All About Lullabies, Part 2

Have you ever started rocking your little grandbaby to calm them and have some nice cuddly time with a lullaby...but your mind goes blank? It happens to me all the time!   

In my wonderful discussion with singer-songwriter, composer, and educator Jane Roman Pitt, also known as Lady Lullaby, we talked about just that—how to think about lullabies and “come up with” something to sing on the spot. 

A lullaby is a soft, gentle, and soothing genre of music that historically has been used in many cultures to calm babies. Jane says that all types of songs can be used as a lullaby: any love song, prayer, or even something like “Baby Shark,” if sung in a soft and calming way, will work because babies love the sound of the voice of those who love them.   

Jane even suggested making up your own song, by outlining your day to a familiar tune such as "Frere Jacques" or "London Bridge Is Falling Down." You can tell a basic story or share your feelings about your day and its joys or frustrations—whether it was a successful day or not.  I love this idea as it can be like a therapy session in a singing voice!  

In our conversation, Jane made up a lullaby on the spot that described her feelings and her day. Here is how something like that could go if you sang about your day:  

Oh, how we had a wonderful day today, going to the grocery store, unpacking the groceries, making dinner, and going for our walk...then you cried and cried and I didn’t know why, but we ended up still having a good day! 

We also talked about some contemporary music that particularly lends itself to the pace and rhythm of a lullaby. Many Beatles songs, such as “Here Comes the Sun” and “Golden Slumbers,” and James Taylor songs including “Sweet Baby James” and “You’ve Got a Friend” are perfect examples. Jane suggests keeping a playlist in your head of “go to” songs. With repetition, they will most likely become family favorites with your grandchildren!  

Studies have shown that older adults sleep better if they engage with music while going to sleep. The same may be true for young children, and Jane believes in the power of soothing music to support babies’ sleep. Some parents use sound machines to block out sounds and help their children go to sleep. Jane suggested that since a sound machine doesn’t do anything for the brain, while music does, parents who want to use sound machines could start the night with some music—either live singing or having a speaker in the room set on a timer—and then turn the sound machine on for the remainder of the night. I know when my children were young, there were no sound machines so I would play music on a cassette or CD player in their rooms. By the time the music was finished, they were sound asleep! 

So, now that we’ve learned so much about music and lullabies from Jane, I must share a confession: my go-to song to sing to all my grandchildren has been “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah”—hardly a lullaby! But it has become a tradition that I love, because my mother also sang it to her grandchildren. It is a bit more active and joyful than a lullaby, but for me and my grands, singing it together has been wonderful and is our special thing together. 

What's the best piece of advice Jane gave? Babies and young children don’t care if you have a good voice—just jump in and do it! 

I would like to thank Jane for sharing her love of lullabies with our grandparent community.  You can learn more about Jane and hear some of her music on her website: www.janeromanpitt.com.

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If you do not sing to your grandchildren but would like to, what is holding you back? 

What are your favorite songs to sing to your grandchildren? 

Have you passed along any family songs to your grandchildren?