n.l. belardes: Bakersfield Music Scene Gossip and the Arts
N.L. Belardes
Steel drums, mariachi bands and Civil War music in the inner city - by N.L. Belardes
Remember when I said that kids are the future of music and the arts? Last night was a reminder of just that as I had the honor of beholding some great cultural music performed by our city’s inner city youth. Forget the yuppy uppity schools and their great music. There’s music in the inner core of Bakersfield as last night I saw a mariachi band, a Civil War tear jerking violin solo and a steel drum band that took the song One World to new heights.
Curran Junior High didn’t put on your typical Spring concert with orchestras, bands and choirs. Oh, there were those elements too, and they were great I might add. But this was Spring music fever under Director Mr. Cool Cat Rodriguez himself, a well-known educator and music spokesman for the Bakersfield City School District and the National Association for Music Education (MENC). As king mariachi, Rodriguez has taken the Curran mariachi band to Fresno to work with some of the greatest mariachi folks in the world. The band has also spent time with Dr. Daniel Sheehy, ethnomusicologist and curator for the Smithsonian ‘folkways recordings’ collection. This is National Endowment for the Arts kind of excellence, not some babysitting class on mariachi handpuppets. Rodriguez takes cultural music seriously and he puts his students to the test.
Last night featured some great mariachi songs like El Sol Que Tu Eres, Caminito de la Sierra and Las Chiapanecas. But the crowd also enjoyed Rodriguez' steel drum band, who will be performing tomorrow at CSUB at 8am. The drum and bass solo during One World had people literally out of their seats! Tomorrow you can hear Louie! Louie! La Bamba and Tequila!
Some people know me for the teary-eyed baby that I am and would have seen me get quite melancholy last night as Curran student, Tess Orr played a Civil War themed solo with her own mamasita, Mrs. Orr accompanying on the piano. Now let me just say that this kid was first chair, all district and in a most humble manner let her skills do the talking. It was a rare treat and I wish I knew the name of the song she played. I hear it was a theme played on a historical documentary... now those of you who know me as a history professor, don't go thinking I liked the song because it was historical-based! This kid was that good...
All of the kids put on a most excellent performance. Rodriguez can boast to his orchestra chums on last night's highly skilled festivities at Curran Junior High...
Curran Junior High didn’t put on your typical Spring concert with orchestras, bands and choirs. Oh, there were those elements too, and they were great I might add. But this was Spring music fever under Director Mr. Cool Cat Rodriguez himself, a well-known educator and music spokesman for the Bakersfield City School District and the National Association for Music Education (MENC). As king mariachi, Rodriguez has taken the Curran mariachi band to Fresno to work with some of the greatest mariachi folks in the world. The band has also spent time with Dr. Daniel Sheehy, ethnomusicologist and curator for the Smithsonian ‘folkways recordings’ collection. This is National Endowment for the Arts kind of excellence, not some babysitting class on mariachi handpuppets. Rodriguez takes cultural music seriously and he puts his students to the test.
Last night featured some great mariachi songs like El Sol Que Tu Eres, Caminito de la Sierra and Las Chiapanecas. But the crowd also enjoyed Rodriguez' steel drum band, who will be performing tomorrow at CSUB at 8am. The drum and bass solo during One World had people literally out of their seats! Tomorrow you can hear Louie! Louie! La Bamba and Tequila!
Some people know me for the teary-eyed baby that I am and would have seen me get quite melancholy last night as Curran student, Tess Orr played a Civil War themed solo with her own mamasita, Mrs. Orr accompanying on the piano. Now let me just say that this kid was first chair, all district and in a most humble manner let her skills do the talking. It was a rare treat and I wish I knew the name of the song she played. I hear it was a theme played on a historical documentary... now those of you who know me as a history professor, don't go thinking I liked the song because it was historical-based! This kid was that good...
All of the kids put on a most excellent performance. Rodriguez can boast to his orchestra chums on last night's highly skilled festivities at Curran Junior High...