<p> Mariachi programs have gained interest and acceptance among music educators in most regions of the United States. Successful mariachi programs are energizing students and creating positive relationships between the schools and their communities. Mariachi programs are growing as more students identify and connect with this Mexican folkloric music. An example of a flourishing mariachi program can be found in the Las Vegas Clark County School District, which has seen its program grow from 250 students to over 3,000 since 2002. Considering that the Hispanic population is expected to reach about 106 million in 2050, about double what it is today, the potential for mariachi instruction in public schools will likely follow these growing population trends. However, due to the highly stylized idiomatic music that is mariachi, music educators not familiar with its innate teachings might hinder the art form at a pedagogical level. This research paper explores three current approaches to mariachi pedagogy in U.S. public education: informal, formal, and a hybrid approach between the two aesthetics. The hybrid approach will be the basis of rehearsal practice in preparing for &ldquo;Se&ntilde;or Trompetas&rdquo; in my graduate recital to test its efficacy to teaching authentic mariachi music.</p>

<p> Much of the operatic music of the eccentric French composer Hector Berlioz (1803-1869) is overlooked, especially from his first full opera <i>Benvenuto Cellini.</i> This is due in part to many misconceptions surrounding Berlioz&rsquo;s vocal compositional style, which stem from the political atmosphere at the time of the opera&rsquo;s premiere in 1838 Paris when ill-willed critics renamed it <i>Malvenuto Cellini.</i> A general ignorance of this work and its music pervades the world of vocal pedagogy, having been excluded from the standard repertoire anthologies, where it can ironically be the most useful. The research presented in this project comprises original data from pedagogical and aesthetical surveys, as well as analytical comparisons of numerous arias and scenes.</p><p> The pedagogical surveys demonstrate that the work is mostly discounted or unknown among nationally respected pedagogues, who almost never assign any of these arias or scenes to their students. Yet, the aesthetical surveys show an appreciation of the music from an unbiased populous. Additionally, a study of the international production history of this opera, including cost and revenue statistics, supports the perpetuated trend of undeserved negativity towards <i>Benvenuto Cellini</i> when these supposed deterrents do not inhibit productions of other highly expensive or lesser-known operas. A microcosmic analysis of audition data furthers the idea that the world of vocal pedagogy is married to a canon of arias, which leaves little room for repertoire diversity or experimentation for voice students and creates an educational gap in their lack of exposure to this music. As pedagogical tools, respected voice professors almost universally use specific styles of arias and scenes from different eras and cultures to teach their students technical, musical, and dramatic stage concepts. In the case of nineteenth-century French Romanticism, the diverse music from <i>Benvenuto Cellini</i> fulfills these needs and also incorporates Italianate influences, while simultaneously serving as a reference point for succeeding Germanic declamatory style. It encapsulates Romantic thought and factors into the plethora of works that feature the life of Renaissance Mannerist sculptor, Benvenuto Cellini (1500-1571). Comparative analyses of arias and scenes from Berlioz&rsquo;s opera to the works of other composers included in the standard repertory, such as Mozart, Rossini, Meyerbeer, Donizetti, and Verdi, elucidate the equivalent quality and invaluable importance of this music.</p>

<p> This study examined the use of teaching aids to support or remediate left and right hand setup in beginning string students. 148 teachers of beginning strings students were surveyed to examine what commercial and homemade aids, props or devices they use to help their students establish or correct setup of the left wrist position, left hand fingering, right hand bow hold, and the ability to bow straight. Teachers were also asked to rate the perceived effectiveness of the teaching aids used. A catalog of all teaching aids described in the study is included in the appendix. </p><p> 82.2% of teachers surveyed did not use teaching aids to establish or correct the left wrist position, although the teachers who did use teaching aids for this purpose considered the aids effective. For developing the left hand position and intonation, the surveyed teachers were almost unanimous in their use of teaching aids: 99.4% used teaching aids for this purpose, and 93% of those teachers indicated that the aids were effective. 79.3% of survey respondents used teaching aids to develop or remediate the bow hold, and 98.3% of those teachers indicated that the bow hold teaching aids they used were effective. Only 59.3% of respondents reported that they used teaching aids to help students develop the ability to bow straight, although 97.7% of those teachers considered that the teaching aids were effective for this purpose. More than half of the teachers surveyed were considered &ldquo;experienced&rdquo; (eleven or more years of teaching) and were the largest group of users of teaching aids for all four set-up areas. The use of teaching aids did not seem to be contingent upon the number of students taught at a time. </p><p> Experienced and less-experienced teachers used both commercial and homemade teaching aids when teaching any size of group, from individual students to large ensembles. Many creative ideas for homemade aids were shared by the respondents and are included in the comprehensive catalog of teaching aids described in the study.</p><p>