Speaker
Description
Studies have demonstrated that music can serve as a parenting tool to facilitate a child's daily care, socialization, overall development, and emotional bonding with caregivers. This study focuses on the perceived value of a Cypriot-Australian couple regarding family musicking with their newborn infant. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and weekly discussions with parents, and journaling. Employing a social interpretivist approach, data were analyzed through emergent thematic analysis. Family musicking was found to be beneficial for infant care, social interaction, and emotional regulation among family members. Findings revealed that family musicking promoted a sense of security, mutuality and belonging between family members, and thus played a significant role in family bonding, emotional connection, and well-being. These findings suggest that musical engagement at home settings can be a powerful tool for family flourishing. Further research is needed to better understand the contribution of musical parenting for families’ well-being.
CV
Maria Papazachariou-Christoforou
Dr. Maria Papazachariou-Christoforou holds the position of Assistant Professor in Music Education and Pedagogy at the European University of Cyprus. She is also the Director of the LifeLong Music Engagement Research Unit, SosciEAtH, and a Board Member of EuNetMERYC. Her primary research interests include the sociological dimensions of music pedagogy and musical identities, music education in early childhood, informal learning practices, and lifelong music engagement and well-being. She has worked as a music educator for 25 years within the Public Education in Cyprus, as well as serving as the Director of Music Education at the Pedagogical Institute Cyprus. Dr. Papazachariou-Christoforou has presented research papers at numerous conferences worldwide, and her publications include peer-reviewed journal papers and research papers in referred conference proceedings.
