Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Mariachi SG
Mariachi SG
For advance notice of Youth Education events, join the Funded in part by the National Endowment
UMS Teachers email list by emailing for the Arts.
umsyouth@umich.edu or visit www.ums.org/education.
This Teacher Resource Guide is a product of the University
Musical Society’s Youth Education Program. Researched and
written by Cecilia Fileti, David Hernandez, and Bree Juarez.
Edited by Ben Johnson and Bree Juarez. Tthe lesson plans
accompanying this Resource Guide have been provided by
students enrolled in Dr. Julie Taylor’s Multi-cultural Education
Cover Photo: Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano classes at the University of Michigan-Dearborn , and are noted
as such. All photos are courtesy of the artist unless otherwise
(Photo by Hugh Talman) noted.
UMS Youth Education
05/06
Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano
Friday, February 10, 12 noon
Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor
Mariachi
13 History of Mariachi
* 17 Instruments of Mariachi
Short on Time? 19 Mariachi Song Forms
Mexico
We’ve starred the 22 Quick Facts: Mexico
most important 25 Mexico Yesterday and Today
pages.
Lesson Plans
Only Have 28 Curriculum Connections
15 Minutes? 29 Meeting Michigan Standards
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Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano in performance (Photo by Hugh Talman)
Performance
About the
Coming to the Show (For Students)
We want you to enjoy your time in the theater, so here are some tips to make your Youth
Performance experience successful and fun! Please review this page prior to attending the
performance.
6 | www.ums.org/education
The Performance at a Glance
Who is Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano?
Mariachi Los Camperos De Nati Cano (pronounced mahree-AH-chee lohs cahm-
PEAR-ohs deh nah-tee cah-no) has existed for nearly 43 years and is noted for
demanding musical arrangements that highlight the individual skills and voices
of the players. The ensemble employs the finest musicians from Mexico and the
United States and has performed for audiences throughout United States and
Canada. They were one of four mariachis that collaborated with popular recording
artist Linda Ronsdadt on her album’s Canciones de MI Padre (Songs of My Father)
and Mas Canciones (More Songs). Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano has
appreaded on national television, including The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson
and the Grammy Awards Show.
What is Mariachi?
The word “mariachi” is a term that can be used to describe the individual musi-
cian, the ensemble or the musical genre itself. In the complete Mariachi group
today there are as many as six to eight violins, two trumpets, and a guitar- all
standard European instruments. Then there is a high-pitched, round-backed guitar
called the vihuela, which when strummed in the traditional manner gives the Mari-
achi its typical rhythmic vitality; a deep-voiced guitar called the guitarrón which
serves as the bass of the ensemble; and a Mexican folk harp, which usually doubles
the base line, but also ornaments the melody. While these three instruments have
European origins, in their present form they are strictly Mexican.
The music of the mariachi band is a mixture of different indigenous sounds and
rhythms, combined with European and African elements. From Europe, it bor-
rowed many of the dance forms such as the waltz and the fandango. From Africa,
it borrowed dance rhythms and melodic ideas. The forms found in mariachi music
are, without a doubt, the most important element of the style. Mariachi song
forms (such as the bolero, canción ranchera, son, huapango, joropo, and danzón)
are always dictated by the rhythmic patterns that are performed by the guitar sec-
tion of the group. This is one of the few musical genres in which text does not
indicate form.
Mariachi music is one of the few styles of indigenous music that serves both a utili-
tarian and an entertainment function. The mariachi band is used for many different
occasions, such as dances, weddings, and funerals. It is not unusual to find the
group serenading a young woman on the occasion of her birthday, celebrating a
saint’s day, or singing to the mother of one of the band members on her birthday.
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People who enjoy mariachi music like it because it rekindles old memories, takes
them to places that are far away, or brings back scenes of childhood.
Violin
When used in the mariachi band, the violin is not altered in any way from its tradi-
tional use.
Guitar
ensemble, see
A standard guitar is used (not altered in any way) and serves to supplement the
vihuela as a rhythmic element in the mariachi band. The guitar and the vihuela
pages 17-18 of this play the same rhythmic patterns and keep a strong foundation for the group. Typi-
cally, a guitar is used in a mariachi band about 98 percent of the time.
resouce guide
Guitarrón
The guitarrón is the bass foundation of the group and is the single most important
element in the mariachi band. It serves not only as the bass of the group, but it
gives the group its characteristic sound. A rule of thumb is that if there is no gui-
tarrón, there should be no performance.
