The faculty fellows’ readings for Transformative Learning in the Humanities included Felicia Rose Chavez’s The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop: How to Decolonize the Creative Classroom, which has inspired me tremendously as a writer and as a teacher. In it, she suggests setting the tone for each class by playing music before it starts, which gave me the idea to start a class playlist for German 101.

For each class meeting, we have a new song with German lyrics to start the day, some chosen by me, but many selected by the students. Our genres include classics like JS Bach’s Lukas Passion or Nena’s 99 Luftballons, as well as newer hits from the German pop, rock, and rap scenes. And we’ve talked about the ways that contemporary German music, depending on the artist’s background and influences, also incorporates lyrics in other languages like French or Turkish.

“I enjoy the music before class, it’s a good way to enter the proper headspace for learning German.”

Jalen

“Listening to Deutsch songs is a great way to immerse ourselves in an aspect of German culture and learn new words.”

Karen

“I felt connected to my classmates through listening to their German music recommendations in the morning. I remember really liking one of the bands recommended and I added it to the music that I listen to.”

Anna