Monday morning, July 7, started out quietly at MENC headquarters, but by noon, the sounds of vihuelas, violins and trumpets filled the hallways. Seventeen MENC members had arrived for the summer workshop - Starting a Mariachi Band in Your School!
The goal of the workshop was to help participants present the concept of a mariachi program to district administrators, principals, parents, and fellow educators. Teachers received standards-based curriculum documents; beginning-level musical arrangements; recordings; historical information; contact lists for instruments, uniforms, and clinicians; and more -- plus they learned to play the guitarrón, vihuela, and mariachi guitar in authentic styles.
Among the attendees was MENC member Kerry Bryant of Winder, Georgia, fine arts director in Barrow County schools. He decided to attend the workshop after learning that Barrow County, and its visionary leadership, were ready to reach out to the Hispanic community and offer an authentic cross-cultural opportunity to all students.
With the complete support of the ELL (English Language Learners) teacher and the district superintendent, Bryant is ready to gather support from the local community.
Funding for instruments will be the first priority, Bryant says, and he will begin by visiting business owners in the Hispanic community - a group often overlooked when seeking financial assistance. He will also look into grants and Title 1 funding. When funding is secured, he will set a launch date to begin one middle school and one high school group.
Bryant sees this as an opportunity to include students "who no longer fit into the traditional high school band" and also as an innovative PR tool for his school district.
Mariachi bands are rapidly growing across the country. We'll check back with Barrow County next fall to see how their program is progressing.
Recommended resource: Foundations of Mariachi Education, Volume 1, edited by William Gradante. Includes materials, methods and resources to assist educators as they prepare to establish mariachi programs in their schools.
-Becky Spray, August 11, 2008, © MENC: The National Association for Music Education (www.menc.org)
