When music journalist Jude Rogers lost her father aged five, she turned to songs for solace and structure. Music helped her redefine her identity as a teenager and connect with her young child as a parent after post-natal depression.

In four programmes, Jude speaks to musicians, neuroscientists, psychologists and music-lovers to discover how fundamental music is at each stage of our lives.

In episode 1, Early Life, Jude looks at how music shapes our lives from before we are even born, helping us form connections with the people around us, control our impulses and even become more empathetic.

We hear from Nigerian musician Femi Kuti, music psychologist Dr Samuel Mehr, developmental cognitive neuroscientist Dr Assal Habibi, music therapist and teacher Tiziana Pozzo and 7-year-old pianist Laasya and her father, Jithender.

Producer: Georgia Moodie
A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 4 Show less