Soothing Sounds for Baby
Encyclopedia
Soothing Sounds for Baby (1964) is a three-volume set of ambient electronic music
by American composer, musician, and inventor Raymond Scott
. Scott originally intended to lull infants to sleep with the music, but later generations have found value in the music for its minimalist
aspects, often comparing it to the works of Brian Eno
, Kraftwerk
and Tangerine Dream
despite having predated such artists by more than a decade.
Originally released in collaboration with the Gesell Institute of Human Development
, the volumes are split up into three age groups: Volume 1 is 1 to 6 months; Volume 2 is 6 to 12 months; and Volume 3 is 12 to 18 months. The music gets more complex with each volume. Scott created much of the music on the albums with instruments he created, such as the Electronium and the Clavivox
. "Particularly on Soothing Sounds for Baby, Scott proved to be one of the first composers to merge the Brave New World of electronic sounds with a rhythmic pop sensibility." Basta Music of Holland released the albums as a 3-CD set in 1997.
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
by American composer, musician, and inventor Raymond Scott
Raymond Scott
Raymond Scott was an American composer, band leader, pianist, engineer, recording studio maverick, and electronic instrument inventor....
. Scott originally intended to lull infants to sleep with the music, but later generations have found value in the music for its minimalist
Minimalism
Minimalism describes movements in various forms of art and design, especially visual art and music, where the work is set out to expose the essence, essentials or identity of a subject through eliminating all non-essential forms, features or concepts...
aspects, often comparing it to the works of Brian Eno
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
, Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The group was formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, and was fronted by them until Schneider's departure in 2008...
and Tangerine Dream
Tangerine Dream
Tangerine Dream is a German electronic music group founded in 1967 by Edgar Froese. The band has undergone many personnel changes over the years, with Froese being the only continuous member...
despite having predated such artists by more than a decade.
Originally released in collaboration with the Gesell Institute of Human Development
Gesell Institute
The Gesell Institute of Human Development is a non-profit organization located in New Haven, Connecticut. The organization is named after Arnold Gesell and is dedicated to researching and understanding child growth and development.-History:...
, the volumes are split up into three age groups: Volume 1 is 1 to 6 months; Volume 2 is 6 to 12 months; and Volume 3 is 12 to 18 months. The music gets more complex with each volume. Scott created much of the music on the albums with instruments he created, such as the Electronium and the Clavivox
Clavivox
The Clavivox was a keyboard sound synthesizer and sequencer invented by American composer Raymond Scott in 1952, and patented in 1956. Scott had earlier built a theremin as a toy for his daughter Carrie. In his first Clavivox prototype, he used a theremin module built by a young Bob Moog...
. "Particularly on Soothing Sounds for Baby, Scott proved to be one of the first composers to merge the Brave New World of electronic sounds with a rhythmic pop sensibility." Basta Music of Holland released the albums as a 3-CD set in 1997.