ABSTRACT
Children’s home music environments have changed markedly over the last two decades. Thanks to advances in technology, music is now played by crib mobiles, toys, tablets, phones, game consoles, and other digital devices, allegedly soothing, engaging, educating, and entertaining young children at the touch of a button (Bartel & Cameron, 2007; Ilari, Moura, & Bourscheidt, 2011; Sulkin & Brodsky, 2013; Young, Street, & Davies, 2006). Some argue that these products limit a child’s creativity and detract from quality social, musical, and verbal interactions between children and adults, pose hearing problems later in life (Hughes et al., 2014; Levin & Rosenquest, 2001), and immerse young children in impoverished musical experiences in terms of repertoire and quality of sound (Brooks, 2012; Merkow & Costa-Giomi, 2014). On the other hand, some propose that music media may extend and supplement children’s everyday domestic music activities (Gillen & Young, 2007; Lamont, 2008; Marsh, 2002; Young, 2009), provide opportunities for repeated listening, and prompt the multi-modal and imaginative nature of engagement typical of young children (Young, 2008).
