What makes a lullaby a lullaby, and what difference does it make? with Laurel Trainor, PhD

Our very first social interactions are musical, and the singing of lullabies to babies is universal across cultures. We discuss the common elements of lullabies, benefits of live-sung lullabies to both baby and caregiver, and just how long those benefits extend. Bonus: We answer the age-old mystery of why the most enduring lullabies have such dark lyrics (think rock-a-bye baby)!

My guest today is Dr. Laurel Trainor, Professor of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada. Dr. Trainor is the founding and present director of the McMaster Institute for Music and the Mind (MIMM), which houses LIVELab, a research-concert hall equipped with motion capture and EEG. She is also a Research Scientist at the Rotman Research Institute and has published over 160 articles on the neuroscience of auditory development and perception of music.