Experiencing motherhood as a professional musician: Issues of musical identity

Recognizing that musical identities mediate how individuals and groups engage with and through music, this case study explored a professional mother-musician’s experience of musical parenting with her infant and the perception of her musical identity in this context. Data collection spanned 4 months and included semistructured interviews with the mother, informal discussions via a mother–researcher networking platform, digital diaries, and videos provided by the mother. Previous studies have identified the significance of infant–mother musical interaction for the care and development of the infant as well as for enhancing attachment and bonding between them. However, very few studies have focused on how this interaction impacts the musical identity of the mother. The findings of this study suggest that the mother incorporated a variety of musical activities into her infant’s care, and she perceived musical parenting as a fruitful context for negotiating and strengthening her own musical identity. The study’s findings suggest the need for further research into the issue of musical identity among professional musician parents within the context of musical parenting.