Ethnography Review: “Songs in their Head” “Songs in their Head”, written by Patricia Shehan Campbell is Donald E. Peterson Professor of Music at the University of Washington. She teaches courses at the interface of education and ethnomusicology. She wrote “Songs in their Head” with the intent to explore the musical interest and needs of children in their daily lives. It bridges the disciplines of music education, ethnomusicology, and folklores. This book looks beyond music, this text researches the songs they sing, the rhythms they make, and the roles that music plays for them. The text is designed for musical educators, specialists and classroom teachers, it can also help parents understand their children’s music making. It explores the
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This is written for the point of view of the researcher, Patricia Shehan Campbell, she studies children while they play. She see a pattern in the way children think through music. “They socialize, vent emotions, invent and uphold their rituals of play, and entertain themselves through music.” She notices the way that they hop, skip, jump, etc. in rhythmic ways. This shows that children exude music in their playful behaviors. This is written for anyone who want to understand the way that children play through the world of music. It is helpful for parents to understand the way children play. It help them connect but it shows parents that they thought this way …show more content…
She uses her knowledge as an ethnomusicologist to put a new spin on the way children play. Campbell is using her knowledge throughout the book. She reflects on what she observes, is also refers to literature from education, musicology, anthropology, and compares it with other countries like Africa and Asia. If there was any sort of bias it would be that it focused more on girls at singing play. This could be because more girls spend time singing and playing than boys. It was interesting that Campbell found the boy were more likely to sing songs from T.V. shows. An example from the book is the call and response of “SpongeBob SquarePants”, “Who live in a pineapple under the see? SpongeBob SquarePants! Absorbent and yellow and porous is he! SpongeBob SquarePants! If nautical nonsense be something you
This is written for the point of view of the researcher, Patricia Shehan Campbell, she studies children while they play. She see a pattern in the way children think through music. “They socialize, vent emotions, invent and uphold their rituals of play, and entertain themselves through music.” She notices the way that they hop, skip, jump, etc. in rhythmic ways. This shows that children exude music in their playful behaviors. This is written for anyone who want to understand the way that children play through the world of music. It is helpful for parents to understand the way children play. It help them connect but it shows parents that they thought this way …show more content…
She uses her knowledge as an ethnomusicologist to put a new spin on the way children play. Campbell is using her knowledge throughout the book. She reflects on what she observes, is also refers to literature from education, musicology, anthropology, and compares it with other countries like Africa and Asia. If there was any sort of bias it would be that it focused more on girls at singing play. This could be because more girls spend time singing and playing than boys. It was interesting that Campbell found the boy were more likely to sing songs from T.V. shows. An example from the book is the call and response of “SpongeBob SquarePants”, “Who live in a pineapple under the see? SpongeBob SquarePants! Absorbent and yellow and porous is he! SpongeBob SquarePants! If nautical nonsense be something you