Marcelle Grobbelaar teaches the Wriggle and Rhyme baby and toddler music programmes from her home in Melkbosstrand.
A star is born …
Earlier this year, Marcelle gave birth to her second child – a gorgeous little girl named Caliah.
She was born with a beautiful head of dark hair, just like her mom.
Caliah was also born with a song in her heart. That’s because she would have heard Marcelle’s beautiful singing voice throughout her time in utero.
Marcelle taught classes right up until just before Caliah was born.
Music in the womb
Research tells us that babies in the womb begin to respond to voices and sounds at around 25/26 weeks. But, because there’s no open air in the uterus, and baby is surrounded by amniotic fluid, the sound is considerably muffled. Imagine listening to sounds under water, and you’ll get the idea!
But, the most significant sound that a baby recognises in utero, is her mother’s voice.
By the third trimester, research shows that babies respond to their mom’s voice with an increased heart rate, suggesting that they’re more alert when mom is speaking (or singing!).
For more interesting info on this, check out https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/when-can-a-fetus-hear#2
Caliah’s musical journey
Caliah absolutely loves listening to her mom sing. Watch this little video to see how she responds to Marcelle’s beautiful voice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nn2jrZBfx20&t=14s
Enjoying music classes each week …
Now that she’s older, Caliah has the opportunity to enjoy Marcelle’s Wriggle and Rhyme classes in MELKBOSSTRAND. Here’s a picture of her enjoying a music class with her granny!
Marcelle says that she is so attentive. She smiles such a lot and follows absolutely every move that Marcelle makes.
She particularly loves the movement songs – like being lifted in the air during “Splish Splash Splosh”.
Marcelle’s also noticed how Caliah loves grasping the little instruments and playing them herself.
The calming effect of music
Marcelle and her family recently had to drive the long distance from Cape Town to Bloemfontein, for a family event.
Marcelle said that listening to the Wriggle and Rhyme songs from class really calmed Caliah down when she was becoming tired or fussy in her car seat.
She also enjoys listening to music during her bath time, which calms her too.
Find out more about the positive effects of music at http://wriggleandrhyme.co.za/our-passion
To buy our popular musical story CDs or for more info on how to stream them through your favourite streaming service, click on http://wriggleandrhyme.co.za/our-music