It feels like the golden age of mariachis and folklórico dance companies in Tucson. After three decades of curriculum-based mariachi programs in the schools we are graduating mariachi hotshots left and right. Those who stick around are finding opportunities in world-class groups, and those that move on to other cities find themselves being snapped up […]

For students: • Connects students with their history and culture. • Increases awareness of diversity and the value of tolerance. • Teaches teamwork, time management, critical thinking skills, public speaking skills, discipline and other core skills for any real-world jobs. • Makes students want to come to school. • Keeps grades high (mariachi and folklórico […]

The end is getting close for The Mariachi Miracle. Both the film and book will be released in 2022 and the story of how Tucson has been transformed by its youth mariachi and folklorico dance programs will head out into the world. But to get there we have to raise the final money to finish […]

It’s said that a picture is worth a thousand words. This one represents almost as many stories. On the surface it is a shot of Mariachi Aztlan de Pueblo High School in rehearsal. The music on the stand is Sir Edward Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance – the familiar march played at countless graduation events around […]

Los Changuitos Feos is the group that started Tucson’s youth mariachi movement, and very likely kicked it off around the country as well. Founded in 1964, the group toured widely, broke down racial barriers and created the concept of the youth mariachi not just as a cultural touchstone but as an Avenue toward higher achievement […]

(Click photo to enlarge) Mine is not a life of quiet desperation. There’s a hellaciously great soundtrack going on all the time. And the work is non-stop.  When most folks kick back over the weekend I’m busy mapping out the week ahead, working out the logistics of shooting, editing, appending metadata, finding funding, putting reports […]