Source: Allie Palomera of SCCOE
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Zaida Ramos first learned mariachi magic from her father when she was a child. Now they make music together and run a bilingual music program at the Alum Rock Union School District in San Jose.
Her father Juan is a music director and maestro. She is the program director. Her father and daughter duo work together to share the culture and heritage of mariachi music with students. The Ramos family has been teaching music to children for over 20 years. It's a true family business.
“Mariachi is how I grew up. “My family always sang.” said Ramos, a vocalist who plays the violin. “Sharing mariachi with families and the entire community is so fulfilling and rewarding for us. Everyone becomes part of the performance because everyone connects to the song. Many times you will hear the audience singing, laughing, and crying together. “In a way, it’s their story that resonates with everyone.”
Students in grades 3 through 8 gather after school and during the summer to learn about the folk music of southwestern Mexico, a musical tradition characterized by stringed instruments, walks by musicians in intricately embroidered costumes, and unique calls known as “gritos.” Enjoy. .” Youth in the program learn how to play instruments such as the guitarrón, guitar, vihuela, violin and trumpet, as well as how to sing, an art form that requires equal parts creativity and discipline. They also learn the beauty and fluidity of ballet folklorico.
“I support the ideal of free public education, and the arts should be a part of that,” said Sofia Fojas, Arts Coordinator for the Santa Clara County Office of Education. She said, “Music and art are part of human existence. It is a universal language, a way to bridge the diverse cultures found in California classrooms. “It’s about the importance of arts and culture and engaging young people who have traditionally been unable to access it.”
Through mariachi studies, children in this predominantly Latino region learn that music is more than sound. It is also about identity, history and culture. Mariachi carries countless meanings because the notes contain tremendous nuance and complexity. The melodies are reminiscent of Mexican heritage with colonial roots, but many of the themes are also universal.
“By embracing our cultural heritage and sharing our stories through music, we can bring about positive change and create a more harmonious society,” said Guillermo Tejeda, a musician who specializes in teaching history, jazz, and mariachi to youth. “I believe it can be done,” he said. “It’s incredibly rewarding to see how music can empower and inspire young people in our community.”
Passing on this rich artistic tradition to new generations is part of what drives Ramos. She sees her mariachi as a way to connect her students to her own unique voice and the collective spirit of her community.
“I always tell them, you’re an ambassador for the whole community,” said Ramos, who works in real estate. “Wherever you go, you are not only representing East San Jose, you are representing the entire culture. You are representing Mexican culture, you are representing mariachi. Take pride in who you are.”
Struggle is often part of the story in mariachi music. This is part of the reality of teaching music in an era of tight budgets and declining enrollment. While Ramos is delighted with how many of his students have developed a lifelong love of music, he wishes he didn't always have to fight to get more funding.
Ramos said: “We need more teachers, more instruments, more support, more time, more classes. And it all comes down to budgeting. We get a lot of requests from kids to perform on behalf of Alum Rock, but we can’t do it if we don’t have the budget to support it.”
Many arts advocates hope that the injection of Prop. 28 funding will help strengthen projects like the Mariachi Program, an arts education program that represents a community's cultural heritage.
“Culturally relevant curriculum and instruction helps educators build relationships with students by leveraging what they bring to the classroom,” said Letty Kraus, director of the California County Superintendents Statewide Arts Initiative. “He said. “It helps ensure relevance and engagement and maximize inclusivity,” she said.
The interwoven nature of art, closely intertwined with history and culture over time, gives mariachi its strength. Arts education also opens students up to opportunities and possibilities, experts say, as well as fostering a sense of belonging.
“You’re teaching them about their past,” said Fojas, who has taught orchestra, band and mariachi for 20 years. “Most of the students I taught were from Mexico, so when you teach mariachi, you are actually teaching them about the history of Mexico.”
In a post-pandemic world, when absenteeism and apathy are at their peak, the arts can be a way to teach students how to endure adversity. Emerging musicians must learn how to practice tirelessly and then have the courage to perform fearlessly in front of an audience. Fojas sees arts education as a magnet that draws students back to school.
“Everyone should understand the importance of art,” Fojas said. “Art is culture. To deny a people's art is to deny their culture, and those cultural artifacts are what we leave behind. So if we deny young people the ability to engage with the arts, we are denying future generations the ability to see what we have left behind.”