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Article Critique: Phenomenology
Within the article The Enjoyment Cycle: A Phenomenology of Musical Enjoyment of 4- to
7-Year-Olds During Musical Play, the researcher explores how young children experience
enjoyment during musical play. The concept of children’s musical enjoyment was commonly
expressed and observed during music-making sessions and recognized by researchers as
intrinsically valuable and connected to aspects such as motivation (Koop, 2017). The
phenomenological approach presented, analyzes the interactions of children with music in
playful settings, considering factors such as spontaneity, creativity, and social engagement. The
study sought to describe children’s lived experiences of enjoyment during musical play,
including the “what” and “how” (Moustakas, 1994).? It emphasized that musical enjoyment in
early childhood is not solely about listening or structured learning but from an interactive and
self-motivated process. Through the process of observing children in natural musical play
environments, the research identifies key characteristics of their enjoyment, including bodily
engagement, emotional expression, and imaginative exploration.
The researcher developed a concept called Music Play Zone (MPZ), which refers to
physical, temporal, conceptual, or virtual spaces in which to play musically (Koop, 2017). MPZ
took place in a meeting room at a local library and consisted of 24 weeks of instruction and data
collection. Participants met weekly for 45 minutes at the library. In total, 12 children, from
newborn to 7 years old, and 4 adults participated in the research study. The research used film,
coding the interview transcripts, organizing codes into meaningful units, and synthesized the
meaning components into fundamental themes. The term or phrase Enjoyment Cycle, which
emerged from the research, is defined in the article as a recurring process that sustains children's
pleasure in musical activities (Koop, 2017). This cycle consists of phases, which together, create
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a continuous flow of engagement. The phrase can ultimately be broken into five elements
including active musical engagement, signs of physical engagement, a balance of familiarity and
novelty, inclusion of activities allowing for student control or choice, and a safe and playful
environment (Koop, 2017). The study highlights that children experience enjoyment when they
have autonomy in their play, allowing them to explore sound, rhythm, and movement freely.
Ultimately, the article argues for a broader understanding of musical enjoyment in early
childhood education. It suggests that educators and caregivers should facilitate environments that
encourage spontaneous musical play rather than imposing rigid structures. By supporting the
natural flow of the Enjoyment Cycle, adults can help nurture children's intrinsic love for music
and creativity. The findings contribute to early childhood music education by emphasizing that
enjoyment is an active, evolving process shaped by individual and social experiences. This study
represented an exploration of what enjoyment looks like during children’s musical play and how
it functions (Koop, 2017). The results of the study identified that musical activity can benefit and
increase a learner’s motivation, participation, and autonomy.
The following information depicts how this study uses the phenomenological approach:
Recognize and specify the broad philosophical assumptions phenomenology
(Creswell & Poth, 2025). Phenomenological inquiries focus on “lived
experiences”, and in the study, the researcher sought to describe children’s lived
experiences of enjoyment during musical play, including the “what” and “how”.
Data are collected from individuals who have experiences the phenomenon
(Creswell & Poth, 2025). The researcher used descriptive data that was collected
in the form of interviews which triggered by session films to help elicit children’s
recollections.
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The researcher built on the data from the research questions and highlighted
significant statements and quotes (Creswell & Poth, 2025). The researcher took
analyses of children’s report to identify meanings related to their enjoyment.
The researcher gave a description that presents the “essence” of the phenomenon
(Creswell & Poth, 2025). The researcher identified the essence of the study as
musical enjoyment that can be identified as a cycle of social, personal,
kinesthetic, and musical experiences (Koop, 2017).
The article uses a phenomenological study to gain insight to the lived experiences of
children and their musical expression. It highlighted the enjoyment from musical
exploration of children. Children respond to music at very early ages and such indications
can natural be seen by young toddles who naturally move their bodies to the beat of
music (Plomp, 2022). I enjoyed reading the article and found a lot of insight into musical
expression for students. Many times, adults can may believe that children are making a
bunch of noise for no reason, but through the study the article brings a different insight.
The study showed key components of a phenomenological study that highlighted the
fundamental elements of children enjoying themselves musically while growing
physically, socially, cognitively, and emotionally.
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References
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2025). Qualitative inquiry & research design: Choosing among five
approaches (5th ed.). Sage Publications.
Koops, L. H. (2017). The enjoyment cycle: A phenomenology of musical enjoyment of 4- to 7-year-olds
during musical play. Journal of Research in Music Education, 65(3), 360–380.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0022429417716921
Moustakas, C. E. (1994).?Phenomenological research methods.?Sage Publications, Inc.
Plomp, I. (2022, November 24). Building brains together. Building Brains Together.
https://www.buildingbrains.ca/blog/music-comes-naturally-to-children
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