Kentucky's first public school mariachi band fosters cultural pride

Yahoo

10-04-2025

LEXINGTON, Ky. (FOX 56) — Every high school has a music program, but Bryan Station is the only public school in Kentucky to have a mariachi band.
Director Genaro Rascon formed the band at the high school in 2023 after heading up a similar program at Berea College. He said Fayette County Superintendent Dr. Demetrius Liggins, a Texas native, 'grew up around mariachi bands in the schools' and wanted to see a similar program in the district. It made sense to locate it at Bryan Station High School, where 36% of the student body has a Latino background. The school also has a Spanish immersion program.
Kentucky's first public school mariachi band fosters cultural pride
Starting early: 11-year-old Lexington boy says he's running for Congress
Hazel Green, Kentucky gets a makeover as a 'Celtic Village'
'Mariachi is the folkloric music of Mexico, just as people in Kentucky might recognize bluegrass as their folkloric music,' Rascon said.
Janely Hernandez, a junior, said she loves the way crowds react when the band plays at a concert or festival. 'I get really excited because everyone is super excited, jumping up and down, asking for more songs, and I get really happy that I'm doing this.'
The students who transitioned from concert band or orchestra learned quickly that this is not a band where you can be timid.
'There's a lot more connection there, but it's also a theatrical performance,' said assistant director Nathan Bailey. 'They're not just learning how to play their instruments. They're learning how to sing and act on stage all at the same time.'
There are also lessons in history and culture thrown in. Mariachi dates back to the 18th century. A typical band has violins, trumpets, and guitars, and the members take turns singing lead.
Read more Spirit of the Bluegrass stories
The directors say many people only think of mariachi bands as a novelty act. They hope to change that.
'So much of public-school teaching of music is that it's either John Philip Sousa and 'Stars and Stripes Forever' or Beethoven and Bach,' Rascon said. 'This music belongs in that conversation.'
'We want to showcase it as a fine art,' Bailey added. 'We're bringing our groups to stages where people sit and watch us perform. It's not just music that's performed in a corner as background sound.'
In its second year, the band, called Mariachi Escudo de Bryan Station, got ornate mariachi suits and sombreros. Members say that has helped them feel more professional.
'Yes, it does,' said Jack Roblero, a senior who plays guitar. 'It makes me feel like I'm more connected to my culture. I really enjoy it a lot.' He said he would like to form his own mariachi band someday.
There's a lot of pride in being in the state's first public school to teach mariachi, and that pride extends into the community.
Jerry's Restaurant in Paris is the last of its kind
Hernandez said, 'I like bragging about it!'
'It's the first time for a lot of these parents that they're happy to come to a school function, that they're excited that their kid is in band,' Rascon said. 'It means the world to me that they get to have that experience, and their students get to have that experience.'
Bryan Station may not be the only public school to have a mariachi band much longer. A middle school in northern Kentucky has reached out to Rascon and Bailey for guidance in forming a band as early as next year.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.