Music Making, Empathy, Prosocial Behavior, and Happiness in Young Learners: An Autoethnography on Bullying Intervention

The prevention of bullying in kindergarten can enable a safe learning environment that nurtures the development of friendship, play, and socioemotional health and well-being. We examine how young learners seek a tangible solution to unkind behaviors in their classroom through music making and investigate how they become deeply involved as innovators, creators, and implementers of song writing as an intervention strategy. Over the course of two months, we discover that active participation in song writing and performing as an ensemble fosters opportunities to develop prosocial behaviors and empathy. Results from the present inquiry illustrate how music can become a medium for young learners to comprehend challenging concepts such as bullying. Moreover, it demonstrates how music can support educators to expand beyond traditional intervention programs and open a door to new possibilities through which young learners are empowered to be active agents in inhibiting negative behaviors.