As an ethnomusicologist, fellow Candida Jaquez is nothing if not
versatile. The course she taught for the Folklore Institute,
"Mexicano/Chicano Popular Music Expression," was necessarily highly
interdisciplinary in order to meet the needs of the widely varied
students enrolled in it. Jaquez's students included both graduate and
undergraduate students from the Folklore, Music, Anthropology and
Archaeology Departments.
In the process of finishing her degree at the University of Michigan, Jaquez welcomed the opportunity to come to Bloomington and teach a course she designed specifically to fit in with her particular interests. She says, "I got to teach a class that I love to teach, in which we attempt to synthesize all the different areas of Mexican and Latin American music." Jaquez acquainted students with several styles of popular music and required them to keep a music listening journal so that they would be able to apply what they learned from course readings, lectures and discussions to an actual musical sound. She found her students to be "well challenged and appreciative" as well as "motivated to learn about the area," and several interesting projects emerged from student papers and projects. In addition, the Folklore Institute itself was very welcoming to Jaquez, hosting a party in her honor and providing her with the opportunity to meet students and faculty members.
In addition to completing her degree, Jaquez has several projects in the works for the upcoming year. She will be teaching with the Mariachi Ensemble in her area, which goes into elementary schools in the Detroit area and provides the children with information and insight into Mexican/Latino music. "We not only play for them, but teach them about the musical traditions of mariachi," says Jaquez. During the second semester, she will be working for the National Mariachi Organization arranging workshops in several states including California, Texas and Michigan. Jaquez will serve as site coordinator for workshops in Ann Arbor. Jaquez has participated in several fellowship and internship programs besides the MFFP, including the Smithsonian Latino Graduate Training Seminar. Each time she enters a new program, she asks herself one question: "What can I do to contribute a long term change through this program? With her dedication as a teacher and her commitment to educating children about music, it is clear that Candida Jaquez's contributions have been and will continue to be immense.