\u201cThey get to experience some of the most beautiful parts of our culture, which is our music, and it is a fantastic way for them to tap into those roots,\u201d Laredo said.<\/p>\n
What impact has ASU\u2019s mariachi program had students?<\/p>\n
Rachel Russell is an ASU student who is double majoring in music and culture as well as anthropology. She explained for her, the music is personal, helping her fill the cultural gaps that were left after her Hispanic grandmother passed away.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t speak Spanish at home anymore \u2026 and so it felt like the culture itself just kind of disappeared,\u201d Russell said. \u201cBut starting mariachi and doing it through school, as a career, \u2026 it\u2019s helped me to connect with that again and realize that it\u2019s something I really do love.\u201d<\/p>\n
Russell began playing violin with the larger ensemble when she was in 8th grade. She highlighted how\u00a0mariachi provides more of an emotional connection to the music and audience than other classical pieces.<\/p>\n
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