ERIC Number: EJ1102268
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013
Pages: 13
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2379-9021
EISSN: N/A
Measurement of Infants' Behaviors with Electronic Music Toys
Merkow, Carla H.
Texas Music Education Research, p14-26 2013
Compared to previous generations, young children today hear music that differs not only in its content but also in its source of production, mode of transmission, and integration with other activities or social contexts (Young, 2009). In fact, Young (2009) argues that digital technologies allow the home, as opposed to community sites, to be the primary place for many families' music participation. Commercial music products for infants put recorded melodies literally within in a baby's reach, with the potential for repeated experiences with certain music. These products offer varying durations, textures, and timbres of music in a manipulatable "interactive" medium that often integrates sound with tactile, visual, and graphic stimuli. The prevalence of such products suggests an important area of research for many disciplines, including music education. How do these button-activated melodies impact early musical development? How can we measure infants' interaction with electronic music toys? To begin exploring infants' interaction with digital music products, the author undertook a project to observe videos of infants playing with such a toy. The issue of measurement--what to measure and how--was important to address before pursuing further research. What behaviors can be observed during children's interactions with electronic music toys? What patterns emerge as salient or meaningful during infants' play? The measurement tool outlined in this paper serves as a starting point for broadening our perspectives on the rich and complex musical environments of infants today. [Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Texas Music Educators Association (San Antonio, TX, Feb 2013).]
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Speeches/Meeting Papers; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A