Capturing family soundscapes for a deeper understanding and knowledge of early childhood music education: the contributions made by LENA® technology

This article revisits several noteworthy studies carried out in the last 25 years in the field of early childhood music education (ECME), where musical activity happens in home settings or in connection to family life. It draws attention to its methodological designs focusing on the data collection tools used. The goal of the paper is to present the digital language processor (DLP) marketed by LENA® (Language Environment Analysis) as a technology to be considered in ECME research. In addition, it describes current studies that employ LENA® as data collection tool as well as discuss the ethical concerns associated to its use. As a conclusion, it encourages researchers in the field to adopt this device in their studies considering its limitations and potentialities.