Musical memories: snapshots of a Chinese family in Singapore

Abstract

This paper examines music in the home of a Chinese family in Singapore with specific attention to the children (aged five and seven) of the household: an exploration of what constitutes the lived ‘musical’ memory of a family enmeshed in the technology and media of a globalised world. The study is part of a larger ethnographic study on the musical lives of young children in Singapore, conducted over a five‐month period. Technology and the media encapsulate the home musical experiences of these children, bringing them musical repertoire and musical play, attached with social meaning. The pervasiveness of the mass‐media is noted, infused in children’s play, singing and listening repertoire, and even in their sleeping habits. The media dominated the play environment of these children, providing them with audio and visual stimuli as they carried on with their fantasy play along with their media‐influenced toys.