Abstract:Two assumptions that underlie much research in early childhood music education are that music is a social endeavor and musical participation is beneficial to children's overall social development. As members of cultural and social groups, young children engage with music in a multitude of ways and with different companions. This article examines young children's musical engagement from a social perspective, integrating research from a wide range of fields and theoretical orientations. The first section brings … Show more
“…Previous studies have suggested that music activities enhance children’s sociability (as reviewed in Ilari, 2016 ). Even for infants, musical activities can enhance social skills.…”
Previous studies have suggested that musical training in childhood is beneficial for sociability. However, it remains unclear how age of onset of group music lessons is associated with the late sociability of children from a long-term perspective. This study investigated associations between group music lessons conducted at a music school and children’s levels of sociability by focusing on the age of onset of the lessons. We conducted a survey of 276 children aged 4–5 years (M = 58.5 months) and 6–7 years (M = 82.7 months) who commenced music lessons at ages 1, 2, 4, and 6 years. We found that (1) the empathy scores of children aged 6–7 years who began lessons when 1-year-old were greater than those who began lessons when 4-years-old, (2) the communication scores of children aged 4–5 years who began lessons when 1-year-old were greater than those who began lessons when older than 1 year, and (3) the empathy and extraversion scores were high in those aged 6–7 years who began lessons in that age range. The results suggest that early onset of music lessons could positively influence children’s sociability; in contrast, after about age 7 years, children who already had high sociability may be more inclined to select group music lessons. By focusing on the impact of regular group music lessons from a very young age on later levels of sociability, these results further elucidate the effects of musical lessons. In sum, participation in group music lessons 2–4 times per month can be effective social training for very young children and foster their later sociability.
“…Previous studies have suggested that music activities enhance children’s sociability (as reviewed in Ilari, 2016 ). Even for infants, musical activities can enhance social skills.…”
Previous studies have suggested that musical training in childhood is beneficial for sociability. However, it remains unclear how age of onset of group music lessons is associated with the late sociability of children from a long-term perspective. This study investigated associations between group music lessons conducted at a music school and children’s levels of sociability by focusing on the age of onset of the lessons. We conducted a survey of 276 children aged 4–5 years (M = 58.5 months) and 6–7 years (M = 82.7 months) who commenced music lessons at ages 1, 2, 4, and 6 years. We found that (1) the empathy scores of children aged 6–7 years who began lessons when 1-year-old were greater than those who began lessons when 4-years-old, (2) the communication scores of children aged 4–5 years who began lessons when 1-year-old were greater than those who began lessons when older than 1 year, and (3) the empathy and extraversion scores were high in those aged 6–7 years who began lessons in that age range. The results suggest that early onset of music lessons could positively influence children’s sociability; in contrast, after about age 7 years, children who already had high sociability may be more inclined to select group music lessons. By focusing on the impact of regular group music lessons from a very young age on later levels of sociability, these results further elucidate the effects of musical lessons. In sum, participation in group music lessons 2–4 times per month can be effective social training for very young children and foster their later sociability.
“…Although professional interest in the musical activity of young children from a broader perspective than that of the school is increasing and different researchers have broadened the framework of understanding to encompass the home, family and recreation spaces (Welch, 2005a;Barrett, 2009Barrett, , 2012Trevarthen & Malloch, 2012;Ilari, & Habibi, 2015;Ilari, 2016), this research is still rather limited, perhaps due to the 'difficulties in accessing the intimate private worlds of children and their families' (Barrett, 2009, p. 116), with most research focusing on somewhat older young people (Green, 2001;Lamont et al, 2003).…”
Section: Musical Experience and Its Implications For Building Identitymentioning
In the present case study, we used observation and interviews to investigate the musical experience of a group of children of 3–4 years old. We look into the uniqueness of music in the child’s environment which belongs to the media, family and school contexts. The present study allows us to understand some implications of musical experiences for building social identity and the need to link formal music learning processes with those taking place in non-formal and informal spaces. Through this paper, we provide a vicarious experience that will enable the reader to understand our findings and raise new questions and interpretations.
“…Throughout history, music has been an important aspect of human life (Wright & Rubin, 2016). Starting at birth people are exposed to various forms of music, and sometimes go as far as creating their own music during early stages of life (Ilari, 2016). Essentially, as humans, we are born with an appreciation for music and it continues to be a source of enjoyment throughout people's lives.…”
People listen to music for a variety of reasons and these reasons are different for everyone. What specifically are the reasons large numbers of people tune into the most popular songs? This qualitative study thematically examined the lyrical changes in popular songs across three decades. Discovering the lyrical characteristics of popular songs over time could give some insight into how people were feeling at a certain point in time, their opinions towards various subjects, or how they enjoyed themselves in their free time. This can be illustrated by which particular song is most popular over a specific year and how this song is structured lyrically. Conceivably, uncovering the lyrical progression and evolution of music over time will provide a better understanding of society in general, how society changes over time, and where society and its preferences are headed towards moving forward.
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