Gonzola Cordova plays the caterpillar drum.
Story by Tasia Theoharis
Photo Essay by Riley Nelson
Sounds from Mexico, or Sones de Mexico, made their way to Hastings Public Schools last week, bringing lessons, performances, and Hispanic culture to students of all grade levels. This group is comprised of members from both Mexico and the United States, all of which are professional musicians and college professors.
The Chicago-based group was brought to Hastings by HPS Music Director Rick Matticks with the help of the district. Matticks’s goal in bringing this group to Hastings arose about three years ago while working with younger students.
“A lot of Hispanic students wanted to be in band or orchestra because their parents played in a band in town. I was like, ‘I don’t hear these bands, where do they play?’ It got me to thinking: there’s a disconnect. We should bring in a Hispanic band to work with the kids in the school district and close the divide,” Matticks said.
Matticks pitched his idea to HPS administration and superintendent Craig Kautz, but there were several problems before Sones de Mexico could be brought in. The project cost about $20,000 total, but a bigger challenge was the logistics once the money had been fundraised.
“What classrooms do we need? Can we use the auditorium? No, we can’t, so we need to rent the City Auditorium. We need a sound guy. Transportation: buses. Get that lined up, get permission from the kids’ parents to bring them here or there,” Matticks said.
Sones de Mexico worked with several music groups at HHS, including Chamber Orchestra, Women’s Choir, and Symphonic Band. Members of these groups went to three forty-minute sessions with the group, however, some of them were a little skeptical going into the sessions.
“I thought it was going to be really boring and we were just going to do a lot of learning and a lot of math,” freshman Valerie Mendoza said, “ It was better than I expected and way more different. It was pretty fun.”
Matticks also noticed the apprehension of the students at the beginning of the sessions.
“It’s so incredible. What I see is that kids come in and they’re really quiet at first,” Matticks said, “Within minutes, the kids start to get engaged with what they’re doing. By the end of the session, the kids are fully bought into what they’re doing.”
Sones de Mexico brought a dominant culture in HPS to light by spending a week in Hastings. Matticks hopes that the group brings inspiration to all students in the HPS system.
“I hope the Hispanic kids in Hastings Public Schools see this and feel pride in their culture. I hope non-Hispanic kids see this and have a better appreciation and understanding for the culture of Mexico.”
Thank you to all of the sponsors who made a week with Sones de Mexico possible.
