Mariachi Águila

Featuring Special Guests from Mariachi Juvenil
Mariachi Águila

Composed of students from La Jolla Music Society’s Community Music Center, Mariachi Águila was established in 2022 by Music Director Serafin Paredes. Advanced students are invited to participate in this ensemble as a way to continue their musical studies and follow their passions in a supportive learning environment. Mariachi Águila participated in the 10th Annual University of San Diego Mariachi Conference in the Spring of 2023.

The award-winning Community Music Center (CMC), operated by La Jolla Music Society, is an afterschool music program that will be celebrating its 25th Anniversary this year. Based in Logan Heights at the Logan Memorial Educational Campus (formerly Memorial Preparatory), the CMC is designed to increase students’ self-confidence and resilience, while providing a safe and equitable environment for studying and creating music.

The CMC provides free instruments and free group lessons three days a week in seven different instrument families for students in grades 4 to 12. Students also participate in two recitals each year, which builds self-confidence and pride. In addition to providing free instruments and books for classroom use and at-home practice, LJMS awards students who meet attendance and musical proficiency requirements for two years with a new instrument they can keep for life. Two new ensembles will be created this year to help advanced students deepen their musical knowledge and foster trusting and collaborative relationships.

Featuring Special Guests from Mariachi Juvenil

Serafin Paredes established Mariachi Juvenil de San Diego in 2001 with three main goals: To have a place where his students could further their musical knowledge, continue their education after high school, and connect with their culture through music. To help achieve these goals, in 2003 Mariachi Juvenil de San Diego became the first and only nonprofit mariachi in San Diego.

Members of Mariachi Juvenil de San Diego are required to maintain a certain grade point average during high school to remain a member of the mariachi. To keep students motivated to continue their education after high school, Mariachi Juvenil de San Diego gives members a small scholarship to help pay for their college expenses. Former and current members of Mariachi Juvenil de San Diego have continued their education at institutions such as San Diego City College, San Diego Mesa College, Southwestern College, San Diego State University, California State University Dominguez Hills, University of California San Diego, University of San Diego, George Mason University, University of San Francisco, National University, and Stanford University to name a few.

In 2003, Serafin Paredes attended the Tucson International Mariachi Conference, where he saw students interacting and learning from professional mariachi musicians through educational workshops. Being there inspired Paredes to create his own conference in San Diego. For the past 14 years, Mariachi Juvenil de San Diego has being hosting an Annual Mariachi Conference in March, where students from San Diego and other parts of the United States and Mexico get together for two days and showcase their talent. The purpose of this event is to give students a space to master their skills, develop leadership skills, and mainly, to learn to respect the rich and living tradition of Mexican folklore.

Throughout the years, Mariachi Juvenil de San Diego has traveled and performed in cities including San Juan Capistrano, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Tucson, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Tijuana, Baja California, and Guadalajara. In 2018, the group had the privilege to travel to Japan and perform around Nagoya, Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo alongside the Greater San Diego Chamber Orchestra, Sergio Caratachea, Javier Rodriguez, and Yoshi Oshima.

Arts and Crafts with Village Arts Education Foundation

The Village Arts Education Foundation’s goal is to enrich lives of people of all ages and backgrounds through the visual art mediums, painting, drawing, textiles, glass, and clay. VAEF holds regular art classes and summer art camps for all ages in Spanish Village Art Center, taught by juried artists.

Outreach into San Diego is paramount to VAEF, whether it is school groups or seniors coming to Spanish Village for a group art experience or VAEF artists demonstrating or teaching art in the community. VAEF is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization dependent on donations to continue our mission.