While some high school students idle over summer break, the 55 teens at the Longhorn Music Camp are learning the art of mariachi music.
Ezekiel Robert Castro, a lecturer at the University of Texas鈥� and director of UT鈥檚 Mariachi Ensemble, created the first ever mariachi camp at UT for students entering grades 10 through 12.
鈥淚 was a mariachi teacher for a long time,鈥� Castro says. 鈥淚 have been and still am very passionate about mariachi music. I want to be able to continue this tradition and I like to see it continue in a very positive way and the interpretations should be as correct as possible.鈥�
The camp doesn鈥檛 cater to beginners; the students are all experienced players and go through an auditioning process before the three-day session begins (July 10-July 13). Once the instructors reviewed each camper鈥檚 ability, they were assigned to their groups for their sessions 鈥� which culminate in a concert on Saturday.
Campers鈥� three-day musical journey concludes at on Saturday. As these dedicated young musicians practice for their concert, they abide by a rigorous schedule. 18-year-old violin player Cody Trejo recently graduated from Ben Bolt High School and will be attending UT this fall.
鈥淲hat I love about mariachi is that every song has a story. What I hope to take away from this camp is to grow as a musician. The music is challenging, but what is life without a challenge? 鈥�
Castro plans to give the campers a tour of the campus and make their experience at Longhorn Mariachi camp one they will take back fond memories of.
鈥淚 want to make sure that number one: they get a positive experience of mariachi music, and when they when they go away should have a positive attitude about their mariachi instructors, and third: I want everybody to go home and say what a good time they had.鈥�
Saturday鈥檚 performance at Bates Recital Hall is free and open to the public 鈥� and is also .
