As part of its Learning and Engagement programs, La Jolla Music Society (LJMS) is inviting talented student musicians from across San Diego County to apply to its inaugural Mariachi Honor Band.
Musicians selected for the Honor Band will learn from leading mariachi artists and educators, including guest artists from across San Diego and Los Angeles; perform alongside talented peers from across San Diego County; and take the stage to perform in a featured concert at The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center in La Jolla with Latin GRAMMY-nominated artist Javier Rodriguez and special guests.
High School Honor Band (grades 9-12) and University Honor Band (ages 17-25) are open to:
Violin
Trumpet
Guitarrón
Vihuela
Guitar
Harp
Rehearsals will be on Thursdays, Oct. 15, 22, and 29, from 5 to 6:45 p.m. (high school) and 7 to 8:45 p.m. (university) at Logan Memorial Educational Campus. The performance will be on Thursday, Nov. 5, at 7 p.m. at The Conrad in La Jolla.
All are welcome to apply online, and applications are due Sunday, Sept. 20, by midnight.
LJMS has a long and successful history with mariachi instruction through its Community Music Center based at Logan Memorial Educational Campus. As recently as July 2024, its youth mariachi ensemble Mariachi Juvenil won first place at the California State Fair Youth Mariachi Competition in Sacramento.
Mariachi Juvenil was established in 2001 and is led and instructed by Serafin Paredes, a music educator who has been the director of the LJMS Community Music Center for over 25 years. Participating students come from different schools including Logan Memorial, San Ysidro High School, Mission Bay High, and Our Lady’s School, Southwestern College and SDSU. The Community Music Center (CMC) is designed to increase students’ self-confidence and resilience, while providing a safe and equitable environment for studying and creating music.
The CMC provides free instruments and free group lessons three days a week in seven different instrument families for students in grades 4-12. Students also participate in two recitals each year, which builds self-confidence and pride. In addition to providing free instruments and books for classroom use and at-home practice, LJMS awards students who meet attendance and musical proficiency requirements for two years with a new instrument they can keep for life. With the support of a dedicated and qualified nine-member teaching staff, students’ lives are changed forever, building critical learning and life skills through music-making.