Trumpet
A standard trumpet is used (not altered in any way). At various times, the trumpet
players are asked to perform with cup mutes to make the sound softer and less
intense.
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Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano (Photo by Hugh Talman)
de Nati Cano
Camperos
Mariachi Los
Title
About Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano
Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano was formed 40 years ago. Its director, Nativi-
dad Cano, came to Los Angeles in 1957. For four years he worked as a musician,
later becoming the musical arranger for Mariachi Chapala. In 1961, Cano became
the musical director of Mariachi Chapala and changed their name to Mariachi Los
Camperos. The ensemble has since grown in prominence and gained international
recognition.
Mariachi Los Camperos is noted for demanding musical arrangements that high-
light the individual skills and voices of the players. The ensemble employs the
finest musicians from Mexico and the United States and has performed for audi-
ences throughout the United States and Canada.
Mariachi Los Camperos was one of four mariachis that collaborated on Linda
Ronstadt’s album, Canciones de Mi Padre. In 1988-89, the group worked on the
promotion of the album, that included national television
appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and
the Grammy Awards Show. They also appear on Linda Ron-
stadt’s Mas Canciones.
Nati first learned to play the vihuela (mariachi rhythm guitar) at the age of seven
from his father. Two years later, he began studying violin at the Academia de
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Música in nearby Guadalajara (gwah-DAH-la-har-ah). At the age of 16, he left the
Academia to perfor professionally in cantinas and cafes, helping his father sup-
port their family. In 1950, he moved to
Mexicali, the capial city of Baja Califor-
nia, Mexico. There he joined Mariachi
Chapala and soon became the group’s
arranger. The youngest member by at
least a decade, he stayed with the com-
pany for seven years. In 1957, he reset-
tled in Los Angeles, where he currently
resides.
These events reach millions of audience members and aspiring young mariachi
musicians through festival workshops. His group accopanied Linda Ronstadt on her
breakthrough mariachi recordings and the concerts that followed, taking mariachi
music to tens of millions more listeners. His colorful Christmas production Fiesta
Navidad has toured Mexican music and dance traditions to dozens of major con-
cert halls throughout California and across the western United States. In addition
to performing, Nati Cano is an adjunct faculty member in UCLA’s Department of
Ethnomusicology where he passes on mariachi skills to university students.
His efforts have brought numerous honors and prestigious invitations. In 1990, the
National Endowment for the Arts honored him with its highest awar in the folk
and traditional arts, the National Heritage Fellowship. In September 2002, the City
of Los Angeles presented him with a similar recognition. In Mexico, he was aware-
ded the prestigous Sylvestre Vargas Award for artistic excellence. He has performed
at the White House for two presidents and at major venues outside California such
as the Avery Fischer Hall at New York’s Lincoln Center where he appreared with the
American Symphony, the National Folk Festival, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival,
the Kennedy Center, and at Guadalajara’s Teato Degollado (tay-ah-tro deh-goh-
lah-doh). he has been a repeated headliner at Mexico’s premier mariachi event, the
annual Encuentro de Mariachi in Guadalajara, which was featured in a nationally
aired PBS progrm.
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A close up of a mariachi trumpet (Courtesey of Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano)
Mariachi
About
Title
History of Mariachi
The Wedding of Musical Traditions
Prior to the arrival of Cortes the music of Mexico, played with rattles, drums, reed
and clay flutes, and conch-shell horns, was an integral part of religious celebra-
tions. Quickly, however, as Christianity spread, in many areas these instruments Visit UMS Online
gave way to instruments imported by the Spanish: violins, guitars and harps, brass
horns, and woodwinds. The Indian and mestizo musicians not only learned to play www.ums.org/educa-
European instruments, but also to build their own, sometimes giving them shapes
and tunings of their own invention. tion
Currently, however, the best scholarly opinion is that the word mariachi has native Members of
roots. One theory is that it comes from the name of the wood used to make the Mariachi Los
platform on which the performers danced to the music of the village musicians. Camperos at the
But whatever its true source - and the truth may never be discovered with abso- Viva El Mariachi
lute certainty - the word today has one meaning that is crystal clear: Mariachi
Competion in 2004
means on of the most exciting and enchanting musical ensembles found any-
where in the world.
13 | www.ums.org/education
History of Mariachi
Title
While these three instruments have European origins, in their present form they are
strictly Mexican.
