MARIACHI ESMERALDA
Mariachi is a new class that was added to the high school course catalog in the fall of 2021. At the time, students had the choice to attend class in person or virtually. This made it a bit more difficult to have any performances, but we managed to have our first performance in the spring of 2022 and recently had our second Fall Concert. Fall of 2022, Collins middle school added a beginner violin and beginner guitar to the course catalog, allowing us to reach more students at a critical time when learning an instrument can be crucial. I have provided both a copy of our Handbook and instrument loan contract that must be completed in order to participate in our program.I would also like to invite all parents to review the New Music Parent course that you can sign up for free.
I am looking forward to continuing our growth at Collins Middle School and even more excited about the potential students will have going over to high school with prior knowledge of their instrument. Please take a moment to explore this page and get answers to commonly asked questions such as ....
Q. "Will my child need to have his or her own instrument?"
A. At this time, getting their own instrument is optional. LWISD does have a limited inventory of guitars and violins for a small annual school usage fee of $60. This simply covers the cost of replacing strings and normal wear and tear on the instrument. Students and parents must review and sign instrument loan contracts instrument loan contract
Q. "Is joining the strings/mariachi program going to be expensive?"
A. There may be other fees associated with our group at times, but currently they will be optional, such as purchasing t-shirts or going on trips where we perform, then have fun. We will also have fundraisers that will help defer these costs, making trips or shirts less expensive.
Q. "Can my child be in a mariachi and a band class?"
A. Yes, it is possible for your child to be in both a band and a mariachi, but it will hinder their choices for any other activity. Most students in middle school can choose up to 2 electives, in some cases 3 if their schedule allows. This may change from year to year depending on master schedule
Q. My child's only transportation is the school bus. Will he/she need to stay after school?
A. This class is offered during the day and usually nothing after school except for the occasional performance for the Fall or Spring concert. I do expect students to take their instruments home and practice once we have officially checked them out and shown them how to care for them.
If there are any other questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at nsalazar@lwisd.org
Please complete the Google Form so that you are ready to take the exciting journey with us learning some great music and bringing happiness to others thru performance.
https://forms.gle/r5WHWcoezNhCfPPe6