Tag: music
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The Soundtrack of Memory
I play trumpet for a mariachi, and I sing too. And for those who are familiar with it, mariachi music is perhaps one of the most emotionally driven musical genres there is. I’d say arguably, but I am biased. Whatareyagunnado? Recently, we’ve played quite a few funerals, along with a whole lot of birthdays and…
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The Thing About Progress…
The other day, I was sitting with my dad and my uncle, and somehow we got to talking about cars. You know how those conversations go. One story leads to another, somebody remembers a car they used to have, somebody else remembers a road trip, and before you know it, we’re talking about the radios…
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Unplugged
Funny observation… Everywhere I go, people are plugged into something. AirPods. Earbuds. Noise-canceling headphones. The giant over-the-ear ones that make you look like an air traffic controller. Every now and then there’s the brave soul carrying a Bluetooth speaker, generously sharing their playlist with everyone within a fifty-foot radius, whether we asked for it or…
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Beneath Your Balcony
Beneath your balcony, I become music—not the kind you hear,but the kind that trembles in your chest before a single note is played. The night leans in to listen, roses hold their breath, and even the shadows softenjust to witness the way you look at me. Your hand—how can something so small carry the weight…
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Between Tradition and Memory: A Mariachazo Reflection
We’ve all been to concerts. We all know what it feels like to sit in a crowd, to wait for the first note, to remember pieces of music long after the night ends. We all carry our own memories of them—the sound, the crowd, the moments that stay with us in different ways. But Mariachazo…
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Mariachi Me… Same Traje, Different Mileage
Being a Mariachi isn’t just about the music. It’s about what you carry before you ever play a note. The traje—sharp, tailored, unmistakable—has a way of teaching you that. At first, it feels like a costume. Something you put on to look the part. The shine, the stitching, the silver botonadura, the way it commands…
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A Little Bit of Us in Everything
I saw this quote today, and it resonated with me deeply:“We are writers, my love. We don’t cry. We bleed on paper.”I have no idea who wrote it, but it hit me anyway. As a creator—writer, musician, photographer, cook—it applies across the board. Our emotions are always on display through our work. Not always overtly,…
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Why I Create…
Sitting with myself this morning, coffee in hand, I asked, “Why do you create?” …and the reflection in the mug stared back, quiet, like it already knew the answer before I did. “Why do you create?” I asked again, slower this time, letting the words curl in the warmth of the coffee steam. And the…
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Dichoso El Árbol
Music. For most, it is simply entertainment. For some, it fills the silence. For others, it is just noise, or a distraction from what weighs on the mind. But for a smaller number, music is more—it is healing, it is connection, even a kind of spiritual touch. For me, it is a bit of all…
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On Stage with La Gran Señora
Being a mariachi musician, you learn that every gig carries its own rhythm. But this one—this was different. It was more than performing alongside a star.More than shaking the hand of someone people call a legend.It was… everything. The day started early, like most mariachi days do. Instruments packed. Trajes pressed. Voices warming somewhere between…
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Echoes of Our Heritage
Some of my favorite memories aren’t found on big stages or at fancy events. They’re in backyards — folding chairs circling around a grill, kids chasing each other barefoot on the grass, elders sitting in the shade telling stories that we’ve all heard a hundred times and still love to hear again. It’s in these…