A new study adds to mounting evidence that music is brain-food for babies, and the owner of a local music program for all ages says she'd add lyrics to help babies learn to speak.

A study from the Journal Medical Entomology shows playing classical music and tapping out the beats helps babies process music patterns and speech sounds.

Researchers add that babies benefit most from music when they participate and when they're in an environment with people who are moving to the beat.

Mary Ann Hall's Music for Children and Beyond provides classes throughout southwestern Connecticut with the goal to teach music in a multisensory way. Owner Mary Ann Hall says babies are exposed to hundreds of words within a 45 minute class.