Peoples all over the world use music to give expression to the unique character of their cultures. There is invariably music for all generations and all moments in the life of the collective. Births, deaths, rites of passage and events in the natural world form the musical language of the community. Children share in this experience and through it gain valuable information about the culture of which they are a part. Lullabies soothe children to sleep, alphabet rhymes teach the fundamentals of written language in Arabic, English and Hindi.
Songs remind children of the achievements of their ancestors.
The Aboriginal peoples of Australia give special status to the song men who sing the songs of the dreaming and so pass on the stories to the next generation. The old folk songs of northern Italy tell of the struggle for democracy and the freedom songs of South Africa cried for justice in the face of Apartheid. Today the songs of the Kurds speak of a home-land they have lost and music is transforming the violence as children reclaim their voice in the former Yugoslavia. In Melbourne the crowd joins in a victory song at the MCG, hymns are sung every Sunday and advertising ditties invade our homes. Music is cultural communication and therefore becomes one of the most effective tools for early childhood educators as they design programs to meet the diverse needs of children and their families.