INTERNATIONAL LIBRARY OF MUSIC

The category of lullabies was selected for the first song collection because lullabies are commonly used for many purposes. Infants and young children respond to lullabies because of their current experiences with them; however, older children and even adults may be comforted or soothed by lullabies when they are physically ill, emotionally unsettled, or in need of comfort. The rocking meter and slower tempi of lullabies are conducive to relaxation, and the lyrics generally convey words of peace, comfort and love. In nearly every culture infants learn lullabies from their mothers, grandmothers or other important caregivers in their lives, and the familiarity of lullabies allows clients to reminisce about the feelings of being loved and protected as they were in infancy and early childhood. Music therapists might use lullabies to comfort clients who are physically ill, or in need of comfort for any reason. Lullabies may help decrease heart and respiratory rates in patients, or reduce anxiety in clients who are nervous or unsettled. Patients who are seriously ill or near the end of life may find peace and comfort upon hearing lullabies, especially those familiar to them from childhood. Many lullabies are amenable to subtle lyrics changes such as substituting the names of clients in the song or replacing lullaby lyrics with details relating to patients in order to personalize each song. Music therapists will benefit from the lullaby category of songs in the new media library. 

Where possible, we have hyperlinked the songs to the iTunes Store, YouTube videos, or websites so that you can hear parts of the songs. We will continue developing this song library. Should you have commonly used lullabies in mind that are sung in your country, please let us know. We will consider adding it!