''Music to Be Born By'' is an album by percussionist

Mickey Hart Mickey Hart (born Michael Steven Hartman, September 11, 1943) is an American percussionist. He is best known as one of the two drummers of the rock band Grateful Dead. He was a member of the Grateful Dead from September 1967 until February 19 ...

that is based on the fetal heartbeat of his son Taro Hart, who was born on January 13, 1983. The album was released in 1989 by

Rykodisc Rykodisc is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, operating as a unit of WMG's Independent Label Group and is distributed through Alternative Distribution Alliance. History Claiming to be the first Compact Disc, CD-only independ ...

, and was later reissued by

Smithsonian Folkways Smithsonian Folkways is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution. It is a part of the Smithsonian's Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, located at Capital Gallery in downtown Washington, D.C. The label was fou ...

as part of their Mickey Hart Collection. During a visit to the family's obstetrician, Hart recorded his unborn son's heartbeat on a

Nagra Nagra is a brand of portable audio recorders produced from 1951 in Switzerland. Beginning in 1997 a range of high-end equipment aimed at the audiophile community was introduced, and Nagra expanded the company’s product lines into new markets. ...

portable recorder that was attached to a fetal pulse monitor placed on the stomach of Taro's mother, Mary Holloway Hart. (On the album, she is credited for providing "heartbeat environment.") Later, in his studio, Hart transferred the sounds to 16-track tape, after which he, along with flutist Steve Douglas and bassist Bobby Vega, overdubbed additional tracks. The music was then played at the baby's birth. According to Hart, the recording is intended "to facilitate and coordinate rhythmic breathing cycles, assisting the mother's concentration and focus before, during and after delivery." Hart initially had no intention of issuing the music to the general public, and sent copies on cassette tape to friends who inquired about it. However, he later decided to release it due to ongoing positive feedback and an increasing number of requests. He reflected: "I have maybe a thousand letters and pictures of babies born to this music... Most cultures have birthing music: music to be born by. We don't. We lost that ritual." At the time of the album's release, Taro Hart was credited as being "the world's youngest recording artist."

Reception

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

's William Ruhlmann called the album "soothing," while author

Julia Cameron Julia B. Cameron (born March 4, 1948Floor Sample, by Julia Cameron, (Tarcher, 2006; ), a memoir) is an American teacher, author, artist, poet, playwright, novelist, filmmaker, pigeon fancier, composer, and journalist. She is best known for her ...

described it as "propulsive, energizing, and grounding." Mark Saleski of ''Something Else!'' listed the album as one of his "favorite minimalist/ambient recordings," and wrote: "this record presents a warm percussive wash using wood flute, drums and bass harmonics. The pattern is altered very slightly throughout. Hypnotic is the word."

Track listing

# "Music to Be Born By" – 1:10:10

Performers

–

surdo The surdo is a large bass drum used in many kinds of Brazilian music, such as Axé/Samba-reggae and samba, where it plays the lower parts from a percussion section. It is also notable for its association with the cucumbi genre of the Ancient Near ...

* Taro Hart – heartbeat * Mary Holloway Hart – heartbeat environment * Steve Douglas – wooden flute * Bobby Vega – electric bass

Technical personnel

* John Cutler – engineer * Jeff Sterling – assistant engineer * Tom Flye – assistant engineer, remixing *

Joe Gastwirt Joe Gastwirt is an American audio engineer, known for digitally remastering hundreds of CDs and LPs for famous artists, including the Grateful Dead, Tom Petty, Helen Reddy, Electric Light Orchestra, Jimi Hendrix, Crosby, Stills, and Nash, The B ...

– mastering * Steven Jurgensmeyer – cover art *

Fredric Lieberman Fredric Lieberman (1940 - died May 4, 2013) was an American ethnomusicologist, composer, music professor, and author. As a faculty member at the University of California at Santa Cruz, he was affiliated with the Music Department (including the und ...

– consultant

References

{{Reflist 1989 albums Mickey Hart albums Ambient albums by American artists Rykodisc albums Smithsonian Folkways albums