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Arts & Communication

ARTICLE
Observable flow experience in Japanese

children’s interactions with musical instrument
digital interface instruments, violins, and bells

4
1
Taichi Akutsu * , Maki Ashida 2 , Shotaro Hisano 3 , Chie Ashida ,
1
Eric Des Marais , and Shizuka Sutani 5
1 Department of Childhood Studies, Faculty of Health and Welfare Science, Okayama Prefectural
University, Soja, Okayama, Japan
2 Department of Science and Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Seikei University,
Musashino, Tokyo, Japan
3 Department of Creative Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Kitakyushu College,
Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan
4 Department of Education, Shujitsu University, Naka, Okayama, Japan
5 Department of Education, Mukogawa Women’s University, Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan

Abstract

Despite the existing research on flow in music education, there remains a lack of
researches in understanding children’s flow experiences in the context of playing
musical instrument, electronic technological instruments, and other traditional
instruments. This study investigates the observable flow experience among
*Corresponding author:
Taichi Akutsu young children during their interactions with musical instrument digital interface
(taichiviolin@fhw.oka-pu.ac.jp) instruments, violins, and bell-like instruments. The research employed a case study
Citation: Akutsu T, Ashida M, approach, with 20 children aged two to nine (11 females and nine males) participating
Hisano S, Ashida C, Marais in the study. In the study, we, as practitioner-researchers, offered workshops for
ED, Sutani S. Observable flow children to experience a variety of traditional and non-traditional musical instruments.
experience in Japanese children’s
interactions with musical instrument Throughout the study, researchers collected 89 video clips for analysis, using four
digital interface instruments, violins, cameras operated by four assistants who were trained to capture children’s flow in
and bells. Arts & Communication. a musical context. These monthly sessions, each lasting an average of 60 min, began
2024;2(2):1782.
doi: 10.36922/ac.1782 with the first session dedicated to capturing the very first encounter of children with
various musical devices, instruments, and materials. Custodero’s Flow Indicators in
Received: September 8, 2023 Musical Activities captured children’s flow experiences during workshops. The findings
Accepted: December 13, 2023 included interpretations of the children’s flow experiences as they explored different
Published Online: May 6, 2024 devices, instruments, and materials, with a particular emphasis on accessibility and
developmental considerations within the social context of children’s musical flow.
Copyright: © 2024 Author(s).
This is an Open-Access article
distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution- Keywords: Flow; Flow indicators in musical activities; Technology; Metallic materials; Violin
Noncommercial License, permitting
all non-commercial use, distribution,
and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is
properly cited. 1. Introduction
Publisher’s Note: AccScience When children are involved in activities in which they find a balance between
Publishing remains neutral with challenge and their perceived skill levels, they experience “flow.” Flow is defined
1
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional as the optimal enjoyment and “the experience of complete absorption in the present
affiliations. moment, representing a key aspect of positive psychology.” [1,p.195] While much of

Volume 2 Issue 2 (2024) 1 doi: 10.36922/ac.1782