Music in the early years: Pathways into the social world

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 forward a discussion on the nature of social interactions with an emphasis on three building blocks of social cognition and their relationships to musical experiences of young children. Studies on rhythmic entrainment, social identity in childhood, musical play, and the effects of formal music education on children's social development are discussed in the next sections, along with some of the caveats of current theorizing. Implications for future research and practice in music education are woven throughout the text.

An Investigation Into the Relationship Between Onset Age of Musical Lessons and Levels of Sociability in Childhood

“…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.…”

‘My Favorite Song’: understanding a music learning ecology of children from interaction among media, family and school contexts

“…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).…”

Peace Up, A-town Down: Exploring the Evolution of Popular Music

“…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.…”