Niño and Martinez will share their curriculum ideas for creating playing standards within a mariachi program. Through written examples and playing examples from their student group, Niño and Martinez will share how his program has developed playing norms, technology based assessments, warm-up exercises, instrument expectations and accessories needed for success.
Ramon Nino
- Biographical Information
Ramon Niño III has been the Director of Mariachi Espuelas de Plata at North Side High School since 2004, where he served as Director of Bands for 10 of those teaching years. Under his leadership, Mariachi Espuelas de Plata has represented North Texas five consecutive years at the Texas High School Finals Competition, has been selected as a showcase ensemble at various mariachi conferences throughout the United States and was most recently featured on stage at Carnegie Hall. Mr. Niño is the TMEA Region 7 Mariachi Coordinator and serves on the Texas UIL Ad-Hoc Mariachi Committee. In 2013, Mr. Niño co-presented a clinic at the Texas Bandmasters Association Convention on the topic of mariachi. In 2014, Mr. Nino presented and co-presented three clinics at the TMEA convention. For the 2013-2014 academic school year, Mr. Nino was selected as the North Side High School Teacher of the Year and was selected as the Bayard H. Friedman Chair for Teaching Excellence in Performing Arts.
Wendy Imelda Martinez is a Ronald E. McNair scholar and graduate of New Mexico State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education. From 2006-2014 Ms. Martinez served as a violin instructor for the Las Cruces International Mariachi Conference. From 2009-2013 Ms. Martinez served as the organizer for the invited showcase groups and helped coordinate the LCIMC competition. Under the tutelage of Mr. Mack Ruiz she facilitated the instructor assignments and educational curriculum of the mariachi classes. In July of 2013 she accepted a position in Fort Worth, Texas teaching Orchestra and Mariachi. In the spring of 2015, Ms. Martinez led rigorous recruiting efforts, which led the middle school Mariachi program to grow to over 350 students. Ms. Martinez was offered and accepted the Head Mariachi Director position at JP Elder Middle School. In this role, Ms. Martinez worked with the Head High School Director, Ramon Niño, to vertically align the JP Elder Middle School and North Side High School curriculum. In the fall of 2015, Ms. Martinez co-presented a clinic at The Midwest Clinic: International Band and Orchestra Music Conference. In 2016 and 2019 Ms. Martinez was selected to co-present sessions at the Texas Music Educator Association convention. Her JP Elder Middle School Mariachi also served as the demonstration ensemble in 2019. She is currently the Region V Mariachi Coordinator and serves on the Texas Association of Mariachi Educators as 2nd Vice-President. She serves as adjunct professor at Texas Christian University where she directs Mariachi Sangre Royal de TCU.