Mariachi is making a comeback in Colorado schools

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Mari Meza-Burgos and Priscilla Arasaki are on the road again. They shuttle around instruments, their families in tow, ears to the ground for a sound that they are uniquely positioned to hear: a call — a “ grito ,” maybe — for mariachi.

They’re the teachers of teachers, leading workshops for current and future instructors who want to bring the Mexican musical tradition to their students.

Contemporary mariachi ensembles typically consist — with some variation — of a singer, some trumpets, and a string section that includes violins and guitars, along with the “vihuela,” which with a higher-tuned sound than the guitar, and the “guitarrón,” providing the music’s low notes and rhythmic drive. The arrangement makes for an easy introduction in schools that already hav