What Is Mariachi and Why Is It So Popular at Fitz?
Jocelyn Romero
Quarter 1
Jocelyn Romero
Quarter 1
The 2025-26 Mariachi Club has started! Mariachi takes place at 2:35 in Room 23 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Mariachi is an important club in our school because it represents Mexican culture, and a lot of our students at Fitz are Mexican.
Mariachi does not have lots of instruments, even though when you hear their songs, it sounds like there are many different sounds at once. The instruments included in Mariachi are guitar, violin, trumpet, and the students' voices. The hardest part of Mariachi is having the instruments sound in sync. Sometimes, one instrument could be on time, but the others might be late. They also have a role in making the song's turning point. Especially the violins. They can make the songs sound so emotional. Then, of course, the voices are a big part. The singing can tell a story in such a beautiful way. But of course, singing isn’t that easy. Lots of students in Mariachi are not that confident in singing. An anonymous 7th grader has said that “It makes me a little nervous, but the more I sing, the calmer I feel.” Overall, being in Mariachi is hard work because there aren't many instruments, so the students have to play perfectly.
Mr. A and Mr. G are the Mariachi teachers. Mr. G has been teaching mariachi at Fitz the longest. This year will be his 5th here at Fitz, while Mr. A is new. Mr. A was transferred to Fitz this year. His experience here at Fitz has been great. Students say that he's a really nice instructor alongside Mr. G. They both do lots of great things for their students. These instructors give the opportunity to their students to play at different elementary schools. This helps them perform in front of different audiences. They also play during the DLI visits, the Winter Concert, and the Spring Concert. Every year, they play lots of different songs, but of course, Mr. A and Mr. G have their favorites. Mr. A's favorite is “Árboles de la Barranca,” and Mr. G's is “El Cobarde.” But they don’t always play those songs. Every year, they usually come up with new songs to play, so they don't repeat. Fitz Intermediate is lucky to have these amazing instructors because they are so helpful and kind to their students!
What made these students interested in Mariachi? Well, there are a lot of different reasons why. But the most popular reason is that people recommended it to their friends. Lots of students have said that they only joined because of their friends. For instance, a 7th grader said, “Cause last year I played the trumpet, since I was so good at playing and it seemed interesting, and most of my friends are in Mariachi.” Mariachi feels like a home to these students. They love the instructors and their classmates.
All things considered, Mariachi is an important and vibrant club. We are lucky enough to have this amazing club because it shows us the powerful importance of Mexican culture through awesome songs. But most importantly, the songs are always a blast every year! We’re looking forward to this year's songs and students!