Texas Border Business
By Veronica Salinas
South Texas College proudly welcomes Marcos Sanchez, adjunct faculty member and new instructor for the Mariachi Ensemble.
This is Sanchez’s first semester teaching at the collegiate level and he says the experience has already been rewarding.
“This is my first-time teaching at the post-secondary collegiate level, and it’s been a really great experience,” he said. “I’ve had the opportunity to work with some truly amazing students who are not only talented but also motivated and eager to learn. Their dedication and energy make teaching here incredibly rewarding, and it excites me to see the potential they have to grow as musicians and as individuals.”
Sanchez brings years of experience to STC as an orchestra teacher for Weslaco Independent School District. Over the course of his career, he has taught music at nearly every level from elementary, choir, high school band and beyond.
Sanchez’s passion for music was sparked at an early age and has stayed with him ever since.
“I always tell the story of when I was about four or five years old,” he said. “My father played conjunto music with his brothers as a hobby, and he kept a guitar hanging on the wall. I would climb up on the couch just to reach it, pluck at the strings and I was completely mesmerized by the sounds it created. Of course, I eventually got caught, but instead of getting in trouble, my parents enrolled me in music lessons soon after. That moment opened the door to a lifelong love of music.”
Though he briefly considered other paths including business school, Sanchez always found himself returning to music.
“Music has always been my passion,” he said. “I’ve learned that it’s not only possible to pursue what you love, but also to build a livelihood and support a family through it. Music has given so much to me and my family and I’m grateful for the life it has allowed us to create.”
For Sanchez, mariachi holds a special place among the performing arts because of the wide-range of benefits it provides.
“Amongst the performing arts, mariachi is unique because you’re not only getting the cognitive and metacognitive benefits of being a musician, but it also gives you emotional intelligence, critical thinking skills, collaborative skills and those are things that translate into other professions outside of music.”
When it comes to teaching, Sanchez says connecting on an emotional level is key.
“What makes music both a challenge and easy to teach is that we as humans are very emotional,” he said. “When we can connect emotionally to the task we’re doing, it can really affect the quality. Mariachi music is deeply emotional, which makes it easier for us to connect and create something meaningful.”
Sanchez is eager to see STC’s mariachi program not only grow, but also establish itself as a cornerstone of the college’s music department. One that reflects the rich cultural traditions of the Rio Grande Valley while giving students the skills, opportunities and confidence to excel at the collegiate level and beyond.
“My goal is to help this program take its place at STC and become just as successful as other music programs in the Rio Grande Valley,” he said. “The Valley consistently produces some of the best mariachi students in the country, and that’s something we can all take pride in. You could say mariachi is part of the Valley’s identity and it’s something the RGV owns. Now it’s time for STC to not only embrace that tradition but also become a leader in developing the next generation of mariachi musicians.”
For more information on STC’s Music program visit: https://www.southtexascollege.edu/academics/music/
Information source: STC
