United Voices for Diversity and Respect: Students Create a Musical Work on Interculturality

Developing tools that promote dialogue and intercultural sensitivity was one of the main goals of the educational experience Somos voz: arte, identidad y comunidad, led by teachers Margarita Ortiz (special education) and Esteban Neira (English) within the Docente Activo 2025 program. The initiative invited students from Liceo Politécnico de Villarrica to reflect on cultural diversity, identity, and coexistence through the collective creation of songs—from writing lyrics to the final recording and the production of audiovisual materials.

“The aim of creating this song is for students to understand that our culture is enriched by the diversity that exists within the school,” explains teacher Margarita Ortiz, noting that the activity has been especially well received by students already interested in singing or rap, offering a valuable opportunity to work on their voices and record in a professional studio for the first time.

The experience involved students from all grade levels and was structured as a comprehensive artistic process that included research, creative writing, composition, performance, and technical and audiovisual production over 13 sessions.

The first stage consisted of presenting the initiative to the school community and forming three working teams: a creative team in charge of lyric composition; an artistic team dedicated to vocal performance; and a technical team responsible for logistical support and audiovisual recording. Participation was voluntary and resulted in a group of 27 students.

Next, creative writing sessions were held, where students reflected on identity, migration, and interculturality with support from the guiding teachers and history teacher Andrés Uribe. From this exercise emerged ideas, verses, and references that were later used by the creative team to draft and structure the song lyrics, applying editing practices and text organization.

The musical stage included vocal exploration and experimentation with styles such as rap, pop, folklore, urban music, and hybrid fusions—selected by the students themselves. The diversity present within the school was reflected directly in the composition, as parts of the song were written in Creole, French, and Spanish, incorporating the languages represented in the school community.

The project is currently underway, with the upcoming sessions focused on formal rehearsal and recording, which will take place at the Liquen Cultural Center in Villarrica. Editing and mixing will be carried out by the teaching team and invited musicians, who will work on a final version in a professional format.

Finally, the team will move on to producing the audiovisual piece, which will be presented at a closing event open to the school community and families. Through this initiative, the aim is to foster learning grounded in respect and appreciation for the cultural richness present in the classroom, while strengthening pedagogical tools that integrate art, reflection, and intercultural coexistence.