The role of family musical involvement in family relationships

Previous studies suggest that family musical activities have a positive influence on family cohesion and well-being. Despite the significance of both family and music in people’s lives, few studies have focused on the function of music within the family unit, and very few have examined families in China. This study presents a qualitative investigation into the effects of family musical involvement (FMI) on Chinese family relationships. Participants were recruited from Chengdu, Sichuan, China. Six urban families with 16 people in total participated in the in-depth interviews. The participating families had all experienced the one-child policy and participant accounts include retrospective accounts. The interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings suggest that FMI can exert both positive and negative impacts on family relationships. FMI can benefit parental relationships and parent–child relationship through nurturing a joint hobby and sharing the responsibility of child rearing. It can also bring about challenges to families, such as encountering issues of integration and control. The impact of negative experiences was short term, as it was often mediated by the participants in a positive way. FMI benefits families, but the challenges of organizing and maintaining it should not be taken for granted.