This study concerns three preschools situated in a multi-ethnic area in Sweden in which almost all the preschool children are multilingual. Two of these preschools use music as a tool for stimulating language and social development, while the third preschool has no particular focus on music and serves as a comparison.
The purpose of this paper is to discuss how the leadership at these preschools has impacted the didactic choices made.
At these preschools a number of teachers formerly felt a lack of self-confidence and competence in teaching music. They used to be on the periphery, but are now competent actors in the heart of the community. This learning process is linked to the preschools in question being communities of practice led by the principals (Lave & Wenger, 1991; Wenger, 1998). The preschool teachers’ narratives show that they formerly thought music to be an activity reserved for people with a special gift or a talent. Now they see that they are competent enough to use music in their daily work as a tool for language development, social training, and, above all, to bring joy to the preschool. However, the preschool teachers avoid saying that the musical activities also have an impact on the ability to develop musical skills. The inspiration the leadership has brought to each institution is of crucial importance for music activities to be a part of the daily work. But in a way this influence also has been restrictive. The preschool teachers only describe music as a tool. Other functions of music remain in the background.
Didactic objectives are vital for the legitimization of all pedagogical intentions and pursuits. And since the Swedish preschools’ steering documents state that music should be a part of the preschool agenda it is important that the leadership at preschools encourage preschool teachers to see that musical activities also have an impact on the ability to develop musical skills.