Early Musical Experiences

I was talking to my mother the other day about my favorite violin piece, the Meditation from the opera Thais;

...and about how, the first time I heard it, it stopped the whole world for me, and I was left shocked and speechless by its astonishing beauty. And when she listened to it she said that it reminded her of the Serenade from the movie The Student Prince with Mario Lanza;

...and that I had heard it over and over in my infancy and childhood, because she had the record and used to listen to it all the time. And that got me thinking about how our early musical experiences shape us and help form who we later become, our tastes, and according to some scientists, even our intelligences and aptitudes.

Here's another number from The Student Prince that I would have heard over and over again. In fact, I remember this one from when I became old enough to get into my parents' record collection. And it, also, had an...um...effect on who I later became. :)

And here's one more from that score, which I'll leave without comment.