Visit UMS Online
The sound that these instruments combine to make is unique. Like the sarape,
www.ums.org/educa- which often used widely contrasting colors side by side - green and orange, yellow
and blue - the Mariachi used sharply contrasting sounds: the sweet sounds of the
tion
violins against the brilliance of the trumpets, and the deep sound of the guitarró n
against the crisp, high voice of the vihuela; and the frequent shifting between syn-
copation and on-beat rhythm. The resulting sound is the heart and soul of Mexico.
The principal music played by these early Mariachis was the SON, the popular
music of the day. A mixture of folk traditions from Spain, Mexico, and Africa, the
son was found in many regions of the country. The son from Jalisco is called the
son jalisciense. La Negra is the best-known example.
Sones from other regions include the son jarocho or veracruzano, from the region
around the Gulf port of Veracruz; and the son huasteco, from northeastern
Mexico. The most famous example of the son jarocho is La Bamba. A typical son
huasteco, also known as the huapango, is La Malagueña. It is interesting to note
that there are some sones, such as El Gusto, which are common in all three regions
and clearly date back to a common ancestor.
Another kind of music related to the son and intimately connected with a particu-
lar dance is the jarabe. The jarabe, which has many regional variations, is really a
medley of dance pieces, including sones, danzas, jotas, and polkas. No discussion
of Mariachi dance would be complete without mentioning the famous Jarabe Tap-
atio - the Mexican Hat Dance. Associated with Guadalajara in the state of Jalisco,
it has become the national dance of Mexico. It is highly stylized, with prescribed
movements and costumes. The male wears the classic outfit the Jalisco horsemen
or charro, while the female the China, wears a hand-woven shawl and a bright
sequined skirt.
By the 1930’s Mariachi musicians had begun wearing the same traje de charro,
consisting of a waist-length jacket and tightly fitted wool pants which open
slightly at the ankle to fit over a short riding boot. Both pants and jacket are often
ornamented with embroidery, intricately cut leather designs, or silver buttons in a
variety of shapes. Prior to the 1930’s, photographs show early Mariachis dressed
in calzones de manta, and huaraches, homespun white cotton pants and shirts
and leather sandals, the clothes worn by most peasants in Jalisco.
Fuentes, still actively involved with the Mariachi Vargas more than fifty years later,
is one of the towering figures in the development of the Mariachi. With the help
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History of Mariachi
of Silvestre Vargas, he standardized the arrangements of many of the traditional
sones composed many exceptional new huapangos, and wrote arrangements for
many of the legendary song writers and singers of his generation, including Pedro
Infante, Miguel Aceves Mejía, Lola Beltrán, and José Alfredo Jiménez. By the
1950’s he insisted that all his musicians read music. These innovations changed
the way Mariachi music moved from one group to another. Gone was the total
reliance of the musicians on their ears to pick up new songs, and techniques.
With this giant step toward professionalism coinciding with the development of
recordings, radio and film, the Mariachi Vargas was able
to become the ideal that all other groups would emulate.
With the addition of two trumpets, a classical guitar and
more violins, by the 1950’s the Mariachi ensemble had
become a complete, adaptable orchestra, with the ability
to retain its traditional base while it was assimilating new
musical ideas and styles. The importance of Mariachi
Vargas cannot be overestimated. Its arrangements have
become the definitive statements of what the Mariachi
should be.
Source: History of The first Mariachi Mass was the concept of a Canadian priest, Father Juan Marco
the Mariachi from Leclerc, and has been celebrated in Cuernavaca since 1966. It originally took place
in a small chapel, but news of it spread so rapidly, and the crowds grew so large,
http://www.mariachi.
that the regular Sunday Mariachi Mass had be moved to the Cathedral of Cuer-
org/history.html navaca. It is now frequently performed throughout Mexico, and In many areas in
© Sylvia Gonzales the United States where people of Mexican origin live.
1996-2005
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Instruments of Mariachi
All of the insturments of the mariachi band work together to create a sound all
their own. For example, the sweet sound of the violins against the brilliance of
the trumpets, and deep sound of the guitarrón against the crisp, high voice of the
vihuela; and the frequent shifts between syncopation and on-beat rhythm. It is the
contrast of the instruments that gives the ensemble their unique sound.
