French music, culture, and competition all come together with Manie Musicale, a music competition for French students and teachers. Similar to March Madness, the competition allows students to enjoy French music and vote for their favorite songs, while simultaneously exposing them to Francophone culture and providing an opportunity to develop language skills. While the event is entertaining and enjoyable, the main purpose is to educate students on Francophone culture through songs written in French by Francophone artists.

French teacher Delphine Cody explained that in “all of February, we are going to learn about the songs, and in March we are going to start to vote.” Cody uses this competition as a way for students to learn French in a form that is different from usual learning styles and often heightens classroom engagement.

When asked about how her students enjoy Manie Musicale, she said that the reaction is overwhelmingly positive, especially with the seniors. “It’s their third year with it…Manie Musicale is coming, and this is a lot of excitement. Once you’ve done it, it’s something you really look forward to. There’s a lot of laughter associated with it, a lot of creativity. It’s getting them out of the academic rigor,” she said.

Junior Ileana Gasquy said she thinks Manie Musicale is a relaxing break from typical classwork. She admits that despite not considering it a way to improve her French, it’s “…something you look forward to every year because just chatting with your friends about whether you like the music or not is fun.”

Manie Musicale also allows students to embrace their creativity. Cody said, “I think it gives a chance for students to have projects that can be more interesting than just doing grammar. Students who are artistic can do a drawing about the song. Students who like to dance can dance with the song.” As well as giving students a wide variety of ways that they can tackle learning French, Cody said that “with permission from parents, we can share this with the community.”

Learning a new language is no easy task and takes discipline, time, and effort. But with Manie Musicale, it can vary the workload by pairing academic themes with creativity and fun.