Constructing Musical and Social Competence Through Interactions in Early Childhood Music Classes

Research indicates that musical interactions enhance young children’s social competence (SC; e.g., prosocial behavior, regulation, social cognition) and musical competence (e.g., pitch and temporal perception, enculturation, expressive musical behaviors). However, most studies focus on ages 3 and older, occur in contrived settings (i.e., not in homes or music classes), and measure outcomes outside of musical contexts. In this case study, we examined children ages birth to three in early childhood music (ECM) classes. We observed five groups ( N = 38) for 10 weeks. Using pedagogical documentation, we analyzed children’s musical and SC and how interactions among children, caregivers, and facilitators supported their developing abilities. We found that musical and SC were intertwined within shared musical activity. Children enacted SC through musical behaviors such as turn-taking, joint attention, and coordinated movement, while musical competence emerged through vocalization, improvisation, and participation in responsive exchanges. We identified interactional conditions that fostered this co-construction, including focused concentration and curiosity, intentional musical contributions, and evolving norms for shared musical interaction. Our findings suggest that musical engagement functions as a social process through which competence develops, offering a process-oriented perspective on social and musical competence in ECM with implications for ECM pedagogy and research.