Abstract
Researchers have acknowledged the perspective and agency of children to be of substantial relevance to the design of educational settings. Still, mixed methods studies delineating children´s perspective on what they experience in music education settings designed for them are rare. Departing from reflections on the theoretical concept of children´s music experience, the present article shares insights into an empirical study approaching children’s affinity for music, a construct integrating experiential qualities of liking and valuing music in a concrete educational setting. Discussed are selected findings of a mixed methods study conducted in the scope of an opera education project involving German elementary schools (n=25). The study integrated the perspective of children (n=282) at a sample of urban and rural primary schools. The article presents findings from the quantitative research and the qualitative, visual data, namely children's drawings (n=561). Results indicate that sociality and embodiment are central dimensions of children´s situated music experience and potentially contribute to their being open to musical engagement and affinity for music in path-breaking musical experiences. Referring to an ecological situativity framework, the paper concludes with indicating implications for the design of educational settings and future research.
Recommended Citation
Schmid, Silke S.
(2019)
"“Music and Me”
Children´s Affinity for Music and Children´s Drawings in a Longitudinal
Mixed Methods Study,"
Visions of Research in Music Education: Vol. 33, Article 3.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.lib.uconn.edu/vrme/vol33/iss1/3