Understanding the development of musicality: Contributions from longitudinal studies.

Reflecting a growing interest in the study of the development of musicality, this article provides a summary review of the contribution made by longitudinal studies. From an initial identification of 48 candidate example studies, 27 reports representing 4 subthemes are examined (music, language and music, education, and family/cultural context). Situating the studies on a dimension representing nuances of musicality, this review indicates that while distinct developmental trends are identifiable they are not specifically linked to definitive age boundaries. The first 3 years appear particularly important for enhancing musicality given the consistent findings on focused adult input. We also note the interdependence between emerging musicality and children’s first language, and that our understanding of musicality appears most developed in singing research. Concluding comments note that the study of the development of musicality employing longitudinal approaches has moved over the past 20 or 30 years from an initial focus on specific musical skills toward considerations of musical intelligence and communicative musicality, where playfulness and engagement in musical practices are viewed as central for promoting development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved)