- We're continuing to celebrate all the ways music heals,
especially during these strange times for all of us.
A south Texas-
Texas!
A south Texas mariachi ensemble is proving
you can still band together, even when you're apart.
Y'all take a look right now.
(Mariachi music)
All right, so that video has been shared
nearly 30,000 times.
We have the director for the
Roma independent school district's
Mariachi program on the line.
Please welcome Eloy Garza.
Hey what's up Eloy meet Savannah and Matt.
- Hi!
- Hey hello guys!
Thank you Kelly for inviting me.
- Oh my god I'm so excited.
I always love having Texan's on,
Are you serious right now?
Um, well I want you to tell us about the band Eloy,
tell us about them.
- We're from a small town in Dixon, Texas.
Right along the border with Mexico.
We're currently celebrating
25 years of our program.
At first it began as an after school program.
Now it's part of the actual school curriculum
consisting of our 2 Middle Schools and our High School
Junior varsity and varsity Mariachi.
So, throughout the years with numerous first place awards
and a total of 14 national titles.
I'm proud to say that our
program has come to be one of the best in the nation.
- Your so Texan, yeah!
- So through this when I try to captivate my students
is to one feel proud of their culture,
instilling them good discipline,
hard work and above all,
excellent musicianship.
But I do want to mention that our success would not be
possible without the support of our community
our parents and of course our school district.
- Yeah, I come from a small town so I feel you.
You really do have to have that support
financially and just emotionally
as a community.
So Eloy how are the students affected when the school
shutdown because of the virus.
Because well we have kids ranging from 4 to 13
and they really missed out on that connection
with kids their age you know.
- Yes, you are right.
It has affected our students in a way
putting our projects on hold
our city projects
our end of year concert,
not to mention all our school facilities.
But you know, nevertheless I didn't want the situation
to stop us from staying productive and creatively
making music from home and you know
one way the idea from their came that creating our
very first video from home,
which has gone viral with over 1 million views already.
It's been amazing.
- Yeah well I mean speaking of all your kids getting
remotely doing stuff Savannah you were telling us right
you've still been doing music remotely
with your friends right?
- Yeah we've been working on some fun duets
and it's really fun to connect that way so.
- (chuckles)
- Yeah
- That's really cool like one just to have
I mean I know your family is awesome
but at some point your like I really want other humans,
one, and then ones my age would be even cooler.
- (laughs)
- You know so that's really cool.
Your dad is awesome though.
I mean ya'll are making killer videos that are nailing it
so,
I don't know if you family is similar to ours but
(laughs)
but anyway,
Eloy
You have a special mariachi technique
that you want to teach us right?
What is it?
- Absolutely well look in mariachi,
we use a lot of different expressions.
One of the main expressions that we use in mariachi
is a "grito" it's a shout
Mexican "grito"
Mexican shout.
So a grito what it is,
is when someone when performing,
gets so into their song so passionately
eventually they give a nice.
(shouts)
Wa-ha-ha-ha-ha-hai
- Oh my gosh I want to do it!
- Try it start making a try.
- Okay everybody lets do it together count of three.
1.
2.
3.
(All shout loudly)
- Oh there you go.
- (laughing)
Wow.
- I think mine was horrible.
- There you go!
- Laughing at me.
- That's awesome.
- I like grito I like it okay.
Well thank you so much everyone
I was saying to
(mumbles)
Savannah and Matt before and now Eloy
Y'all are bringing so much life to people
in kind of a
a depressing time.
We're all kind of confined and what a way to really inspire
people to keep being creative and just finding new ways
to kind of keep busy but,
also just like have fun.