Integration in Mexican Children’s Musical Worlds

Abstract

This article examines the musical lives of children in Mexico. Mexican children enjoy music for the interactions it promotes with friends, family, and people they admire. Musical activities also help them reconcile the contrasting worlds that shape their lives. From centralized, government-sponsored programs and formal instruction, to regional drama and individual play, children learn from a very young age that there are many ways to be Mexican in the modern world. Ultimately, being musical is a way for children to connect with others. Despite new media and technology, the traditional method of learning music from one’s parents or close relatives, and by performing alongside them in family and community events, persists and influences even formal music instruction in conservatory and school settings.