Music in the Lives of Refugee and Newly Arrived Immigrant Children in Sydney, Australia

Abstract This article examines the role of music in the lives of refugees and newly arrived immigrant children in Sydney. Music had different functions for children depending on the length of time since resettlement, individual proclivities and interests, the presence and size of diasporic groups, and institutional endorsement. Music in school activities provides opportunities for social integration and language development. Creative involvement with music and dance both in and out of school settings gave some form of agency to disempowered refugee children. Different technologies, particularly the Internet, also facilitated children’s contact with the music of their home culture as well that of the host culture.