Abstract

Michael Forrester is concerned with the significance of sound for neonates and infants in the development of their language and musical abilities. In particular, he makes an effort to understand precisely what it is that underpins adult imaginings, both parental and academic, of what the experience of sound is for these developing humans. Forrester presents several ideas dealing with child-directed speech that underpin language acquisition and the development of musicality before assessing two models of early sound experience: that of communicative musicality and that of psychoanalytic developmental psychology. Throughout, Forrester keeps focus on the imagery that the child might be experiencing and argues that early sonic exposure is crucial to the growth and maintenance of a coherent self.