Storytelling and Resilience Through Latinx Music

Course Description

Music has long been one of the most powerful tools for telling the stories that history books leave out. This first-year seminar explores the rich tradition of storytelling and resilience within the Latinx community through listening, reading, and discussion. Students will examine how artists use music to navigate identity, resistance, and joy, and how those artistic traditions connect to broader cultural histories.

The course spans a wide range of artists and styles, from Los Tigres del Norte to the work of Las Cafeteras and the global reach of Bad Bunny, tracing how Latinx music continues to evolve while staying rooted in community and struggle. Students will also develop practical digital skills to support their transition to college life, learning to navigate tools to stay organized and thrive throughout their first year.

Kimberly Nava Eggett, Ph.D. – Visiting Assistant Professor, Education

Faculty Spotlight

Academic background

Dr. Kimberly Nava Eggett is a passionate educator with twenty years of public education experience as a leader, technology coach, classroom teacher for K-5, and professor of undergraduate/graduate students. She currently serves as a Visiting Assistant Professor for the UNC Asheville Education Department. She is a graduate from UNC Asheville as both a Spanish major and K-6 and K-12 Spanish teacher licensure (BA, 2005). She graduated from Appalachian State University with Educational Media (MA, 2012) and Educational Leadership with a concentration in Instructional Technology (EdD, 2022).

What makes this course meaningful for students?

As a Chicana/Latina with a foot in two worlds, Dr. Nava Eggett strives to make educational spaces equitable and inclusive by meeting the needs of all students to prepare them for the skills needed to navigate both their real and digital classrooms. This course will help students not only navigate their Google Suite, but also explore Latinx music as resiliency and for storytelling. North Carolina’s Latinx population is now greater than one million people, with 1,118,596 residents according to the 2020 Census and Latinx music is a part of the American experience (Carolina Demography, 2021). This course will offer an opportunity to explore pivotal songs with more depth and through a Mexican American lens.

Favorite spot in Asheville

Dr. Nava Eggett’s favorite way to spend a day is on the Blue Ridge Parkway or at the NC Arboretum. She enjoys getting outdoors for a hike and then wrapping up the day with a visit to a local restaurant and a matcha latte. Having grown up in Asheville since 3rd grade, she loves exploring the city’s long list of great restaurants.