Section Introduction: Mapping the Landscapes of Music Early Learning and Development

This section maps the varying landscapes of music early learning and development across time and place and the ways in which these landscapes shape definitions, descriptions, and understandings. Landscapes of digital and physical media, laboratory and naturalistic research environments, and the commercial sector of Music Early Learning Programs are considered as sites for music learning and engagement by young children and their families. Key to these chapters is consideration of young children’s agency as culture makers in and through music, and the role of their families as co-creators and collaborators in children’s music learning and development. The section has been designed to illustrate the diversity of music engagement experienced by young children in the environments of home, local community, learning institutions (formal, non-formal, and informal), and through the media. It concludes through an analysis of the research landscapes of children’s music learning and development, identifying gaps and potentialities for further investigation.