Trumpet
The trumpet is made of brass tubing bent into a rough
spiral. Sound is produced by blowing air through
closed lips so as to produce a “buzzing” effect through
vibration, which creates a standing wave of vibrat-
ing air and metal in the trumpet. The trumpet player
can select the pitch from a range of overtones or har-
monics by changing the lip aperture tension. Valves
increase the length of the tubing and thus change the
overtones of the instrument. Three valves make the
trumpet fully chromatic, allowing the player to play in
all keys.In addition to mariachi, the trumpet is used in
nearly all forms of music, including classical, jazz, rock,
blues, pop, ska, polka and funk.
Trumpet
Violin
The violin is a bowed stringed musical instrument that has four strings
tuned a perfect fifth apart, the lowest being the G just below middle
C. It is the smallest and highest-tuned member of the violin family of
string instruments, which also includes the viola and cello.
Violin
Guitarrón
The heartbeat of the modern Mariachi group is the
guitarrón (gwee-tahr-ROHN).The guitarron provides
the bass and the rhythmic foundation that was for-
merly the province of the less-than-portable harp.
The strings are plucked strongly, two strings an
octave apart at a time. Although obviously similar
to the guitar, it is not a derivative of that instru-
ment, but was independently developed from the
sixteenth-century Spanish bajo de uña. The guitar-
rón is fretless, the strings are heavy gauge, so that
quite a bit of left hand strength is required.
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Instruments of Mariachi
Guitar
A guitar is a stringed musical instrumen that
can be acoustic, electric (i.e. with electrical
amplification) or both. The kind of guitar played
in Mariachi ensembles is the classical or Spanish
guitar. For right-handed players, the right hand
plucks the strings with either the fingers or a
guitar pick. The sound is produced by vibrating
strings, which in turn resonate the body and
neck.The body of the guitar acts mostly as a
resonator, which can be hollow in acoustic gui-
tars or solid in most electric guitars, and a neck.
Typically, a headstock extends from the neck
for tuning. Guitars are widely known as a solo
classical instrument, and the primary instrument
in blues and rock music.
Guitar
Vihuela
The vihuela (vee-WHAY-lah) is a creation of the Coca
Indians of Southwestern Jalisco in Mexico. of strings
tuned to A-D-G-B-E. This instrument gives the mariachi
ensemble its unique sound as no other genre of music
uses the vihuela. In addition to sound, the vihuela also
provides rhythm and sound accompaniment for the
ensemble.
Source: http://
en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/
Vihuela
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Mariachi Song Forms Title
The music of the mariachi band is a mixture of different indigenous, as well as
European and African, elements. From Europe, it borrowed many of the dance
forms such as the waltz and the fandango. From Africa, it borrowed dance
rhythms and melodic ideas. The forms found in mariachi music are, without a
doubt, the most important element of the style. Mariachi song forms (such as the
bolero, canción ranchera, son, huapango, joropo, and danzón) are always dictated
by the rhythmic patterns that are performed by the guitar section of the group.
This is one of the few musical genres in which text does not indicate form.
The mariachi band is Mexico’s only true surviving folkloric ensemble. The group
itself has changed very little since the addition of the trumpets in the middle of
the 1930s. The songs that the group performs have changed, but only to meet
the demands of the listening public. A good mariachi band has a minimum
repertory of at least one thousand songs. Top-flight groups have song lists that
are two or three times as long. On top of that, a strong mariachi musician must
know three or four arrangements of each of these songs. Mariachi performers are
expected to know the music that is on the mind of the entire Mexican population.
In addition to the son style, the Spanish influence added waltzes, polkas, and
other styles to the Mariachi repertoire.
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Voice in the Mariachi Ensemble
There is not a lead singer in Mariachi. Everyone in the ensemble does some vocal-
ization even if it is just during the chorus parts. Different members sing the lead
in different songs. It is common practice to try to match the
voice with the type of song that is being performed so that
the emotion of the piece is conveyed in the most artistic way
possible.
The current trend for Mariachi singers today is to receive formal training. The pro-
fessional sound is developing with the influence and finely tuned voices of groups
like Mariachi Cobre. In order to “keep up,” other groups must receive both instru-
mental and vocal training to comply with the new standard. There was a time,
around the 1950’s when there were trained Mariachi singers. This group included
Pepe Villa, Jorge Negrete, and Pedro Infante. The trend is going back to having a
well trained instrument. Mariachi singers of today are realizing that there is noth-
ing wrong with being a good vocalist.
Vocal difficutlies can arise when young singers try to imitate mariachi stars. With-
out proper training, an immature voice can suffer damage from singing loudly and
being overtaxed.
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A nap of Mexico (www.mationalgeographic.com/xpeditions)
Mexico
Quick Facts: Mexico
Title
Location
Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, between
Belize and the US and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala
and the US
Area
Total: 756,061 sq miles (slightly less than three times the size of Texas )
Land Boundries
Border countries: Belize 155 mi, Guatemala 598 mi, US 1,952 mi
Coastline
5,797 mi
Climate
Subtropical to arid; hot and dry February to June; rainy,
humid, and mild June to November; cool and dry Novem-
ber to February
Terrain
Varies from tropical to desert
Natural Resources
Petroleum, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas,
timber
Land Use
Arable land: 12.99%
Permanent crops: 1.31%
Other: 85.7% (2001)
Natural Hazards
Tsunamis along the Pacific coast, volcanoes and destruc-
The Sonora Desert, tive earthquakes in the center and south, and hurricanes on the Pacific, Gulf of
Northern Mexico Mexico, and Caribbean coasts
Geography Note
Strategic location on southern border of US; corn (maize), one of the world’s
major grain crops, is thought to have originated in Mexico
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Quick Facts: Mexico
Population
106,202,903 (July 2005 est.)
Age Structure
0-14 years: 31.1% (male 16,844,400/female 16,159,511)
15-64 years: 63.3% (male 32,521,043/female 34,704,093)
65 years and over: 5.6% (male 2,715,010/female 3,258,846) (2005 est.)
Nationality
Noun: Mexican(s)
Adjective: Mexican
Ethnic Groups
Mestizo (Amerindian-Spanish) 60%,
Amerindian or predominantly Amerindian
30%, white 9%, other 1%
Religions
Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 6%,
other 5%
Language
Spanish, various Mayan, Nahuatl, and
other regional indigenous languages
Government Type
Federal republic Buildings in Mexico
City are decorated
Capital for Independance
Mexico (Distrito Federal) Day, September 16
National Holiday
Independence Day, 16 September (1810). The day marks the beginning of Mexico’s
struggle for independance from Spain.
Flag Description
Three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red; the coat of arms
(an eagle perched on a cactus with a snake in its beak) is centered in the white
band
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Economy Overview
Mexico has a free market economy that recently entered the trillion dollar class. It
contains a mixture of modern and outmoded industry and agriculture, increasingly
dominated by the private sector. Recent administrations have expanded competi-
tion in seaports, railroads, telecommunications, electricity generation, natural gas
distribution, and airports. Per capita income is one-fourth that of the US; income
distribution remains highly unequal. Trade with the US and Canada has tripled
since the implementation of NAFTA in 1994. Mexico has 12 free trade agree-
ments with over 40 countries including, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, the
European Free Trade Area, and Japan, putting more than 90% of trade under free
trade agreements. The current president Vicente Fox’s administration is cognizant
of the need to upgrade infrastructure, modernize the tax system and labor laws,
and allow private investment in the energy sector, but has been unable to win the
support of the opposition-led Congress. The next government that takes office in
December 2006 will confront the same challenges of boosting economic growth,
improving Mexico’s international competitiveness, and reducing poverty.
Agriculture Products
Corn, wheat, soybeans, rice, beans, cotton, coffee, fruit, tomatoes;
beef, poultry, dairy products; wood products
Industries
Food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum,
mining, textiles, clothing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, tourism
Currency
Mexican peso (MXN)
In 2005, 1 US Dollar (USD) = 10.97 Mexican peso (MXN)
Unemployment rate
3.6% plus underemployment of perhaps 25% (2005 est.)
International Issues
Prolonged drought, population growth, and outmoded practices and infrastruc-
ture in the border region have strained water-sharing arrangements with the US;
the US has stepped up efforts to stem nationals from Mexico, Central America,
and other parts of the world from illegally crossing the border with Mexico
24 | www.ums.org/education
Mexico Yesterday and Today
At least three great civilizations—the Mayas, the Olmecs, and later the Toltecs—
preceded the wealthy Aztec Empire, conquered in 1519–1521 by the Spanish
under Hernando Cortés. Spain ruled Mexico as part of the viceroyalty of New
Spain for the next 300 years until Sept. 16, 1810, when the Mexicans first For more indepth
revolted. They won independence in 1821. information on
Mexican history, go
From 1821 to 1877, there were two emperors, several dictators, and enough to:
presidents and provisional executives to make a new government on the average
of every nine months. Mexico lost Texas (1836), and after defeat in the war with http://www.
the U.S. (1846–1848), it lost the area that is now California, Nevada, and Utah,
mexonline.com/
most of Arizona and New Mexico, and parts of Wyoming and Colorado under
the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. In 1855, the Indian patriot Benito Juárez began
history.htm
a series of reforms, including the disestablishment of the Catholic Church, which
owned vast property. The subsequent civil war was interrupted by the French
invasion of Mexico (1861) and the crowning of Maximilian of Austria as emperor
(1864). He was overthrown and executed
by forces under Juárez, who again became
president in 1867.
