I grew up with music in the house. I also took piano and singing classes (among others) as a child. Music is a big part of my life. Now that I am a mom, I try to have my own children be surrounded by music. There is something magical about music – it really helps us with our emotional state and there is a whole science of music therapy for both children and adults. Music also enhances creativity!

I have an amazing friend, Elika Mahony, who is a songwriter, a composer and an artist. Last year she wrote a song to the poem by Farshid Kamali called “When we pray”. You can listen to the original song, read about it and download it for free here

When I listened to the song together with my older daughter, I saw how it touched her: she kept asking to play it over and over and since the tune is so catchy and the lyrics are simple, she quickly picked up both. That’s when I got the idea of having this song translated into Russian. So I asked Elika if it was ok and if she could send me the backtrack. She graciously agreed and the song was born within an hour!

You can listen to the Russian version and download it for free here

Even if you can’t sing yourself, don’t hesitate to expose your child to all sorts of music styles. We love grabbing hairbrushes or other items and pretend to be singing into the microphones. It’s fun, it is uplifting and you will notice that after such singing sessions your child is relaxed and happy!