Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine influences of parental involvement-home music environment, family background, and parenting style factors on success in school music and in school. Participants (N = 1114) were music students in grades 4-12 from six regions of the United States. Data were gathered about parental involvement-home environment in music (PIHEM), attitudes towards music, music achievement, parenting style, psychosocial maturity, academic and musical grades, homework and reading, and educational expectations. All PIHEM factors were related to each of the composite outcome measures and with parenting style. Regression results accounted for 49.9%, 17.6% and 17.5% of the variance in musical, academic, and psychosocial outcomes, respectively. Musical home environment, socioeconomic status, and school level obtained direct effects for all outcomes. Direct effects were found for musical home structure and family musical background with both musical and academic outcomes, and for attitudes towards music study with both musical and psychosocial outcomes. Parental expectations about music study and family music participation had direct effects for only musical outcomes. PIHEM factors appear to have both direct effects and indirect effects on various educational outcomes, and interact with family background characteristics, student characteristics, and parenting style.