Musical Parenting and Music Education: Integrating Research and Practice

Abstract

Although teachers work constantly with parents, discussions concerning parental roles in children’s music learning are often left at the margins in music teacher training programs. The aim of this article is to offer a review of musical parenting research from an ecological perspective. Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory of human development is used as a lens to examine musical parenting research concerning infants, school-aged children, and adolescents. Issues pertaining to contemporary parenting in the Western world such as intensive parenting and concerted cultivation are also considered as they relate to parental music cognitions and behaviors. Implications for research and practice in music education are outlined at the end.