Background

Regardless of the finely-tuned ethos that underpins our practice as early childhood professionals, it is agreed that we need to move away from the traditional, teleological view of the “universal child ” who proceeds to predictable adult maturity (Canella & Bailey, 1999), and contribute to authentic curricula that acknowledge multiple pathways and systems of growth and development (Lambert & Clyde, 2000). For early childhood music education, we need to turn to the children’s musical cultures to locate the most appropriate foundations for such a curriculum. In Australia, this means burrowing beyond the “Australian ” superculture (prominently displayed in the recent past through occasions like the Olympic Games, the Centenary of Federation, public debate surrounding Australia’s future as a Republic or Constitutional Monarchy, and annual Australia Day celebrations) and focus on the varied musical subcultures and identities co-constructed by the children, families and communities. Drawing on data collected as part of a larger study of early childhood musical identities undertaken in Australia and Hawaii, this paper reports on the emerging singing identities of young Australian children in three disparate areas of the state of New South Wales. Ai