Mariachi musicians gather at Kearns school, underscoring increased focus on musical style

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

A contingent of young mariachi musicians gathered at a Kearns school, highlighting the small but growing presence of mariachi music in Utah's schools.
Jefferson Junior High School, host of Tuesday's gathering, launched a mariachi class this year, making it one of the few programs in the state.
Jefferson's new program aims to offer a musical experience reflective of students' varied cultural backgrounds.

KEARNS — For Nephi Garcia-Sevillano, a trumpeter with Mariachi Fuego de Utah, the fast, lively pace of the Mexican musical style is the draw.

"Just playing mariachi makes everyone happy. I like that," he said.

Gabriela Araiza, who plays vihuela for Mariachi las Águilas de Jefferson, described the music as a sort of escape. "I love it. It just takes you away," she said.

Mariachi music — featuring violins, trumpets, guitars, vihuelas and guitarróns — is a staple of Mexico and Mexican culture, and with the growing Latino population across Utah, the musical style is making increasing inroads into the state's schools. Jefferson Junior High School launched a mariachi class this school year, one of just a handful of such programs in Utah, and on Wednesday, class members received a visit from a more experienced youth ensemble, Mariachi Fuego de Utah.

The session, underscoring the changing dynamics of music programs at some schools as the Latino influence in Utah grows, gave the Jefferson students an opportunity to practice with the more seasoned musicians and ask them questions.

"I want to create a joyful and inclusive music experience for all of our community," said Jefferson music teacher Sam Noyce, who's received assistance from Marx Huancas, the Mariachi Fuego de Utah director, in launching Jefferson's program. "I find that mariachi is able to bring in students who traditionally haven't been served by our bands or orchestras that we've had in the past."

Trumpeters in the mariachi class at Jefferson Junior High School in Kearns play at a gathering held Wednesday with Mariachi Fuego de Utah, an experienced youth ensemble. (Photo: Tim Vandenack, KSL.com)

Jefferson Junior High Assistant Principal Daniel Harnsberger sees the addition of mariachi — traditional band and orchestra classes are still offered — as a way of keeping pace with changing times. Nearly 41% of Jefferson students were Hispanic as of the 2023-24 school year, according to state figures, and adding the mariachi class helps maintain interest in music among Jefferson students as programs at other schools wither.

"We have a full music program here because we are being innovative and meeting the students where they are," Harnsberger said. Noyce offered similar sentiments, saying the mariachi class, open to students of all races and ethnicities, "taps into the music that many of our students grew up with."

Within Granite School District, Jefferson Junior High School and Kennedy Junior High School in West Valley City are alone, so far, in offering mariachi classes as part of the formal school curriculum. But Noemi Hernandez, the district arts specialist, said officials at three other schools are considering adding mariachi offerings — Granger High School in West Valley City, Cottonwood High School in Murray and Bonneville Junior High School in Holladay.

Marx Huancas, left, director of Mariachi Fuego de Utah, at a gathering of his youth ensemble and the mariachi class at Jefferson Junior High School in Kearns on Wednesday. (Photo: Tim Vandenack, KSL.com)

Ogden School District in Ogden, which had an extracurricular mariachi offering at Eastridge Elementary last year, launched classes as part of the formal curriculum this year at Ben Lomond High School and Highland and Mound Fort junior high schools. As of 2023-24, the latest figures available, Latinos accounted for a clear majority at the high school and two junior high schools and just over half of the district's overall population.

"The mariachi program at all three schools is full of passionate and talented students," said Daniel Tracy, the mariachi teacher at Ben Lomond High School.

'My mom's really proud of me'

Esparanza Elementary, a West Valley charter school, launched, perhaps, the first school mariachi program in Utah, now about 10 years old. Beyond Esparanza and the Ogden and Granite school districts, however, the list of offerings in Utah tapers.

Noyce understands school officials in Payson, within Nebo School District, have been investigating the possibility of implementing a mariachi program. At any rate, he thinks interest is growing around the state and beyond in mariachi programming.

Mariachi Fuego de Utah, a youth ensemble, performs at Jefferson Junior High School in Kearns on Wednesday. (Photo: Tim Vandenack, KSL.com)

"Some of it is changing demographics, and some of it is us music teachers finally realizing that there's this ... whole element of music education that we've overlooked," he said. "Mariachi education, especially in the western United States, it's essential."

Huancas, originally from Peru, launched Mariachi Fuego de Utah about a year-and-a-half ago, spurred by the death of a 14-year-old Utahn who had been shot and killed. He suspects the teen didn't have many constructive outlets and figured a mariachi group could create a way of engaging the youth in a positive way and serve as "a new tool to help kids."

The youthful mariachi musicians, meantime, offered positive comments.

"My mom's really proud of me because she didn't get to do this as a kid," said Jocelyn Ferreyra, a violinist with the Jefferson mariachi group.

Nate Harris, who plays trumpet for the Jefferson ensemble, cited the upbeat tempo of the music as the draw for him. "The beat of it and how fast it is and how energetic," he said.

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