ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses a range of theoretical perspectives that have informed research related to babies and young children's musicality. It presents case studies that explore young children's varied musical experiences and how adults can support children's musical meaning making. The essence of communication is mutual creativity. The chapter is about playful musicality in young children and explores ways that those living and working with them might understand and support this play. It emphasises how important early social interactions are as foundations for what it means to be musically expressive both as an individual and with others. The chapter explores the musical nature of children's play and how people think of the role of music in early childhood. It draws attention to the voices of parents and carers whose accounts complement the psychological research in showing how they support their children's expressiveness and reveal qualities of their own emotions in the process.
