The Enjoyment Cycle: A Phenomenology of Musical Enjoyment of 4- to 7-Year-Olds During Musical Play

Abstract

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe children’s lived experience of enjoyment during musical play. Data sources included class video from 15 weeks of a 24-week extracurricular music class for 4- to 7-year-olds taught by the researcher, parent-filmed video of child participant music-making in home settings during the same period, and transcripts of exit interviews with parents and children. Participants included 12 children and 4 adults, all of whom had contributed to prior studies on children’s music-making in family settings. Phenomenological data analysis followed Moustakas’s approach. Five elements emerged as hallmarks of children’s musical enjoyment and provided the textural description of “what” occurred during musical enjoyment, including active musical engagement, signs of physical engagement, a balance of familiarity and novelty, inclusion of activities allowing for student control or choice, and a safe and playful environment. Structurally, participants’ enjoyment occurred in four ways: within a balance of structure and freedom, within a balance of community and individual expression, as a cycle between children’s musical enjoyment and participation, and as a springboard to musical risk-taking and musical agency. Implications for practice and research are discussed.