The founders of World Boogie Productions, LLC, Pei-Jen Hung and Linda Bunting are exposing children to different languages and cultures through the use of music and dance.  In their first album, they will be teaching children basic Chinese words and phrases within the framework of an English-based song.  This exposure to a new culture and language will increase children’s acceptance and comfort with individuals from other backgrounds (Katz, 2003). Parents and even older children often avoid discussions about race and culture due to their own, as well as their sense of society’s discomfort about race issues.  However, research has demonstrated that parents who engage in conversations and activities about race and culture have children who are less biased about their own and others’ race (Apfelbaum, Pauker, Ambady, Sommers, & Norton, 2008; Katz, 2003).  Hung and Bunting have provided parents with an avenue to help expand their children’s knowledge of other cultures.

Music provides both adults and children with a medium for expression and exploration.  Children are exposed to music from a very young age through lullabies, nursery rhymes, clean-up songs, and bath time music.  Their exposure to music only increases as they associate songs to cultural holidays, commercial jingles for different consumer products, and even sounds affiliated with video games (Justin, Liljestrom, Vastfjall, Barradas, & Silvas, 2008; Omwake, 1940). On this note, music provides children with a comfortable and familiar setting in which to learn a new language. Many researchers and clinicians in the field of psychology have found that children learn and express themselves best in situations that are familiar, comfortable, and child-centered (e.g., Atchison, 2001; Axline, 1989; Gil, 1991).  This is the basis of play and expressive arts therapies, which include music and dance therapy (e.g., DeLucia-Waack & Gellman, 2007).

Hung and Bunting’s approach to increasing knowledge about different languages through music and dance is also supported by research regarding bilingual education (e.g., Verhallen, Bus, & deJong, 2006). Verhallen et al. (2006) found that children tend to learn best with repeated exposure to dynamic and multimedia presentations of material (i.e., music, television, and dance), rather than learning through simply reading a book or listening to someone read a book to them.  In addition, children who watch developmentally-appropriate, educational programming (i.e., Sesame Street) as infants and toddlers are more likely to acquire greater cultural awareness than children exposed to inappropriate television programming at a later age (Katz, 2003).  Thus, Hung and Bunting have identified an ideal way to educate children about Chinese language and culture, as well as encourage an attitude of openness regarding racial and cultural diversity. 

Atchison, D. (2001).  Sharing feelings through clay.  In H. G. Kaduson & C. E. Schaefer (Eds.), 101 more favorite play therapy techniques (pp. 111-114). Lanham, MD: Jason Aronson. 

Axline, V. (1989). Play Therapy. London: Ballantine Books.

DeLucia-Waack, J. L. & Gellman, R. A. (2007).  The efficacy of using music in children of divorce groups.  Group Dynamics:  Theory, Research, and Practice, 11(4), 272-282.

Justin, P. N., Liljestrom, S., Vastfjall, D., Barradas, G., & Silva, A.  (2008).  An experience sampling study of emotional reactions to music.  Emotion, 8(5), 668- 683.

Katz, P. A. (2003).  Racists or tolerant multiculturalists?  How do they begin? American
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Verhallen, M. J. A. J., Bus, A. G., & de Jong, M. T. (2006).  The promise of multimedia stories for kindergarten children at risk. Journal of Educational Psychology, 98(2), 410-419.