When middle school teacher Rosendo Ramos rebooted the mariachi program three years ago at San Angelo ISD, he had 20 students. Today, that number is 90 and growing each year.
“My students don’t just learn an instrument, they learn a culture,” Ramos said. “Mariachi is upbeat, uplifting and passionate, and the students learn to translate those emotions into music.”
The mariachi group perform at community events and competitions. Members of the group participated in a UIL competition for the first time ever in Monahans in February and mad their way to San Antonio for the UIL State Mariachi Festival Competition in March.
“Mariachi is for everybody,” Ramos said. “Music is universal. There are no boundaries. It’s’ all about how you feel it.”
The mariachi program was originally started by former music teacher Dorothy Douthit in the mid 1990’s. The program was very popular and grew very quickly. After the teacher retired, the program declined.
Find out how people like Rosendo Ramos make the difference a San Angelo ISD by visiting www.SAISD.org/ourpeople.
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