The Mystical Child: Revealing Inner Worlds Through Music, Art, Dance, Drama and Word

Publication information:

Sole, Meryl. 2025. “The Mystical Child: Revealing Inner Worlds Through Music, Art, Dance, Drama and Word.” in Spirituality and the Arts. Harvard Divinity School: Program for the Evolution of Spirituality.

Abstract

Book Talk: To expand our understanding of spirituality in children’s lives, we must explore their inner worlds, altering our beliefs and perceptions about children as innate, vibrant spiritual beings. In Seeking the Mystical Child: Nurturing Young Children's Identity, Faith, and Belief (Littleton & Sole), Meryl Sole speaks to pre-service and in-service teachers, parents, clergy, and all who care for children. She invites them to challenge their assumptions about children’s innate spirituality by exploring the unique ways that artistic expression facilitates the discovery and articulation of their inner spiritual worlds.


Presenter Biography

Meryl Sole, Ed. D. is a music educator, researcher, and author. She teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in music education at New York University and Music Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. Meryl’s research focuses on early childhood music, musical parenting, musical development, and childhood spirituality and the arts. She co-authored Knowing the Children We Teach Essays on Music Learning and a new book, Seeking the Mystical Child: Identity, Faith and Belief.