Posted on 01/27/2008 11:39:44 AM PST by trumandogz
He is generations removed from Mexico and has never set foot in that country, yet 13-year-old Alex Solis has fallen in love with mariachi.
By singing the music and playing the flute, the Patrick Henry Middle School student learned tales of love and land that have been part of his family's culture for centuries.
"I can't live without mariachi," said the eighth-grader, who is half Hispanic and half Asian. "I don't know where my life would be right now without music."
Solis' passion is about to get its share of the limelight in Texas. The University Interscholastic League has agreed to recognize mariachi as a category in its music competitions, meaning that this time next year, Solis and his Patrick Henry classmates can compete for state bragging rights.
Adding a new musical category wasn't an easy decision for the UIL governing board, which worried about setting a precedent for other, lesser-known types of music. Still, they think mariachi will prove popular among the 500,000 Texas students who take part in music classes.
"The bottom line is, we thought this would have a lot of statewide attractiveness," said Richard Floyd, the state director of music for UIL.
Officials will meet in mid-February to iron out guidelines for the new category, which they expect will be especially popular in areas such as the Rio Grande Valley, El Paso and San Antonio.
Houston Independent School District leaders, who helped lobby for the change, say they hope it's one of the first steps Texas takes to encourage more Hispanic students to participate in art and academic competitions.
Creative competition
Currently, only about a dozen of HISD secondary schools compete in UIL music competitions, Floyd said. "Houston could be a very heavy hitter, probably one of the mainstays," said HISD trustee Manuel Rodriguez, a member of the Mexican-American School Board Members Association who petitioned for the addition of mariachi.
Competing in UIL-approved events will give students a chance at statewide recognition, more college application fodder and excused absences from school while they're competing.
Michael Fain, director of UIL activities for the Houston school district, said HISD plans to hold a districtwide mariachi championship May 10 to drum up interest in the music. He expects at least half a dozen schools to compete.
"There's enough interest where I think we can have a valid contest with just HISD students involved," Fain said. "And as word gets out that there's a contest and that this is now being recognized by UIL, there'll be a whole lot more opportunities created by schools. Before this year, there was no recognized reason to have a program, other than the community wanted it."
Fain said he's also pushing UIL to add academic events in Spanish.
HISD is piloting a bilingual speech competition to gauge interest in that event.
"The second I have any academic contest that's not offered in Spanish, I've left somebody at home," Fain said. "We don't know how far this will go, but at the minimum, we're creating opportunities that otherwise wouldn't be there."
Patrick Henry could be the school to beat at next year's UIL mariachi competition.
The six-year-old group routinely takes top honors at other contests. Students raise money and rely on neighborhood businesses to help foot part of the program's price tag, which is more than $15,000 a year.
"We just do well; they practice a lot, and they just really enjoy what they do," said math teacher Jose Longoria, who founded the school's mariachi band.
Staying focused
Learning the music helps the group of 20 students stay busy and motivates them to try harder in their other classes. Because this is a UIL event, students must pass their classes to participate. "It helps us stay on the right path," said Sabrina Rosas, 13, who plays the violin. "And it does teach you more about yourself and your history."
Longoria said he can't wait to sign his kids up for the first recognized competition, sometime during the next school year.
"It's a special recognition for the music of mariachi," he said.
Dang! I’ll have to show that to my husband. He loves to grill and smoke meat, and our old grill is about worn out.
Looks like a pretty nifty rig if you put on large BBQ’s often.
Its like an above ground pit roast kinda deal
We have 8 children (five of them boys), so I like the idea of cooking 14 chickens at once. That’s about 2 chicken dinners and a batch of chicken salad! (We just have to get the Really Cheap Chickens at Sam’s :-).
The caja china could be right for you L0L
I sent the link in an email to my husband’s cell phone :-).
Pig cooking bttt
More signs of anti-assimilation by the mass illegal invaders. This will only help to fuel rightful anger among American citizens. I support immigration, LEGAL immigration that is and I have no sympathy for the illegal alien demanding that I support him or her through the unethical and illegal use of my tax dollars to support them in any fashion and this includes the use of my stretched thin property tax dollars to educate their offspring.
TYG - see #48.
Why not! Maybe the Vietnamese and the Chinese should be represented as well and while we're at it why not add........ and on and on and on.....
LOL!
I won’t argue with you, because I respect your military service and your Patriot Guard participation. I probably shouldn’t have mentioned the post at all - really just wanted to keep the thread going so I didn’t lose the giant pig-cooker info.
Have a great day!
I've often thought that Montezuma's revenge isn't gastric distress...it's the accordian player in a mariachi band.
Some of Texas’ true treasures...
Doug, Auggie, Freddie and Flaco...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySNON249yes
Hey Baby Que Paso?
One of my absolutely favorite CDs has Maria Dolores Pradera singing “No volvere” with Flaco Jiminez on accordion and Lupe Esparza from Bronco singing the harmonies. It gives me cold chills.
Musta Notta Gotta Lotta.
LOL - to each his own ...
Can’t blame Montezuma, though. You have to blame the Germans!
A grand total of ONE anti-Mariachi post out of 58 posts
The exception proves my point
You’re right. It’s been very cheerful. My son broke my Placido Domingo mariachi CD a while back; I need to get a new one!
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