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Early Musicalization with Memima and the ETFES Method: A Positive Impact on Language Development and Socialization from Infancy

Madrid, 02/20/2025 – A new pilot study on early musicalization in healthy infants has revealed that regular exposure to passive musical listening through the ETFES method (Ear Training For Early Stimulation) may influence language development, socialization, and the creation of a secure parental attachment.

Led by pediatrician Dr. Enrique la Orden Izquierdo, in collaboration with Francisco de Vitoria University and the Memima team, this study, endorsed by the C.E.I.M. of the Severo Ochoa University Hospital and the G.A.A.P., provides the first data on the benefits of early auditory training in babies.

The study, which follows a cohort of 82 healthy full-term infants, evaluated how implementing the ETFES method through daily listening sessions influences infant neurodevelopment. The initial findings show that regular use of the methodology not only promotes early language acquisition and socialization but also contributes to a secure parental bond.

Among the key results:

• None of the parents reported excessive crying among babies whose parents consistently applied the methodology.
• Reduction in feeding problems and improved establishment of daily routines.
• Greater emotional stability and social adaptation in infants.

These findings reinforce the idea that musical education through the ETFES Method is not a luxury but a key element in early development.

6,000 Minutes is Just the Beginning: Consistency is Key

The ETFES method establishes that a minimum of 6,000 minutes of listening sessions is necessary to achieve significant benefits, but some families have reached up to 100,000 minutes over several years, with exceptional results.

“Learning music is like learning a language,” explains Albert Munné Vicente, CEO of Memima. “The more a baby listens, the more they will integrate musical structure and sound language. The key lies in parents’ determination and commitment to completing the listening curriculum.”

Improvements in Psychomotor and Cognitive Development Milestones

One of the most striking aspects of the study was the comparison between the median age at which babies in the study group reached certain developmental milestones, compared to the typical acquisition interval according to the Haizea-Llevant table.

The results suggest that babies exposed to the ETFES method tend to reach psychomotor and cognitive development milestones at earlier ages. Some of the most notable findings include:

• Attention to voice: While the standard interval for this milestone is between 1 and 3 months, the median in the experimental group was 0.78 months, indicating a faster response to auditory stimuli.
• Recognition of the mother: Normally acquired between 1.5 and 3 months, the study’s median was 1.33 months, suggesting faster bonding and recognition abilities.
• Babbling: Generally occurs between 5.5 and 7.5 months, but in babies using the ETFES methodology, the median was 1.98 months, demonstrating significant progress in language acquisition.
• Laughter: While the expected average is between 3 and 5.5 months, in the study group, it was reached at 2.83 months, suggesting a greater predisposition for social interaction.
• Horizontal tracking of objects: Expected between 3.5 and 5.5 months, but the ETFES group’s median was 1.42 months, indicating improved visual coordination and early attention.

These preliminary results suggest that early exposure to structured musical listening not only supports language development but also accelerates certain neurodevelopmental processes related to perception, socialization, and interaction with the environment.

Any Moment is a Good Time to Start: The Key is Routine

One of the great advantages of the ETFES method is that it does not require extra time: exposure to musical listening sessions integrates seamlessly into the baby’s daily routines. The most common moments for this are:

• During breastfeeding or feeding.
• In the sleep routine.
• While the baby plays or relaxes.

It does not matter when one starts; the essential thing is to have the determination to do it and complete the listening curriculum. From 1,000 minutes of listening onward, babies can begin experimenting with musical instruments, translating what they have internalized auditorily into their own creations or musical improvisations.

A Long-Term Commitment to Infant Neurodevelopment

This preliminary study reinforces the importance of music in early childhood as a tool for language development, neurodevelopment, and musical intelligence. However, its success largely depends on family consistency and commitment.

Memima and the ETFES method offer the opportunity to transform musical learning into a natural and enriching experience for babies, with benefits that will extend throughout their lives.

For more information about the ETFES method and the pilot study, visit www.memima.com.

About Memima

Memima is a platform for early musical education that, through the ETFES method, trains babies’ hearing from birth, fostering musical learning in a natural and progressive way. Its approach, based on passive listening and structured play, is designed to enhance cognitive development, musical intelligence, and language acquisition.

November 15, 2024

Music and Cognitive Abilities – ETFES Method: A Pilot Study

ATTACHMENT, TEMPERAMENT, COMMUNICATION, SOCIALIZATION, LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

Introduction:
Music therapy is a non-pharmacological intervention that addresses an individual’s physical, emotional, social, and cognitive needs. Early musical training is associated with enhanced sound processing and possibly speech development.

Objective:
To evaluate the effect of early musical exposure on the attainment of developmental milestones in language acquisition, socialization, and parent-child attachment patterns.

Method:

• Participants:
  27 infants under 1 month old (15 boys, 12 girls) with no neurological risk factors, recruited from primary care health check-ups starting May 2024. The average age was 20 days. None attended daycare, 22 out of 27 were breastfed, and 17 used pacifiers. All came from two-parent, heterosexual, biological families.
• Variables:
  Biological factors (sleep, breastfeeding…), timing of social and linguistic developmental milestones, attachment patterns, temperament, and subjective perceptions.
• Instruments:
  • Haizea-Llevant Psychomotor Development Scale, validated for the Spanish population.
  • Parental Attachment Form (PSQ): Postpartum Bonding Test.
  • Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised (IBQ-R), Spanish version.
  • TAS-45.
• Procedure:
  Progressive and serial exposure to musical concepts (notes, chords, etc.) integrated with white noise during baby routines, guided by parents.
• Data Analysis:
  Baseline descriptive study.

Results:

• 29.63% of participants had music sessions lasting 15 to 60 minutes daily.
• 33.33% had sessions of 5 to 15 minutes daily, reporting short-term subjective improvements in breastfeeding and infant sleep routines.

Discussion/Conclusions:
The use of music integrated into daily routines positively impacts everyday aspects of infant care and is well-received by parents. However, its medium- and long-term effects need to be objectively assessed.