I took a class called “Chanson” at la Rochelle Université, which directly translates to “Song” in
French. With that title in mind, I didn’t know what to expect going into it. One of my international
friends thought the class was going to be a karaoke class, which I had hoped for as well.
However, we were slowly let down as we learned the class would entail learning about the
history of song. “How boring!” I had believed.
I came home that Wednesday night and told Danièle and Pascale (my host parents) everything I
had learned that day. I recited to them how we had learned about the musical style of yéyé,
which to my understanding, is mellow rock popularized in the 60’s. I was, however, a little
dissatisfied that we talked about the era, but did not listen to much music from it. Pascale, being
a music fiend, could not accept my lack of knowledge in that field. That is when Wednesday
became music night. As the weeks passed, we moved from the 70’s, to 80’s, arriving at the 90’s.
Each Wednesday night, Pascale would pull out his computer and play songs off his playlist,
which corresponded to the lesson of the day. I would consider this course to be the “Tour de
France,” but the music edition. When the class finally finished for the semester, I felt an
unexpected wave of sadness. “How has this class become my favorite?” Reflecting upon
“Chanson” now, I realize that more so than the class, it was Danièle and Pascale’s interest that I
would miss. They had fostered my newfound appreciation for French music.
It’s true that the people that you surround yourself with can make or break your experience
abroad. “Chanson,” will not be remembered by the classroom, but rather by the engagement
outside of the classroom. I had been fortunate enough to be surrounded by people who cared
about my education. My host family will never understand the impact this would have on me,
and I am so grateful to have had good people in my life during an abroad experience.