So does everyone remember the class from last Thursday? I figured since we will be talking about the Mariachi in the future I would like to link it to some of the background culture we learned. Though the band has changed over time the term Mariachi originated in the 19th century and this made it click in my mind of how Professor Hutchinson was discussing how there was an emperor at one point by the name of Maximillian. I'm sorry but I can't remember who has work related to Mariachi's but I found alot of great information on the history of these bands.
http://www.mariachi.org/history.html
As a violinist, I have a special interest in mariachi music and I plan to learn some songs at some point during the semester. Because I am a music education major, my mind immediately went into "education" mode and I wondered if Mariachi was considered an important teaching topic to MENC (The National Association for Music Education). After searching the main website, I found that there is an entire section devoted to teaching Mariachi, including articles, resources and curriculum ideas. I found an article, entitled "The Current State of Mariachi Curriculum", that was presented at a convention in 2005. The document gives an outline for the teacher so that he or she can successfully create a Mariachi ensemble for grades 6-12. If anyone is interested in mariachi education, here is the link to the article:http://www.menc.org/documents/mariachi/NOE_Curriculum_Revised_070706.pdf
ReplyDeleteYou are right that mariachi is a big topic in music education. There are many, many school and university programs in mariachi throughout the Southwest, and now there is even one in NYC!
ReplyDeleteHere are some more links on mariachi education with audio and video:
http://www.folkways.si.edu/explore_folkways/mariachi.aspx
And this is my favorite - for grades 4-8, but fun for adults, too! Try clicking on the "instruments" tab and playing with the interactive mariachi cartoon characters!
http://www.folkways.si.edu/flash/mariachi.html
Great find Matt! A very interesting article. I really like Mariachi music because it is lively and I love the dances. It was also interesting to read about the origin of the instruments and how they have been transformed into instruments that are singularly Mexican in design and sound.
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