Everyday musical interactions among children and their parents in Spain

A comparison between their musical experiences and parental perceptions

Bibliographic Data

ID22414599
AuthorsDaniela Lerma-Arregocés (0000-0002-4097-4948, Universitat Autonòma de Barcelona, corresponding author), Jèssica Pérez-Moreno (0000-0002-1685-8859, Universitat Autonòma de Barcelona)
Year2026
Pages1-14
Publication date2026-02-16
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueBritish Journal of Music Education (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0265-0517 • E-ISSN: 1469-2104
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s0265051726100709
OpenAlexW7129103745
LanguageEN
References cited22

This study explores the characteristics of musical and communicative interactions – primarily vocal – between parents and children aged 6 to 36 months in Barcelona, Spain. Five families participated. Data were gathered using LENA® audio recordings across full days and semi-structured interviews. Episodes were analysed using a validated instrument and thematic coding. Findings reveal mismatches between parental perceptions and observed behaviours, highlight children’s active participation, and identify underreported functions and settings of musical interaction. This research underscores the importance of combining parental accounts with data gathered from real-life scenarios to understand everyday family musicality as a shared, dynamic, and reciprocal phenomenon.

Music Perception · Musical · Musicality · Perception · Reciprocal · Thematic analysis · Diverse Music Education Insights · Music Therapy and Health · Neuroscience and Music Perception

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