World Music Pedagogy and Building Empathy in Early Childhood

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the experiences of one music teacher (the researcher) and two intact classrooms of 3- to 6-year-old children who engaged in world music lessons as a pathway to developing empathy. Participants in each of the two classes engaged in a 30-minute world music lesson once per week for 8 weeks, and each lesson included a different musical culture. Data sources for this study included semi-structured interviews with early childhood center directors and teachers. Further data included transcripts and video recordings of class sessions, researcher field notes, childcare center curriculum documents, and planning documents. Findings indicated that this world music-based approach was successful in generating curiosity about the world, making empathetic connections with others, navigating new and different sounds and experiences with respect, and inviting children into the role of expressing empathy.