1. El Cascabel
2. Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan
3. Mexico
4. cordophones (violin, guitar, vihuela, guitarron, arpa), voice, aerophones (trumpet)
5. "El Cascabel" is a mariachi "show" piece and would likely be beyond the ability level of all but the best high school musicians. However, there are ways to enactively listen to mariachi music and thereby create a strong connection to the music and culture of mariachi music. Built on a solid foundation of attentive and engaged listening, students can begin to create or re-create mariachi music using stylistically correct ways of performing. Students can pay particular attention to the powerful delivery and falsestto used in the vocal performance to perform other mariachi songs or create their own music for mariachi. Trumpet players can imitate the wide vibrato that is vital to the mariachi style. Violinists can listen to and play melodic lines clearly and without vibrato like the mariachi violinists do. "Mariachi Philharmonic" is an excellent text written by former ASTA president Bob Phillips and mariachi educator and performer John Nieto. The book utilizes students orchestral background to help them interact with mariachi music with notated parts for the string orchestra. Of course, having the traditional instruments such as the guitarron and vihuela would be ideal, but most schools do not have them on hand and may lack the resources to buy them. Guitars can be used and chord symbols are provided in the text. Bass and cello players can take on the role of the guitarron in the ensemble. The arrangements of popular mariachi songs are flexible which leaves room for students to make musical decisions regarding form and texture using their prior knowledge listening to mariachi music. This utilizes their aural skills for making musical decisions which is an important part of music learning. Students can also make decisions when to add in "shouts" that are another very important part of mariachi music. Becoming comfortable with whistling an shouting may take time, but provides important insight into their role in the ensemble. Another thing string students may hesitate to do is sing in a foreign language. It is of utmost importance, however, that all performers sing when possible. The heart of mariachi music is in the singing and text of the music and students must engage with that aspect. Performing a mariachi song also provides the students with a better understanding of the role of mariachi music for Mexican Americans as a source of identity. They can feel the strength communicated in the powerful singing, interact with the cultures ideas about love and life through translated lyrics, and they can perceive the importance of community in the culture through the combination of melody, harmony, communication, and accompaniment that makes the full mariachi sound.
I enjoyed how you mentioned the different cultural characteristics of the instruments such as the trumpets using a wide vibrato, and the violins not using vibrato which are important observations. I enjoyed how you try to utilize the instruments in the classroom to recapture some of the instruments used traditionally such as the cello being used instead of a guitarron. You are very detailed in your blog, even to add the "shouts" in the music shows your knowledge of mariachi music! Your blog exemplifies one of Campbell's points in that "the study of music...requires keen aural training, which is in fact a precursor to the ability to compose and improvise music."
ReplyDeleteThe video is very high energy and this would most likely capture the interest of string students. I think integrating the lyrics can be a fun tool in the a foreign language. It might be a challenge but I think once you started to do this it might have better out come than your expect. I think mariachi music can be a great interest to many music students that could benefit the view of the students. This could also aid how they view the music they perform in their daily lives. Thanks for sharing the wonderful mariachi performance and your thoughts!
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