25 | www.ums.org/education
In 1995, the U.S. agreed to prevent the collapse of Mexico’s private banks. In
return, the U.S. won virtual veto power over much of Mexico’s economic policy.
In 1997, in what observers called the freest elections in Mexico’s history, the PRI
lost control of the lower legislative house and the mayoralty of Mexico City in a
stunning upset. To increase democracy, President Ernesto Zedillo said in 1999 that
he would break precedent and not personally choose the next PRI presidential
nominee. Several months later, Mexico held its first presidential primary, which
was won by former interior secretary Francisco Labastida, Zedillo’s closest ally
among the candidates.
In elections held on July 2, 2000, the PRI lost the presidency, ending 71 years of
one-party rule. Vicente Fox Quesada, of the conservative National Action Party
(PAN), took 43% of the vote to Labastida’s 36%. Fox vowed tax reform, an
overhaul of the legal system, and a reduction in power of the central government.
By 2002, however, Fox had made little headway on his ambitious reform agenda.
Disfavor with Fox was evident in 2003 parliamentary elections, when the PRI
rebounded, winning 224 of the 500 seats in the lower house. After the elections,
Fox admitted publicly that many Mexicans were disappointed with his government
thus far.
Current Mexican
president, Vicente Fox
26 | www.ums.org/education
Student busily working during a UMS in-school visit.
Lesson Plans
Curriculum Connections
Are you interested Introduction
in more lesson
plans? The following lessons and activities offer suggestions intended to be used in
preparation for the UMS Youth Performance. These lessons are meant to be both
Visit the Kennedy fun and educational, and should be used to create anticipation for the performance.
Center’s ArtsEdge Use them as a guide to further exploration of the art form. Teachers may pick and
web site, the choose from the cross-disciplinary activities and can coordinate with other subject
nation’s most area teachers. You may wish to use several activities, a single plan, or pursue a
comprehensive single activity in greater depth, depending on your subject area, the skill level or
source of arts- maturity of your students and the intended learner outcomes.
based lesson
plans.
Our Lesson Plans Are Now Online!
www.artsedge. Lesson plans were created to help enrich your study of the José Limón Dance
kennedy-center. Company and make it come alive for your students. We hope that this new online
org format will make it easier for teachers to adapt the lesson plans for their own class-
rooms. The plans can bee accessed at www.ums.org/education.
Learner Outcomes
• Each student will become literate through the acquisition and use of
knowledge appropriate to that individual’s potential,
through a comprehensive, coordinated curriculum, including
computer literacy in a multicultural, gender-fair, and ability-sensitive
environment.
28 | www.ums.org/education
Meeting Michigan StandardsTitle
ARTS EDUCATION
Standard 1: Performing All students will apply skills and knowledge to perform in the arts.
Standard 2: Creating All students will apply skills and knowledge to create in the arts. UMS can help you
Standard 3: Analyzing in Context All students will analyze, describe, and evaluate works of art. meet Michigan’s
Standard 4: Arts in Context All students will understand, analyze and describe the arts in their
historical, social, and cultural contexts. Curricular
Standard 5: Connecting to other Arts, other Disciplines, and Life All students will recognize, Standards!
analyze and describe connections among the arts; between the arts and other disciplines;
between the arts and everyday life.
The activities in this
study guide,
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS combined with the
Standard 3: Meaning and Communication All students will focus on meaning and communica-
live performance, are
tion as they listen, speak, view, read, and write in personal, social, occupational, and civic
contexts.
aligned with Michigan
Standard 6: Voice All students will learn to communicate information accurately and effectively Standards and
and demonstrate their expressive abilities by creating oral, written and visual texts that Benchmarks.
enlighten and engage an audience.
For a complete list of
Standards and
SOCIAL STUDIES Benchmarks, visit the
Standard I-1: Time and Chronology All students will sequence chronologically eras of American
Michigan Department
history and key events within these eras in order to examine relationships and to explain
cause and effect.
of Education online:
Standard I-3: Analyzing and Interpreting the Past All students will reconstruct the past by
comparing interpretations written by others from a variety of perspectives and creating www.michigan.gov/
narratives from evidence. mde
Standard II-1: People, Places, and Cultures All students will describe, compare and explain the
locations and characteristics of places, cultures and settlements.
