Lynnelle Howell

Emily Nelson
Music 3600
Ethnography Review
3/18/13
In Songs in their Heads: Music and its Meaning in Childrens Lives, the book is an ethnography
about children that come from different ethnic backgrounds from preschool age to about 12 years old and
discusses the meaning of music in their lives. Author Patricia Campbell discusses the purpose of her
book, what led her to question if music plays inside childrens heads, shares observations she has done
being in the childrens environments as well as interviews of 20 children, and suggests ways to let music
continue to flow and develop in children. At first it seems Campbell is writing in third point of view but
while she discusses her observations and gives a commentary or reflection about what she witnessed, she
occasionally switches to first person point of view using personal pronouns such as my, me, and I.
Occasionally Campbell seemed to be biased in the sense of trying to convince the readers that
what shes describing is what we should be seeing. The scene was idyllic, the little girls looking like
those from a pastel-colored beach scene in an impressionistic painting (p. 33). It is uncertain whether
Campbell was attempting to appeal to the readers senses in order to keep them interested in reading her
book. It did not seem relevant to the research topic or to answering her question of what goes on
musically in a child. She did not appear to be biased about which children she should observe and she did
not favor a particular environment in which she should study the children. There was a variety of
children from different ages, ethnicities, and religious beliefs so she was also not biased in the children
she interviewed and observed.
The music ranged from songs that are popular in todays society, rap, TV shows and films theme
songs, classical music, to children making up their own songs or changing lyrics of other well-known
songs. Campbell basically states musics impact on children is tremendous; it affects everything they
might do. As she describes it, children have music with them to get through their day. Some signal with
music their arrival to and departure from a particular place (p. 95). During lunchtime they make their
own music to dine by as well as carry on conversations as they ate (p. 41). Others may use music to
ease their work (as in the case of the Rundale School cafeteria kid cleanup crew) (p. 95). The older
children create a bond with the younger children by passing on song clapping games or jump rope singing
rhymes to preserve their child lore traditions (p. 44). When children are free from adults/parents they
express themselves authentically, creatively, and sometimes in purposeful opposition of what adults
might wish (p. 49). Children can musically express their emotions as well as communicate their ideas to
playmates and friends in ways that pass for music even when they may not intend it as such (p. 98).
From all the children Campbell interviewed, they spoke of musics meaning to them by how they used it
such as for emotional expression, entertainment, communication, or for social and religious purposes (p.
210). Music is very involved in what children do and can be found throughout their everyday activities
whether they know it or not.
I feel I have a better understanding of the childrens society after reading Campbells
observations and research she conducted because I find myself subtly continuing to do the same things as
the children do. She certainly reminded me how musical children are or can be and that children have
their own kind of society separate from adults. After all, I used to be a kid (and still feel like one) and am
still a bearer of my own tradition from sampling, retaining, or discarding the music in my
environment (p. 102) just as much as children do. I too still find enjoyment in making my own music on
the piano just as a couple of kids did at the Hampton Elementary School. Unfortunately, I dont have as
much imagination or time as they do in what possibilities of music I can create.

Works Cited
Campbell, Patricia Shehan. Songs in their Heads: Music and its Meaning in Childrens Lives.
2nd ed. New York: Oxford UP, 2010. Print.