Transcultural Pedagogy – Music Speaks

Music Speaks Transcultural Pedagogy

Music Speaks is an educational program at the Barenboim-Said Akademie that introduces children from Berlin welcome classes (Willkommensklassen) to classical music through shared musical experiences with students and alumni of the academy.

Through biweekly workshops during the school year, the children discover the joy of making music together in a space where music supports language learning, encourages creative expression, and empowers both children and students.

At the same time, Music Speaks places social responsibility and engagement with the surrounding community at the heart of higher music education. By working directly with schools and young learners, students gain practical experience and develop the skills needed to connect their artistic practice with the social and educational contexts in which they will later work.

The program is led by Prof. Yael Kareth, Leibinger Professor of Transcultural Music Pedagogy and Mediation at the Barenboim-Said Akademie.

A shared learning space through music

At the heart of Music Speaks is the encounter between children who have recently arrived in Germany and students and alumni of the Barenboim-Said Akademie.

In biweekly workshops throughout the school year, the children explore musical instruments and learn how to play them, discover songs, and develop their first connection to classical music through encounters with composers, pieces, and basic musical concepts. The workshops create a welcoming environment where curiosity, trust, and creativity can grow despite language barriers.

Many participating students share their own experiences of migration and cultural transition. This often creates an immediate connection: the students become role models and points of identification for the children.

Why Music Speaks? Language and integration

Music can support language acquisition in a creative and engaging way. Through singing, rhythmic exercises, and musical games, children learn new words and experience language in an active and social context.

Belonging and expression

The project creates a safe space where children can express themselves, experiment, and build confidence. German songs related to seasons or holidays introduce cultural reference points and help foster a sense of belonging.

Role models and inspiration

Meeting young musicians who often share similar experiences of arriving in a new country can be deeply inspiring. The students demonstrate how music, education, and personal development can open new paths.

How the program works

Music Speaks accompanies children aged 6–13 throughout the school year through regular workshops.

The program includes:

workshops every two weeks (approximately 120 minutes)
sessions both at the children’s schools and at the Barenboim-Said Akademie
activities led by students and alumni as part of the academy’s pedagogy training
an intensive rehearsal phase leading up to the final concert

The project is structurally embedded in the academy’s pedagogy program, connecting pedagogical theory with practical music education work in schools.

Inside the workshops Discovering instruments

Children encounter different instruments, listen to their sounds, and try them out themselves.

Rhythm and voice

Through rhythm games, body percussion, and singing, the children develop musical awareness while learning together in a playful way.

Stories and encounters

Students share their personal paths to music, turning the workshops into spaces for conversation, exchange, and encouragement.

Making music together

Gradually, the children and students begin working on songs and short pieces that will later become part of the final concert.

Learning on both sides For the children

Music Speaks offers children creative encounters with music and strengthens confidence, curiosity, and self-expression. The program supports the acquisition of the German language and accompanies the children’s integration process in school life. Visiting the academy and performing in the Pierre Boulez Saal allows them to experience these spaces as places where they belong.

For the students

For the academy’s students and alumni, the project provides a practical environment to gain teaching experience, develop intercultural competencies, and explore how music can be shared in social and educational contexts. They learn how to communicate musical ideas to young audiences and how music can become a meaningful tool for connection.

the final concert

At the end of each project cycle, the children and students present what they have worked on together in a final concert at the Pierre Boulez Saal.

For many children, this is their first experience performing on stage in front of an audience. It is an empowering moment in which their voices and their work become visible.

Parents, teachers, and members of the school community are invited to attend, making the concert a shared celebration of learning and collaboration.

looking ahead

In the coming years, Music Speaks aims to expand its work by collaborating with additional schools in Berlin and by developing a growing network of students and alumni who are active as music educators both in schools and in educational programs at the academy.

The project will also include a research component that will lead to the publication of a practical handbook with lesson plans, musical exercises, and pedagogical insights developed through the program.

The long-term goal is to develop a sustainable model that connects professional music training with social engagement and music education.