Standard VII-1: Responsible Personal Conduct All students will consider the effects of an
individual’s actions on other people, how one acts in accordance with the rule of law and
how one acts in a virtuous and ethically responsible way as a member of society.
MATH
Standard I-1: Patterns Students recognize similarities and generalize patterns, use patterns to
create models and make predictions, describe the nature of patterns and relationships and
construct representations of mathematical relationships.
Standard I-2: Variability and Change Students describe the relationships among variables, predict
what will happen to one variable as another variable is changed, analyze natural variation
and sources of variability and compare patterns of change.
Standard III-3: Inference and Prediction Students draw defensible inferences about unknown
outcomes, make predictions and identify the degree of confidence they have in their pre-
dictions.
SCIENCE
Standard I-1: Constructing New Scientific Knowledge All students will ask questions that help
them learn about the world; design and conduct investigations using appropriate
methodology and technology; learn from books and other sources of information; com-
municate their findings using appropriate technology; and reconstruct previously learned
knowledge.
Standard IV-4: Waves and Vibrations All students will describe sounds and sound waves; explain
shadows, color, and other light phenomena; measure and describe vibrations and waves;
and explain how waves and vibrations transfer energy.
29 | www.ums.org/education
Title
Each UMS lesson CAREER & EMPLOYABILITY
plan is aligned to Standard 1: Applied Academic Skills All students will apply basic communication skills, apply
scientific and social studies concepts, perform mathematical processes and apply
specific State of
technology in work-related situations.
Michigan Standard 2: Career Planning All students will acquire, organize, interpret and evaluate informa-
Standards. tion from career awareness and exploration activities, career assessment and work-based
experiences to identify and to pursue their career goals.
Standard 3: Developing and Presenting Information All students will demonstrate the ability to
combine ideas or information in new ways, make connections between seemingly unrelated
ideas and organize and present information in formats such as symbols, pictures, schemat
ics, charts, and graphs.
Standard 4: Problem Solving All students will make decisions and solve problems by specifying
goals, identifying resources and constraints, generating alternatives, considering impacts,
choosing appropriate alternatives, implementing plans of action and evaluating results.
Standard 5: Personal Management All students will display personal qualities such as
responsibility, self-management, self-confidence, ethical behavior and respect for self and
others.
Standard 7: Teamwork All students will work cooperatively with people of diverse backgrounds
and abilities, identify with the group’s goals and values, learn to exercise leadership, teach
others new skills, serve clients or customers and contribute to a group process with ideas,
suggestions and efforts.
TECHNOLOGY
Standard 2: Using Information Technologies All students will use technologies to input, retrieve,
organize, manipulate, evaluate and communicate information.
Standard 3: Applying Appropriate Technologies All students will apply appropriate technologies
to critical thinking, creative expression and decision-making skills.
WORLD LANGUAGES
Standard 2: Using Strategies All students will use a varietry of strategies to communicate in a non-
English language.
Standard 8: Global Community All students will define and characterize the global community.
Standard 9: Diversity All students will identify diverse languages and cultures throughout the
world.
30 | www.ums.org/education
Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano (Photo by Rosalie O’Connor)
Resources
UMS FIELD TRIP PERMISSION SLIP
Dear Parents and Guardians,
We will be taking a field trip to see a University Musical Society (UMS) Youth Performance of the Mariachi
Los Camperos de Nati Cano on Friday, February 10, from 12noon-1pm at Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor.
We will travel (please circle one) • by car • by school bus • by private bus • by foot
Leaving school at approximately ________am and returning at approximately ________pm.
The UMS Youth Performance Series brings the world’s finest performers in music, dance, theater, opera,
and world cultures to Ann Arbor. This performance features the Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano.
If your child requires medication to be taken while we are on the trip, please contact us to make
arrangements.
If you would like more information about this Youth Performance, please visit the Education section of
www.ums.org/education. Copies of the Teacher Resource Guide for this performance are available for
you to download.
