Effects of multicultural piano education on children's psychosocial wellbeing: the roles of cross-cultural musical competence and cultural identity

Introduction

Children's psychosocial wellbeing is closely linked to emotional regulation, social competence, self-esteem, resilience, and cultural identity. Traditional piano instruction commonly prioritizes technical skills and Western classical repertoire, leaving its psychological and cross-cultural potential underexplored. This study examined whether a structured multicultural piano education programme could enhance psychosocial wellbeing in children aged 6-12 and whether cross-cultural musical competence and cultural identity mediated these effects.