play with music while introducing the benefits of making music to everyone. Music is vital to a child's development -- stimulating higher level thinking skills and creativity while promoting individual expression," Fennell affirms.

"Disney's Little Einsteins Musical Missions" track listing is as follows:

Track 1 - "The Little Einsteins(TM) Theme Song"
    Track 2 - "Mission & Blast Off"

    MUSICAL MISSION: The Birthday Balloons
    MUSIC: "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" by Mozart
    Track 3 - "Space Needle"
    Track 4 - "Antarctica"

    MUSICAL MISSION: Rocket Safari
    MUSIC: "Flight of the Bumblebee" by Rimsky-Korsakov
    Track 5 - "Elephant"
    Track 6 - "Giraffe/Rhino"
    Track 7 - "Rescue Rocket"

    MUSICAL MISSION: Pirate's Treasure
    MUSIC: "Carmen Suite #1" by Bizet
    Track 8 - "Big Wave"
    Track 9 - "Islands"
    Track 10 - "Get the Treasure"

    MUSICAL MISSION: The Golden Pyramid
    MUSIC: "Hungarian Dance #5" by Brahms
    Track 11 - "Crocodile"
    Track 12 - "The Great Sphinx & The Golden Pyramid Song"
    Track 13 - "The Golden Pyramid - The Open Up Song"

    Track 14 - "The Curtain Call"

"Disney's Little Einsteins Musical Missions" soundtrack rockets into stores starting March 28, 2006, for a suggested retail price of $12.98 wherever music is sold. All Walt Disney Records audio products also can be ordered by visiting DisneyRecords.com.

About "Little Einsteins" on Disney Channel

The #1 rated series in the Playhouse Disney programming block on Disney Channel, "Little Einsteins" is an inspiring and highly interactive preschool TV series featuring four music-loving protagonists and their versatile ship, Rocket. The episodes all begin with a call to action -- or "mission" -- followed by fascinating journeys of discovery, which include a celebrated piece of classical music and a renowned work of art or world culture. The characters use their passion and talents to work together, solve challenges and achieve their goals, and viewers are invited to join in their activities, reinforcing the early learning concepts contained in the series. The series airs every day (8:00 a.m. ET/PT) during Disney Channel's Playhouse Disney programming block.

About the American Music Conference

The American Music Conference is a national non-profit educational association dedicated to promoting the importance of music, music making and music education to the general public and is an affiliate of NAMM, the International Music Products Association. For more information on the benefits of music for children of all ages and to view the Tips for Parents created in conjunction with the Little Einsteins, visit www.amc-music.org.

About The Baby Einstein Company

The Baby Einstein Company, LLC, is the award-winning creator of the infant developmental media category. The company is famous for its best-selling Baby Einstein(TM) brand of videos, books, music CDs and toys specifically designed for babies and toddlers, from birth. Disney's Little Einsteins(TM) is the company's newest venture, specifically created for the preschool market. Headquartered in Glendale, Calif., The Baby Einstein Company is a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. For more information, please visit www.BabyEinstein.com or www.LittleEinsteins.com.