Lullaby singing and its human Bildung potential

Abstract

ABSTRACT On the basis of a qualitative study of 20 Norwegian lullaby-singing parents, this article explores the human Bildung potential of parents’ lullaby singing to their children at bedtime. Some parents may experience a personal reawakening when singing as they more easily can express themselves openly and rich and get in contact with emotional layers of their own childhood. Secondly, the act may afford a sort of “musical mindfulness”, which is a unique as well as collective mindful and calm self-with-other-cultivation. The lullaby singing then becomes an important part of the forming and exploring of the parent-child intimate and social relationship through a musical journey that facilitates the creation and sharing of a personal family signature and convivial atmosphere. Parents’ singing also fosters children’s love of music and singing. The children may also experience and learn about the language of intimacy, self-regulation, sensitive timing and musical taste through their parents’ singing. Furthermore, the act facilitates the child’s language acquisition and the development of inner images and free associations. In addition, the lullaby act – as a cultural activity and way of thinking – may open up for a deeper world encountering and value orientation. This can be linked to a broader way of understanding the concept of Bildung as lullaby-singing touches upon human aspects of interconnectedness, spirituality and solidarity, but also a view of it as an end-in-itself. Nonetheless, parents who are blindly reproducing the tradition or being insensitive and highly goal-oriented, ruin the free space of the present intimate moment and will not fulfill the act’s human potential. Keywords: Bildung, Lullaby, Musical parenting, Early childhood education.