This panel will explore music, wellbeing and belonging for children from birth to two years and their closest adults. The projects presented by panel members, while differing in geographic, cultural and community contexts, are united by the common thread of musicking as connection and communication that support wellbeing and social inclusion. Considered together, each contribution reveals the power of music that lies in its unique characteristics. panellists will discuss music in families, community life and in early childhood settings. Each offers potential for addressing significant life issues that impact the wellbeing of very young children and their families - marginalisation, immigration and geographic dislocation, economic pressures and the stresses facing early childhood educators in the post-pandemic world. While we rigorously pursue research for illuminating outcomes of musical interactions between parents/caregivers and infants, certain depths of meaning between caregivers and infants may be impossible to quantify and or encode into words. The sense of belonging that emerges during experiences of communicative musicality is derived through a nourishment of the human spirit. These interchanges are couched within the unique blend of culture that is embodied in each particular setting, providing the infant with their distinctive cultural musical home. Our first panellist will introduce a project exploring the nature and impact of music sessions for families with infants and toddlers, focusing on the cultural and structural elements that contribute to their success. Drawing on research into the origins of musicking, the presentation highlights how early musical interactions support the development of singing and language in infancy. Extending the parent-infant dyad to family musicking circles fosters bonding, emotion regulation, and a sense of safety—key conditions for wellbeing, communicative development, and inclusion. Culture, heritage, and language are examined, with attention to how diverse backgrounds can be integrated through structured musicking. Finally, the connection between vocal expression and language acquisition is discussed, suggesting implications for early childhood communication. Panellist two will present research exploring the impact of the Heritage Language Approach in early childhood music sessions on Polish immigrant families in Iceland. The Tónagull po polsku program integrates Polish repertoire into music sessions for immigrant families with young children (0-4 years old). Data revealed that the heritage language plays multiple roles: it facilitates participation for those with limited Icelandic proficiency, serves as a vital tool for cultural transmission, and fosters supportive community networks. The sessions have been reported to enhance the immigrant parents' well-being. Increased musical activity at home suggests a lasting positive impact on families. Our next panellist will share research on a unique approach to early childhood community music practice that recognises very young children as creative and competent communicators who use their bodies, objects, vocalisations and movements as multi-modal ways of knowing and being. Beyond-words approaches to music practice have been found to give agency and enable the experience of communitas (Turner, 1967) that can root a sense of belonging in and with music for people under three and their caregivers. This music practice calls for emergent listening (Davies, 2014), attuned sensitivity and unhurried time, challenging expectations of music educator-learner relationships. These ideas will be supported with examples from the panellist’s creative research in an early years arts organisation. The following panellist will focus on musicking in families and communities. Music is largely relational and forms a central pillar in fostering a sense of belonging among children up to two years of age. Music builds relationships through, among other ways, strengthening social skills among children, thereby enabling them to relate with others. Music can also foster a sense of belonging by introducing children to their cultural or religious heritage. By conceptualizing music as a multimodal art (Nzewi, 2019) that entails singing, moving, chanting and other artistic expressions, this presentation will explore how young children and their caregivers interact musically to foster relationships and belonging. From birth, children show us their musicality. As a large body of interdisciplinary research shows, music plays a positive role in children’s development and wellbeing, and in families and communities. However, in current early childhood settings, the potential of music is often under-utilised. The final panellist will share findings from several projects that explored the role of singing in supporting emotional wellbeing in early childhood settings. The members of this panel come from different continents, and the musical lives of the children in their communities are diverse, shaped by cultures, environments, geography, history, and social and political structures. However, musicking in the early years also has many commonalities. The panel chair will conclude with a weaving together of common themes, outcomes and implications for the future.