2009-2010 Mariachi Chief Sealth
We are proud to be one of only a handful of schools in Washington State to offer Mariachi. In addition to local performances, our students travel each year to Wenatchee, Washington to participate in a Mariachi festival where they get to study and perform with professional Mariachi musicians. While this class is a celebration of Mexican culture, students from all backgrounds who play violin, trumpet, or guitar are welcome!
The Chief Sealth High School Music Department has offered a mariachi program for the past six years. Prior to 2002, the program existed as an after-school club. Mariachi education has demonstrated significant benefits for students both in Washington state and nationwide. The Denny/Sealth program encourages cross-cultural understanding through music, discourages students from dropping out of school, celebrates the culture and heritage of many of our Latino students, and provides a way for parents to actively participate in their children’s education. While the Denny/Sealth Mariachi Program is open to all students, some of the most significant impact occurs with our Latino students.
In 2004, our Mariachi program received widespread media attention. Students were featured on the KUOW radio show Meet the Beat, on the front page of the Seattle Times and in the March 2004 issue of Voice magazine, a quarterly publication for music educators. Members of the Mariachi recorded several tracks on the supplemental CD for a music education textbook authored by Seattle Pacific University Associate Professor Ramona Holmes.
With the new after-school program at Denny, we will offer mariachi instruction for grades 6-12. In the future, we plan to expand our offerings to include multiple classes at both the middle school and high school levels and possibly a mariachi program at a partner elementary school. We also have initiated a partnership with South Seattle Community College with the hope of starting a mariachi group there as well. Currently, two Chief Sealth graduates who are SSCC students are working as teaching assistants in the Denny program. In addition to earning income, these college students will gain leadership skills and motivation to continue their studies.
In the near future, we hope to be able to hire a full-time mariachi instructor for the Denny/Sealth program. This teacher would instruct in classes at both schools and possibly an elementary school as well. He or she would also coordinate workshops and festivals for Seattle mariachi students. With a permanent teaching position in place, our goal of a K-16 mariachi pathway could become a reality. We are very excited about the huge potential of this program and invite anyone interested to attend our monthly Friends of Seattle Mariachi meetings and to get involved in the efforts to expand these great opportunities for our students.
