Through the Eyes of Children: Telling Insights into Music Experiences

Seeing music education through the eyes of children leads to developing deepened conceptualizations of children’s daily musical lives, both in- and out-of-school. By thoughtfully attending to children’s perspectives and experiences, children become central informants to the life of elementary school music curricula. Various literature speaks to the relevance of this critical topic and examines various influences on children’s musical perspectives such as community context, digital media, and popular culture. A narrative is offered detailing a two-phase, three-month study guided by the research questions: 1) How do children experience music in their daily lives? and 2) How do children’s musical experiences in their daily lives interplay with their in-school music experiences? The narrative uncovers telling sentiments shared by a group of Grade 2/3 children regarding their musical lives. Conversations revealed pose wonderings for the relevance of elementary music curricula to children’s daily music experiences