Campbell, D. (2000). The Mozart Effect for Children: Awakening Your Child's Mind, Health, and Creativity with Music.

Campbell, D. (2000). The Mozart Effect for Children: Awakening Your Child's Mind, Health, and Creativity with Music. New York: HarperCollins. (272 pp., $13.95 pb, ISBN-0-380-80744-0)

In The Mozart Effect for Children: Awakening Your Child's Mind, Health, and Creativity with Music, Don Campbell takes the reader through the journey of childhood, a childhood surrounded by the rhythms of music. Campbell, a classically trained musician, demonstrates how music can bring joy to a child's life, enhance the development of social, emotional, physical, and cognitive growth, and enrich the entire family. One sentence from his book summarizes Campbell's viewpoint about music in a child's life: music is "a key we give them to unlock their minds, bodies, and hearts" (p. 119). Themes that run throughout the book are the joy of music; the fun and satisfaction music can bring into the lives of children; following a child's lead to discover his or her musical likes and dislikes; and the use of music to help parents guide their child toward becoming a healthy, well-adjusted person. This is a book for parents who want to immerse themselves in the delights of watching their child grow while sharing with their child the joys music can offer.

Throughout the book, Campbell recommends specific musical pieces that can be used to encourage cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development in the child. Many pieces are from Mozart's repertoire; however, Campbell also suggests pieces from other composers (e.g., Chopin and Vivaldi) and other styles of music (e. g., jazz and Samba). Each type of music is used for specific purposes in the child's development. For example, Campbell suggests Mozart's La Bataille to encourage the child's imagination to create stories, and German Dance No. 2 to prompt physical movement. At the conclusion of every chapter, Campbell includes a selected list of compositions by Mozart that he believes benefit development during the age range addressed in the chapter.

The most inspirational aspect of the book is Campbell's assumption that parents will join with their child to share the joys of music as it helps mold the child into a wonderful human being. He insists parents take part in the musical adventures they offer their child. When the toddler begins to dance to music she hears, Campbell suggests the parent dance as well. If the child takes music lessons, Campbell tells the parent to sit in on the lesson, then reinforce the lesson at home. Parents are to assume the role of creating the musical environment for their child and become an active participant in that environment.

Chapter One is an introduction to the book. The other eight chapters are divided into age ranges: pre-birth through birth, birth through 6 months, 6 months to 18 months, 18 months to 3 years, 3 to 4 years, 4 to 6 years, 6 to 8 years, and 8 to 10 years. In each chapter, Campbell gives an overview of the development of the child and offers suggestions to parents about how to use music to help stimulate neural pathways essential for development, guide children toward learning socially acceptable behaviors, and support children as they encounter new situations. Embedded in the book are suggestions about how to parent effectively with or without the use of music; however, Campbell's view is that music surrounds the family in the rhythms and tones of the sounds heard daily. Parents can take advantage of this natural music, add a little Mozart, and make life a little less stressful and filled with more joyful moments for the entire family.

The first half of Campbell's book is filled with suggestions for parents to help their child develop through the use of music and rhythm in their life, as well as general suggestions to help parents bond with their child. In the latter half of the book, Campbell repeats many of his same thoughts as they apply to the older child.

Campbell starts the reader on the journey of the growing child by detailing prenatal sensory development in Chapter Two. In each subsequent chapter, Campbell works through the age ranges. Each chapter includes the various areas of development throughout childhood, and Campbell describes how music can be used in creating an environment that contributes to the child's overall development. For example, it is during the ages of 3 and 4 that Campbell suggests beginning lessons with an instrument. During this age, many children have begun to develop better fine motor skills and eye-hand coordination. Musical training helps in the various areas of the child's development such as understanding social situations, learning foreign languages, mathematics learning, and other academic abilities.

Campbell's book is upbeat and encouraging; however, some readers may find the positive tone carried to the extreme. According to Campbell, music has been found to help many medical conditions, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism. Campbell's references for the ability of music to affect attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are a Newsweek article, a Common Boundary magazine article, and a book written by Campbell titled The Mozart Effect. While music may benefit all children to some degree, some parents may believe it to be a panacea for a medical condition and will be disappointed if a few Mozart rondos do not make a difference for their child.

Incorporating music into any child's environment as Campbell suggests may increase the likelihood that the child will be drawn to the masterpieces of the musical world and come to appreciate their splendor. Campbell's position is that music can assist all children in their growth and development; however, teachers and parents of musically gifted children can also use Campbell's ideas to nurture musical abilities. For example, along with the typical music lessons, parents can make available to their child simple items, such as jingle bells or rhythm sticks, to encourage their young child's musical abilities. Teachers can encourage children with special musical talents by exposing them to a variety of musical styles and instruments. Parents and teachers can advocate for music education in their school and support specific music education programs for children demonstrating exceptional musical abilities. By surrounding children who exhibit special musical talents with the opportunities to explore the world of music, parents and teachers can help those talents blossom.

Campbell includes some research on the different ways music has been found to be beneficial; however, because of the casual writing style the author chooses to use, specific details of the investigations are not provided. This leaves anyone interested in the research base questioning the studies. The references for the studies are included near the end of the book in a section titled "Notes." They are not convenient to use because they must be found through the use of chapter numbers, page numbers, and the beginning of the sentence to which they refer.

At the end of the book, Campbell offers musical resources with addresses, phone numbers, and web sites parents and teachers can contact for information ranging from music education to music databases. The conclusion includes a seven page recommended reading reference section, the same Mozart selections as at the end of each chapter, suggestions for children's songs, and an index.

Reviewed by Jeanetta G. Riley, an elementary teacher in Kentucky and currently a doctoral student in the Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Special Education at The University of Southern Mississippi.