This paper presents the results of a study on the impact of students’ musical repertoire on music class curriculum and its implications for compliance with law n. 11.645/2008, which mandates the teaching of Afro-Brazilian and Indigenous history and culture in all schools, aiming to combat racism and promote racial equity. The theoretical framework is Deci and Ryan’s (1985) Self-Determination Theory, which posits that, for intrinsic motivation to exist, an individual must fulfill three basic psychological needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Over the past ten years, I have worked directly with adolescents aged 13 to 15 and have realized that my classroom practice has been shaped by the choice of musical repertoire as a means of engaging students in learning activities. Over time, I developed a curriculum design model entirely based on students’ musical selections. At the beginning of the school year, each of the 60 students anonymously nominated one song to be studied, respecting pre-established criteria regarding explicit content. Based on the categorization and potential of this repertoire, the music curriculum was organized. As a result, activities related to educational practices for ethnic-racial relations became the central axis of the curriculum. To assess the impact of this approach, qualitative research was conducted, and data were collected through interviews and questionnaires with students. The data are being analyzed using Self-Determination Theory. Initial analyses indicate that this practice made students feel included in the music class and socioculturally represented. When they realized that their musical choices were considered and addressed without distinction, their motivation to learn music increased, supported by the fulfillment of basic psychological needs.