The Mariachi Heritage Foundation officially kicked off a mariachi music training course this week in partnership with Chicago’s VanderCook College of Music. The four day course provided a unique opportunity for music educators to learn the basics of teaching mariachi through a formal curriculum. An advanced version of the course is also happening for the mariachi music educators that will staff Chicago’s first, standards-based, full-time program this Fall at five elementary schools. The course was taught by mariachi legend Jose Hernandez, founder of Mariachi Sol de México and teamed up with De La Salle Institute.

The five Chicago Public Schools selected to teach mariachi classes are: Joseph E. Gary Elementary School; Edward N. Hurley Fine and Performing Arts Magnet Cluster; Richard Edwards Elementary School; Nathan S. Davis Elementary School; and Calmeca Academy of Fine Arts and Dual Language. All five schools applied for and received a grant from the $21.5 million surplus in tax increment financing funds the Chicago Public Schools announced early this year it would use to hire additional full-time teachers for arts and physical education classes. The funding will allow these schools to hire full-time credentialed music teachers for the standards-based, mariachi music program. For more information, visit www.mariachiheritagefoundation.org.