PASCO, Wash. – A retired Tri-Cities educator brings multi-culturalism and joy to the often euro-centric music education canon.
Heidi Nelson, Viva La Musica’s creator, has a longstanding passion for teaching history through music.
After many years of teaching in Pasco, Nelson decided to switch things up by incorporating a hip-hop course, which led to an interesting question from her students.
“…I had several kids say, ‘what about the history from the music from Mexico?’ or ‘what about the history from Cuba?’ And I had to honestly say I didn’t know that much about that history… The excitement of learning just rubs off on the kids. That’s everything,” Nelson said.
The class teaches music outside of the most often used means of instruction, that is, European choral/classical music.
Much of the canon used to instruct American class curricula is from this Euro-centric viewpoint: Literature classes feature the Great Gatsby, Pride and Prejudice, and Catcher in the Rye. Art education uses a similar lens: Van Gogh, Monet, Picasso. In math and science: Galileo and Newton, and in Film, John Ford and Martin Scorsese.
Nelson and her students, both of whom respect aspects of the canon and its importance, believe that the traditional canon should be broadened.
Viva la Musica works through the Academy of Children’s Theatre, or ACT, and is only offered for students of Ochoa and Stevens Middle and Pasco High Schools.
However they hope to grow and offer classes to other schools. This growth would be out of necessity.
This necessity comes from waning music education funding in public schools across the U.S.
Many of the Tri-Cities’ public schools offered dedicated choir, mariachi, and other music courses, but many of these programs have disappeared or have been lessened in scope and scale, according to Nelson
Nelson’s students expressed their excitement about exploring music that reflects their cultural heritage. One student, Yessica Espinoza, shared her appreciation for music education that embraces her own culture.
“I never knew there could be music education that is part of my culture,” said Espinoza. “Now that I have an opportunity to explore music from my own culture and heritage, it’s just really beautiful.”
“With Viva la Musica, it’s more like going back to my roots,” said another student, Yaeli Tapia. “To know where you come from, who you are, and not having to close down any part of yourself.”
In January, Viva la Musica’s big show is an exploration of Latin American music culture through its stars, like Celia Cruz and Selena Quintanilla; both of whom wrote and talked about the urge to put away their own identities to appease a euro-centric audience.
Both, however, decided to highlight their own cultures through their music.
For more information on Viva la Musica and their upcoming schedule of events, you can check their digital brochure page here or their Facebook page. For more info on ACT, you can go to their website here.
