hoodrivernews.com
HOOD RIVER NEWS | Hood River, Ore.
Wednesday, March 4, 2020 B1
Hood River Mariachi
HRCSD students take part in longstanding tradition
By TRISHA WALKER
News staff writer
Head to Hood River Mid-
dle School on a Tuesday or
Wednesday afternoon, and
you’ll find the music room
buzzing with the sounds of
mariachi.
Hood River Mariachi is a free
afterschool program for stu-
dents in kindergarten through
12th grade in the Hood River
County School District, staged
at HRMS. What started three
years ago as part of a grant
from Oregon Community
Foundation has blossomed
into a community-supported
program that attracts students
from all over the district, fund-
ed by the school district, Hood
River Education Foundation,
Arts in Education of the Gorge
and Hood River Cultural Trust.
The program is taught by
Hood River mariachi pioneer
Juan Antonio Martinez, who
has taught similar classes at St.
Mary’s Catholic Church for the
past 30 years or so. Many stu-
dents participating in the Hood
River Mariachi group are also
taking lessons at the church.
“I started in 1988, soon after
I arrived here,” said Martinez,
who is an instructional assis-
tant at HRMS. “That’s why the
district asked me to teach these
classes. They saw me doing
that at St. Mary’s and asked,
can I help at HRMS?”
The goal of the program,
according to a press release,
is to “expose students, the bi-
cultural community of Hood
River County School District,
to a small piece of the di-
verse heritage in its cultural
traditions. It is important to
provide students with a way
to participate in their story, to
learn more about their cultur-
al heritage through the art of
mariachi music, by learning to
play traditional instruments,
learning traditional rhythms,
melodies and performing as an
ensemble.”
“I’m so thankful to Mr. Mar- positive to both the students
tinez — none of this would be performing and the audience
possible without Mr. Martinez,” watching, Emmons said.
“It honors a culture that
is not as prominent in our
community as it should be,”
Emmons said. “It really, truly
Watch a short video on
engages the audience and you
Hood River Mariachi at vimeo.
become part of the perfor-
com/345132642?ref=em-share.
mance. That’s pretty amazing.
That’s the power of art right
there.”
said HRMS Principal Brent
Kimberly Jaimes, a seventh
Emmons. “He’s been at the grader from HRMS, plays the
school 30 years. That’s a long vihuela, having started on gui-
time … You’ve got this man tar under Martinez’s tutelage.
who has insane knowledge — It was Martinez who
he’s an incredible musician, suggested she
he knows so much and he’s so t r y t h e
committed.”
Students practice at HRMS
on Tuesdays and Wednesdays
from 3:30-5:15 p.m. and come
from all over the district. Right
now, there are students from
HRMS, Wy’east, May Street,
Parkdale Elementary and
Hood River Valley High. All
students of any age are invited
to participate; high school stu-
dents are particularly needed. i n s t r u -
Hood River Mariachi has ment and now,
performed for a number of “I know more on the
local audiences, including the vihuela than guitar,” she
annual Music Festival of the said. “I like learning different
Gorge, the May Street PTO techniques — every song, we
Teddy Webber fundraiser and, learn a different technique
most recently, the Hood River with different notes. It can be
Education Foundation’s annu- challenging, but learning new
al Evening of Excellence gala ones is always fun.”
For Yadira Solis, a sixth grad-
in February.
“People are usually blown er from Wy’east, it’s the trum-
away when they see them per- pet that is her instrument of
form — older kids, little kids, choice. “I thought it would
it’s been really great,” Emmons be really fun and that I could
said.
make loud sounds on it,” she
“Mr. Martinez wants the kids
to get out there and perform, so
we’re interested in having folks
who want to have the band
perform (contact us),” Em-
mons said. “They don’t have to
Financial contributions are
be musicians,” he said, adding
always welcome to help pay
that singers and dancers are
for things like student transpor-
also needed — and if a student
tation and instrument repair.
doesn’t play an instrument but
Contact HRMS Principal Brent
wants to, they are welcome to
Emmons at 541-386-2114 for
join too.
more information.
Mariachi brings something
Video available
DONATIONS
WELCOME
explained. She’s
been playing
mariachi music
for around three
years, starting as
a singer before
taking up the
trumpet.
HRVHS soph-
omore David
Guzman and
Wy’east eighth
grader Jennifer
Guzman —
brother
and sister —
play guitarron and
violin, respectively; David
also plays violin, guitar, vihue-
la, baritone, trombone, tuba
and trumpet.
Learning mariachi is a good
pursuit, David said, because “it
helps you if you feel bored —
you can play. If you’re down, it
will bring you up. And it helps
you play whatever (instru-
ment) you want because some
of the notes are the same on
the instruments.”
“I got started with the basics
— how to hold the violin, then I
learned some songs,” said Jen-
nifer. “I practice a lot at home.
“I really enjoy playing it and
See MARIACHI, page B10
Photos courtesy on Brent Emmons, HRMS
THE MARIACHI BAND performs at various community events, such as this one, above, at Hood River County School District sites. Above, long-time mariachi teacher Juan Antonio Martinez.
Photos by Trisha Walker
DAVID GUZMAN on guitarron, Kimberly Jaimes on vihuela and teacher Juan Antonio Martinez on KIMBERLY JAIMES plays the vihuela with teacher Juan Antonio Martinez during a February after-
violin; new student Angel Arredondo watches.
noon practice at HRMS.