The universal language. Where ever you go around the globe, regardless of the country or language is spoken, everyone understands and reads music. Music is the Universal Language. Everyone that has studied music knows the C scale starting with, DO, RE, MI, FA, SOL, LA, SI, Do. I was a teacher for forty four years. Now, retired, I miss working with my students.
When I finished college at The University of The State of New York in Albany, I was all full of gusto and energy to take on the world. Problem was, I couldn’t find a job on the east coast. I went back to my home town of Weslaco in South Texas. The only job I could find at that time. A federally funded music program. It wasn’t band. It was an Estudiantina.
The school district wanted to start a program for students that were possible drop outs. I figured, well it’s Music the Universal Language. Not exactly what I had trained for, but still music. But first a little history about Estudiantinas.
The Universal Language / Estudiantina
During the 16th century, Spain was a very powerful country. It was colonizing the New World, the Americas. Estudiantinas mainly originated in the universities of Spain, specifically, Madrid and Salamanca. Estudiantinas were introduced in Mexico. Many of their universities still have estudiantinas and they follow the same traditions. University students would form groups with mandolins, guitars and stringed bass. They would mainly go and sing serenade songs to their lady friends. This is the Estuldiantina from the University of Guanajuato. It is one of the most popular and traditional in Mexico. Every time they serenade a lady, their reward is a ribbon to place on their capes.
The Universal Language / Mariachi
So now I wasn’t a band director, I was an Estudiantina Director for seven years. Then the federal funds were cut and I was out of a job. This was the summer of 1982. I received a call from another school district wanting to hire me as a Mariachi Director. I was then joined by three assistants, Mario, Pedro and Oscar. Each one on them were professional musicians in their own right and assisted me with instruction. Again, it wasn’t band, but Music the Universal Language. It was another form of music. I quickly learned or researched the style and formed a Mariachi group. I taught there for 37 years.
Tenure As Director
During my tenure as a Mariachi Director we were instrumental in starting Mariachi classes for credit. For the first ten years, we were the only school that offered classes for a grade and credit. In 1992 other schools got on the band wagon, so to speak. Today, a large majority of schools in Texas have started Mariachi programs and now are part of the UIL University Interscholastic League System.
The Universal Language
We received many honors during this time. Three invitations to preform in the annual Carnaval in Nice, France. We were able to raise money to travel and perform in the 1987 and 1994 festivities in Nice. Several trips to Washington D.C. In 1990 for our congressman as well as trips to New Orleans, and throughout the State of Texas. They performed for presidents, senators and governors and many other dignitaries.
The Guitar Instructor
Music is the universal language. Music can be Classical, Band, Jazz, Estudiantina, Mariachi. Every one understands the music. The difference is the style. If you learn the style, you can play the music. When I was in college, my main instrument was the Frenchhorn. When I started these programs I didn’t know how to play all of the instruments. College taught me the trumpet and the violin, but I had to learn to play the guitar, vihuela and the guitarron (bass guitar). Some of my classes were for guitar. There were many students that wanted to learn to be rock stars over night. Yeah, right! Any how, my studies in music helped me to find a way to teach the instrument.
I would start a student with just 2 chords. The chords would be A and E7 for example. The student would have to learn to play these chords. With just these two chords the student could accompany a song in 2/4 time, like a Polka or Mexican Corrido. A Corrido is a running account of an event that happened or a person.
Later a third chord would be added. The D chord.
Now the student could play songs in 3/4 time, like a waltz tempo or a western or spanish song. As each set of three chords were learned, more were added. Gradually the student would be playing or accompaning songs. This is how I would start my students. As soon as two chords were learned the student could accompany a song. The idea was to motivate them and keep them in school. My program was mainly a drop out prevention program, and it worked out very well. The idea was to motivate them and keep them in school.
A Teachers Greatest Honor
One thing about teaching, you never stop learning. I learned about my own culture as well. Things I could never have imagined. A large number of my students finished high school and went on to college. The greatest feeling a teacher can have is to receive praise and see his own students graduate from college. Many of them are teachers now. Others went into other professional fields. I feel very honored to have known and worked with them. In clossing, here is an excerpt a student wrote in a letter after he had graduated.
“Mr. Cantu, I appreciate all of the things that you have done for me and for the group.” “Most teachers would never do the things that you do just to ensure that we get the most out of everthing. You have kept the group together in the most fragile situations that would just turn everything worse. You have kept us intact with each other. When we were all falling apart, you were always there to bring us back together. You treated us as if we were all your children. We might not all say it out loud, but don’t forget that we all love you like our second father. I know that I haven’t been the best student, but know that you have been the best instructor. Thank you.”
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