Concerted cultivation and music learning: Global issues and local variations

Abstract

Concerted cultivation has been described as a common, urban middle-class practice concerning the enrollment of children in a variety of age-specific activities that may promote the learning of valuable life skills as well as the development of individual abilities (Lareau, 2003). Music is one such activity. This study investigated the relationship between children’s participation in organized musical activities and concerted cultivation in the discourses of parents, who took part in the MyPlace, MyMusic Research Project. This collaborative project investigated children’s home musical experiences in diverse countries. Although all interviewed parents were highly invested in their children’s organized and unstructured musical experiences, there was much variation in regard to beliefs, values, affordances, and opportunities. Global and local issues are discussed along with implications for future research.