Canta Conmigo: What Latina Leaders Learn From Music, Regarding Leadership and Resistance to Oppression

• In Event: “La Baila” Mentoring Frameworks for Advancing Latinas as School Leaders

Abstract

This paper will illustrate how songs can influence how we think and can influence us as women and leaders. Songs resonate with us for many reasons. First and foremost, songs tend to support our human emotions. We experience joy, sadness, resolve, and regret, and songs are right there to accompany us. Research suggests that music influences identity development in adolescents and that, as social beings, we listen to music that our circles listen to (Miranda, 2013). Research also suggests that music plays a central role in the evolution of the human mind (Cross, 2001). I share my Testimonio to illustrate how music influenced my life as a Latina leader. Testimonio is the qualitative methodology I chose to braid my story and memories of how music influenced my life (Kohli et al., 2017). The manuscript provides a comparative analysis between the literature review and my story en una trenza de conocimiento.

Author

• Carmen Beck, California State University - San Bernardino