About firstSounds

Language expands our world.

Listening is the first step to understanding.

Even before we're born, we experience sound all around us. Every melody, rhythm, and voice shapes how we connect, communicate, and understand the world.

We created firstSounds out of a simple, powerful idea—the earlier that little ones hear the sounds of different languages and music, the easier it is for them to learn about and embrace the world’s diversity.

Beth Huddleston, firstSounds co-founder and CEO

Meet the mom and global expert behind firstSounds.

I've always been fascinated by the different ways language connects people.

My love for different cultures began in childhood with a collection of Madame Alexander international dolls—each dressed in the traditional clothing of its country. Those dolls sparked a lifelong curiosity about how people live, think, and communicate.

That curiosity led me to study Spanish and English literature at Vanderbilt University and later earn a master’s degree in Latin American Studies from Georgetown University.

I’ve been fortunate to build a career around my passion for language and culture. I launched the International Small Business Development Center, helping hundreds of small businesses expand into the global marketplace. I worked with the World Affairs Council to educate people on key international issues. And today, I am honored to serve as the chief of protocol and international relations for the Mayor of Dallas, fostering global connections through diplomacy, education, trade, and tourism.

Through all these experiences, I’ve come to believe that the more we understand each other, the better our world becomes—and the richer our own lives will be.

Why ‘firstSounds”?

When I returned home to Dallas from Georgetown University, clutching a degree in Latin American Studies—instead of the expected medicine, law or engineering—my parents’ instructions were clear: “Get a job!”

Instead, I enrolled in a German glass. And I’ve never been more grateful for my independent streak, because that class ultimately led to the birth of firstSounds.

Unlike my serious regimented Spanish classes in college and grad school, this German class was entirely play-based. Every student was an adult, yet our instructor taught us using songs, games, dances, and puppets. Because the learning happened on a subconscious level, it felt natural—almost effortless.

That class sparked a question in my mind: Is there a better way to teach languages? But I tucked that thought away for a later time.

That same class also led me to my first international job with the World Affairs Council, where I worked for several years, but soon, I was ready for another unconventional adventure. When I got married, my husband and I embarked on an extended honeymoon visiting 28 countries to truly experience the world—that’s when my question about language learning resurfaced.

When we returned home full of stories, new friends from around the world, and bold ideas, I reconnected with a fellow student Karen Yates from that lifechanging German class, and to my great surprise, I learned that she had become the owner of the very language school where we had met.

We immediately bonded over our shared love of languages and our belief that language learning should begin earlier—and more naturally. As we pored over the latest linguistic research, we discovered a fascinating study from the University of Washington. It revealed the importance of introducing languages in the first years of life, when the baby’s brain is rapidly developing the neural pathways for language acquisition. After all, babies are born language universalists!

The time was right too as I was just starting a family—so together we launched firstSounds.

The Power of firstSounds: A Legacy for Future Generations

firstSounds began with cassette tapes before it evolved into CDs and then MP3s. Now a convenient mobile app, firstSounds makes early language exposure easier than ever.

My hope is that this generation of children will not only learn new languages more easily but will also grow up embracing different cultures and diverse human experiences.

— Beth, now a firstSounds Grandmom, with her grandchildren

firstSounds builds bridges.

By listening to the sounds of different languages, your baby isn’t just learning words—they’re learning to appreciate the world around them and embrace the richness of humankind.

There's nothing more important than expanding our children's world, and with firstSounds, you can start that transformative journey today.

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