Mariachi Band at Mason Elementary School 2025 – 2026
Dear Parents / Guardians of 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students,
Each year, your children play classroom instruments, including recorders and ukuleles. Students who are interested in making more music are invited to join Mariachi Band, playing ukulele, xylophone, violin (lessons are offered after school on Wednesdays), recorder, or percussion instruments.
A Mariachi Band is a group of musicians playing a wide variety of instruments, focusing on music from Mexico and surrounding areas. We take the “surrounding areas” to the limit, and enjoy playing music from the Caribbean, from South America, from…well, maybe from New Orleans, or Ireland, or Bali, or Russia, or…who knows? If we like the music, and we can play it together, then we will!
Band has typically been limited to 5th graders and has involved a full year commitment. This year, we are still focusing on upper classes, and hope students will choose to participate for a full year, but we understand that there are other interesting things to do after school! We will open registration to 5th graders first, then to 4th graders, and, depending on numbers, possibly to 3rd graders, and we will look at the numbers part way through the school year, possibly opening up registration for additional students if some band members choose to concentrate on other activities.
Mariachi Band will be after school on Thursdays, ending at 4:30, starting September 11, 2025.
Participation in any artistic pursuit requires commitment – attending rehearsals, paying attention, and doing one’s best. If your child is committed to playing in Mariachi Band, your child will learn to play. Such a commitment takes time. Children who sign up for band in the fall are expected to remain in band at least until the winter break. Those who sign up in January are expected to remain until the April break. Of course, if you have a concern about your child’s participation at any time, please let me know.
If your child plans to join Mariachi Band, please fill out the following form to indicate your shared commitment to the program, and return it as soon as possible.
Thank you, Mrs. Smith, Music Teacher dprincesmith@sau89.nh.gov