Musical Constructions of Childhood through Records, Radio, and Television

Liam Maloy’s Spinning the Child combines his experiences as a performer of children’s music and as an academic to present an ethnographic study on prominent samples of children’s music from the twentieth century to 2020; moreover, how music “simultaneously constructs and constricts childhood” (2). Maloy’s study is limited to children’s records (physical embodiment of music from phonographs to CDs) because they can be “replayed” in the home environment and elsewhere, such as the radio and television for further interaction (12). His case studies include an in-depth examination of Woody Guthrie, The Children’s Hour BBC radio program (1922-1964), Sesame Street (1969), The Muppet Show (1976), and Bagpuss (1974).