The intent of this study was to present a collection of Italian songs for children in an effort to provide teachers with reliable resources so that they can engage in creating multimusical experiences and culturally responsive teaching in the elementary general music classroom. While there are many music textbooks that provide repertoire for K-5 music classrooms, there is a dearth in the variety of countries and cultures that are represented in those books (Mason, 2010; Simmons, 2008). Italy is one country that falls within this category, despite the existence of an annual music composition competition festival for children, Lo Zecchino d’Oro. The purpose of this research was to collect songs from Lo Zecchino d’Oro and investigate their significance in Italian society so that they can be contextualized for future use in American elementary music classrooms. Research problems were as follows: (1) to present a collection of children’s songs from Italy, (2) to provide contextual information about each song, and (3) to develop age-appropriate suggestions for American music teachers who wish to incorporate these songs into their elementary music classroom settings.It is my hope that this study will help support culturally responsive teaching for American music educators and preservice teachers who may work with students of Italian heritage, and help American music teachers and students better understand the world of their peers (both in Italy and the United States), fostering multimusicality in the music classroom.
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