Students dive into traditional Mexican musical heritage in course at CPP
By Karina Perez, February 10, 2026
Music of Mexico, a course only taught every two years, is an upper-division survey of music academic class, it is a cultural immersion. Inside rehearsal rooms filled with the sound of violins, trumpets, and guitarrón, students don traditional techniques while preparing for Cal Poly Pomona’s annual mariachi concert on April 21.
The music department hosts Mariachi Los Broncos, a recital held every semester, directed by both associate professor Jessie Vallejo and lecturer Francisco Hernandez. The recital transforms the stage into a celebration of heritage, sound, and movement, giving students the opportunity to showcase their instrumental talent alongside groups like Zapateando del Corazón, CPP’s official folklorico dance ensemble. Together, music and dance create a living portrait of Mexican culture, where history, identity, and artistry move in unison.
The concert features traditional renditions of Mexican classics like “La Bamba” and mariachi style performances where students can talk about the characteristics and historical context to the CPP community.
“(Students) who have never performed before get an opportunity to be on stage learning some of the repertoire and how to perform it,” Vallejo said. “I try to bring that ‘learn by doing’ or learn by performing experience into the class.”
Vallejo, co-director of the mariachi ensembles who has been with the music department for 10 years, is the only member on staff who teaches this course. She also serves as an academic senator. This requires her to sub courses along with her other academic responsibilities which is why the course is taught every two years. She ultimately hopes to restructure the class from an upper division elective to a GE course.
“The class was first taught around the 80s but after the departures of certain professors in the music department, the class fell through the cracks,” Vallejo said. “When I was hired, I was told this would be a great class to revive so the first time I taught it was in 2018 during the spring.”
Given CPP is a Latino/Hispanic student serving institution, according to the Office of Undergraduate Institute, the significance of the class serves as a way for students to grow closer to their culture and heritage. She also shared that she has invited musical guests in the past like Vira Lata, the bassist of alternative rock band Los Abandoned as a way for students to tap into the culture of Pomona.
Vallejo teaches a specific piece of course material that ties with the history of Pomona. She discusses the time the Pomona Fairplex served as an assembly for the Japanese internment camps. She also explained how in 1903, the Japanese-Mexican Labor Association commenced a strike for better wages. This was a way for students to gain knowledge of the complex history and how it connects to its roots of music for Mexican culture.
Students currently taking the course are encouraged to bring their own instruments to get a better feel of what’s in store for the concert in the spring.
“My focus lies in higher education and teaching in styles pertaining to my culture being a descendant of Mexican parents.” said Arturo Hernandez, a music pedagogy student.
As part of the curriculum, pedagogy students pick a main instrument, one of them being guitarron which is a traditional Mexican instrument used in mariachi bands. Students are also preparing to take the opera-level writing requirement and complete annotated bibliographies on certain subjects regarding the music of Mexico.
“I think (music of Mexico) is a wonderful stepping point since we’re close to the southern border,” Hernandez said. “The course invites individuals who are interested and may want to learn more about Mexican culture and the music within.”
Alumna Tatiana Lomeli said her time taking the course at CPP led her to feel more connected to her roots through music. Lomeli is a full-time elementary school music teacher in Palmdale who touches on music theory and world music. The class made a lasting impact on her career and how she incorporates her culture through music.
“The class was filled with dynamic lectures, listening to different kinds of music and learning about different instruments and its historical contexts to Mexico,” Lomeli said. “It left a spark in me to learn about my homeland, other cultures and the impact of ethnomusicology.”
With our current administration and the nation’s divide, music has been a beacon for representation to thrive. Musical artists like Bad Bunny, Peso Pluma, and Cardi B are prime examples of why music can be used as political statements.
“I grew up in a curriculum where we never talked about Mexico or Latin America so I didn’t know much about my heritage,” Vallejo said. “I think it’s important to not be threatened by someone celebrating their identities–We all deserve to be here.”
Feature image courtesy of Tom Zasadzinski