Sincerely,
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Mariachi History
http://www.elmariachi.com/library/history.asp
History of Mexico
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107779.html
Discography
Puro Mariachi (Indigo Records, 1961)
www.ums.org/education
The official website of UMS. Visit the Education section (www.ums.org/education)
for study guides, information about community and family events and more infor-
mation about the UMS Youth Education Program.
www.artsedge.kennedy-center.org
The nation’s most comprehensive web site for arts education, including lesson
plans, arts education news, grant information, etc.
www.radiobilingue.org/mariachi/bio_naticano_camperos.htm - A
biography of Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano
www.smithsonianglobalsound.org/containerdetail.aspx?itemid=3050
- Samples of muscial tracks from their Grammy nominated album ¡Llegaron Los
Camperos!: Nati Cano’s Mariachi Los Camperos
Mexico
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/mxtoc.html - A comprehensive country study by
the Library of Congress, including Mexican history, economics, government, and
politics.
Mariachi
www.mariachi.org- a calendar of western US concerts and events, directory of
groups, and links to history and review sites.
Although UMS previewed each web site, we recommend that teachers check all web sites
before introducing them to students, as content may have changed since this guide was
published.
Recommended Reading
PRIMARY & ELEMENTARY GRADES
There are
Alarcon, Francisco X. Angels Ride Bikes: And Other Fall Poems (Children’s Book
Press; Bilingual edition, 1999). many more
books available
Alarcon, Francisco X. From the Bellybutton of the Moon and Other Summer about mariachi and
Poems (Children’s Book Press; Bilingual edition, 1998). Mexico
Alarcon, Francisco X. Iguanas in the Snow: and Other Winter Poems (Children’s Just visit
Book Press; Bilingual edition, 2001). www.amazon.com
Galindo, Mary Sue. Icy Watermelon/ Sandía Fría (Arte Publico Press; Bilingual
edition, 2001).
Mathews, Sally Schofer. The Sad Night: The Story of an Aztec Victory and a
Spanish Loss (Clarion Books, 2001).
Nye, Naomi Shihab. The Tree Is Older Than You Are: A Bilingual Gathering of
Poems & Stories from Mexico, (Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing,
1995).
Ober, Hal & Carol Ober. How Music Came to the World : An Ancient Mexican
Myth (Houghton Mifflin, 1994).
Wilson Sanger, Amy. Hola Jalapeno (World Snacks), (Tricycle Press, 2002).
Winner, Ramona Moreno. Lucas and His Loco Beans: A Tale of the Mexican
Jumping Bean, (Brainstorm Three Thousand, 2002).
Joseph, G. M., Timothy J. Henderson, Gilbert M. Joseph, eds. The Mexico Reader:
History, Culture, Politics (The Latin America Readers) (Duke University Press,
2003).
Shane, C. J., ed. The Mexicans (Coming to America) (Greenhaven Press, 2004).
Casa de Unidad
1920 Scotten
Detroit, Ml 48209
313.843.9598
http://casadeunidad.com/
37 | www.ums.org/education
Evening Performance Info
To purchase UMS
Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano
tickets: Natividad “Nati” Cano, artistic director
Friday, February 10, 8 pm
Online Power Center
www.ums.org
Mariachi goes beyond music: it is a musical celebration of life expressed through
a group of musicians in traditional clothing, encompassing the essence of Mexico
By Phone and its people. The eleven-member Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano takes this
musical folk tradition from the streets into the concert hall, where it can be right-
734.764.2538
fully appreciated as an art form of innate beauty and artistry.
A traditionalist and a visionary, Natividad “Nati” Cano has both mirrored and
shaped the history of mariachi music, blending traditional rhythms with the more
complex harmonies of American and Mexican popular music. Growing up in rural
Mexico, he moved to Guadalajara and then Los Angeles, where he founded Los
Camperos, the major driving force of the mariachi tradition and the group that is
chiefly responsible for its surge in popularity in North America.
To hear their richly operatic voices interwoven with the lush melodies of violins, the
complex rhythms of guitar, vihuela (mariachi rhythm guitar) and harp, and the vivid
brilliance of trumpets, is to experience mariachi at its best — a triumphant balance
of contrasts that is distinctly Mexican yet universal in its appeal.
TEEN Ticket
In response to the needs of our teen audience members, the University Musical
Society has implemented the TEEN Ticket. All teens can attend UMS events at
a significant discount. Tickets are available for $10 the day of the performance
at the Michigan League Ticket Office, or for 50% off the published price at the
venue 90 minutes before the performance begins. One ticket per student ID.
Send Us Your Feedback!
UMS wants to know what teachers and students think about this Youth Performance.
We hope you’ll send us your thoughts, drawings, letters or reviews.