A Love Letter to… Music, Movement, and Brain Development
- Karly Pierce Lystad
- Apr 27
- 4 min read
There’s a reason you can’t really separate music and movement.
Try it. Put on a song you love and sit completely still. No tapping or swaying. Just be still.
It feels unnatural, right?
Now imagine being a baby, where everything in your body is brand new and your brain is wiring itself in real time. You hear rhythm… and your body wants to respond. That connection isn’t something we teach later. It’s already there from the very beginning!
We often think of music as something babies listen to. But for young children, especially ages 0–5, music is something they experience with their whole body.
They hear, feel, and move to it. And that combination of music, movement, and brain development is where the real magic happens.
The brain doesn’t work in separate compartments
When a child is moving to music, it’s not just a “fun activity.” Multiple systems are working together all at once.
The auditory system is processing sound.The motor system is organizing movement.The emotional centers are responding to the feeling of the music. Memory and attention are tracking patterns and repetition.
All of that… from one simple experience.
This is why music and movement together are so powerful. They’re not teaching one skill at a time. They’re building connections between systems.
From tiny movements to big coordination
In the early months, movement might look small.
A kick. A stretch. A little head turn toward a familiar song.
But even those tiny responses are meaningful. Babies are beginning to connect what they hear with how their body moves.
As they grow, those movements become bigger and more intentional:
bouncing in your arms
clapping along
swaying side to side
spinning, jumping, marching
And here’s the part that matters. These aren’t just milestones to check off. They’re building coordination, balance, and body awareness in a way that sticks because it’s connected to something enjoyable.
Rhythm builds more than just musicality
When children move to rhythm, they’re learning patterns.
Fast and slow. Big and Small. Start and stop. Wait… and go.
Those early experiences lay the groundwork for things we don’t always connect back to music:
attention and focus
impulse control
memory
even early problem-solving
These are part of what researchers call executive function, and they begin developing early through repeated, engaging experiences like music and movement.
So that freeze dance moment where your child almost stops but keeps wiggling? That’s practice. Real, meaningful practice (and a class favorite).
Language lives here too
This one surprises a lot of people.
Music and language share pathways in the brain. The same systems that process rhythm and melody also support how children understand speech patterns, tone, and timing.
When you add movement, it reinforces those patterns even more.
Clapping syllables. Bouncing to a steady beat. Pausing before a familiar word in a song.
It all helps children organize and predict what comes next, which is a big part of how language develops.
Emotion, regulation, and connection
Not every day is calm and regulated. (Understatement of the year if you have a toddler.)
Music and movement give children a way to move through those moments.
Fast songs can help release energy. Slow, gentle movement can help bring the body back down. Familiar songs can create a sense of safety and predictability.
And when you’re doing this together, something even bigger is happening.
You’re building connection.
Moving in sync, even in simple ways like rocking or clapping together, strengthens bonding and helps children feel secure in their relationships. This is what makes caregiver-assisted classes so special!
The first five years are a window
About 80% of brain development happens in the first 1,000 days, and those early years continue to build on that foundation.
The brain is especially flexible during this time. It’s constantly forming and strengthening connections based on what children experience.
Music and movement offer exactly what the brain is looking for:
repetition
variation
sensory input
emotional connection
active participation
This is what I like to call 'purposeful play'.
Music, movement, and brain development in real life
Not a perfectly planned activity.
More like:
bouncing your baby while humming the same tune every morning
clapping along to a song while your toddler watches and joins in when they’re ready
spinning in the living room for no reason other than it feels fun
pausing during a song and waiting to see if your child fills in the next sound
Sure, they’re moments are simple, but they’re doing a lot of heavy lifting behind the scenes.
A gentle reframe
It’s easy to wonder if you’re “doing enough.”
But when it comes to music and movement, you don’t need more complexity. You need consistency and connection.
You don’t need a perfect voice. You don’t need choreography. You don’t need to get it right.
You just need to show up, press play (or not), and move together.
Because combining music and movement together create something that supports how your child learns, grows, connects, and understands the world.
And it all starts with something that looks a lot like play.
Want more like this?
If your child loved this kind of movement, there are a few ways to keep going:
Watch more videos on YouTube
Join a class in St. Louis
Explore simple at-home activities
Sources:
Chorna O, Filippa M, De Almeida JS, Lordier L, Monaci MG, Hüppi P, Grandjean D, Guzzetta A. Neuroprocessing Mechanisms of Music during Fetal and Neonatal Development: A Role in Neuroplasticity and Neurodevelopment. Neural Plast. 2019 Mar 20;2019:3972918. doi: 10.1155/2019/3972918. PMID: 31015828; PMCID: PMC6446122.
Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University (2011). Building the Brain’s “Air Traffic Control” System: How Early Experiences Shape the Development of Executive Function: Working Paper No. 11. Retrieved from www.developingchild.harvard.edu.
Trollinger, Valerie. (2010). The Brain in Singing and Language. General Music Today. 23. 20-23. 10.1177/1048371309353878.
Applying Brain Research to Children’s Musical Experiences https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/facpubs/169/
The Brain in Singing and Language https://www.researchgate.net/publication/243127748_The_Brain_in_Singing_and_Language
First 1,000 Days – a Critical Time for Children’s Brain Development https://midb.umn.edu/news/first-1000-days-critical-time-childrens-brain-development#:~:text=Research%20shows%20that%2080%20percent%20of%20a,important%20for%20lifelong%20health%2C%20learning%2C%20and%20success.&text=The%20first%20three%20years%20are%20the%20most,the%20brain%20is%20at%20its%20most%20flexible.
Kids and the Beath: The Benefits of Music Education in Early Childhood: https://kidsmusicround.com/kids-and-the-beat-the-benefits-of-music-education-in-early-childhood/#:~:text=Cognitive%20Development,fostering%20social%20and%20emotional%20development.
Music and Movement For Every Child: A Neurodiversity-Affirming Approach to Early Development https://www.sensesational-learning-group.com/post/music-and-movement-for-every-child-a-neurodiversity-affirming-approach-to-early-development
Dancing and the Brain https://hms.harvard.edu/news-events/publications-archive/brain/dancing-brain#:~:text=These%20regions%20include%20the%20motor,and%20execution%20of%20voluntary%20movement.
Music and the Brain https://hms.harvard.edu/news-events/publications-archive/brain/music-brain