Congratulations to K.O. Knudson Academy of the Arts Mariachi Los Pumas from Las Vegas who won 1st Place in the Mariachi Extravaganza Middle School Group Competition in San Antonio in December. 

In this chat with K.O. Knudson’s Mariachi Director Johnny Gonzalez, we explore how and when the program began and key elements that result in creating a successful and award winning program. 

Cynthia: How many students do you have in your mariachi program? 

Johnny: There are 250 students from 6th – 8th grade. Most are 11-13 year olds. 

Cynthia: How do you handle 250 students with 2 directors? 

Johnny: I teach 6 periods of mariachi every day. There are between 30 – 40 students. We added Jasmine Duenes as the second mariachi director just 2 years ago so she handles the rest. We also have Hector Aguilar – an instructional aid. He’s a harpist who works full time at our school and helps us out as well. 

Cynthia: How long has the mariachi program been in existence? 

Johnny: Michael Sital started the program in 2005 so this year is our big 20th anniversary. He ran it the first 7 years and then I took over. This is now my 13th year as mariachi director. 

Cynthia: Congratulations on your anniversary! 

Johnny: Thank you. Winning the Mariachi Extravaganza was a great way to celebrate! 

Cynthia: How has the program grown throughout the years? 

Johnny: When I arrived at K.O., there were about 110 students. We perform at a lot of events every week. Since we’re a magnate school, our kids perform regularly in the community. There’s a lot of awareness about our program in Central Las Vegas and this consistent exposure has resulted in a steady growth throughout the past two decades.   

Cynthia: Do students have to audition to attend K.O. Knudson? 

Johnny: Yes. There’s an audition process. The students have to apply to the Clark County Magnate program. After that, the district holds a lottery and selects students. Once they’re in the school, they can audition for the mariachi. Our school serves as a feeder school for Del Sol and Las Vegas Academy. These are also magnate schools for music. One of our former students, Angel Chavez, went to UTRGV and now he plays with Mariachi International de Mexico in California and there are other students who have been successful in furthering their career in mariachi music performance. 

Cynthia: How has the program evolved into an award-winning program? 

Johnny: Attending competitions helps. We attend the Mariachi Extravaganza and our students have participated in competitions in California, Tucson and Albuquerque throughout the years. We’ve been to about every mariachi competition and this helps raise the level of musicianship. The first time we took our students to the Mariachi Extravaganza was in 2013 and it was an eye-opening experience for our students. They were able to see a high caliber of musicianship among students their age giving them a new perspective on what is possible. 

Our program is now a model for other programs in and around the Las Vegas area. In the summer, I work with Marsha Neal and Yvette Sital to teach other music educators to help them build a program. 

Cynthia: What are some key factors that have helped you evolve? 

Johnny: I feel like the biggest factor is that I have surrounded myself by really good, hard-working mariachi music educators who are willing to put in the hard work to create an award-winning program. Much of it is the drive that stems from the mariachi directors…they are dedicated and they instill a winning spirit within their students. 

There’s a lot of really good programs with veteran mariachi music educators who go above and beyond the norm to create travel opportunities for students. They also make time for rehearsals before and/or after school and encourage the students to practice to become better musicians. We have a tight knit group of mariachi directors here in Las Vegas and we support each other. The new mariachi directors like Jackie Barrera (Cannon Middle School) model their programs after programs like ours that are more established. 

Cynthia: That tight knit community that exists among mariachi directors is really important. 

Johnny: It is and it’s something that I noticed as soon as I arrived from California. A lot of us gig together and we see each other outside of work. We hang out with one another and we have a lot of respect for one another. We support each other and see each other on a weekly basis. 

Cynthia: The fact that Las Vegas schools get together almost every week to perform is amazing.  Tell me more about these weekly fundraisers.

Johnny: Yes. Just about every Friday, we get together for mariachi performances which serve as fundraisers. Every week, a different school will hosts all of the mariachi schools in the Clark County district where each group performs. The events are called Noche de Mariachi and we use them to prepare for competitions. These events are on Friday’s and competitions are on Saturdays. Most of these events are in school gyms, outdoors or inside theaters giving the students the opportunity to perform in different venues. On average, about $5,000 – $7,000 is raised every Friday for the school hosting the event. The funds are managed by the school and it’s handled by administrators on site and are handled the same way concessions are handled at a football game. The entrance fee is only $5 and much of the revenue is earned from concessions and food provided by the parents from the school that is hosting the event. The mariachi directors get together and pick their date to host the Noche de Mariachi at their school so we all know where the event will be held a year in advance. Parents love it because it’s a Friday night and it’s an opportunity for people to enjoy a family night out. Football is not as big in Vegas as it is in Texas so mariachi is our Friday Night Lights.

Some of the newer programs aren’t ready to perform during the beginning of the year so one idea is to start during the later part of the school year. Start in the Spring, and then go from there this way it doesn’t conflict with football schedules. It will take a few years for it to become  the norm.

Cynthia: Who provides the sound equipment?

Johnny: Most schools own their own sound equipment so the sound is provided by the school hosting the event. If there’s a new school hosting the program that is still fairly new, then the in-house CCISD has a sound system that can provide the sound at a very reasonable cost.

Cynthia: How long does each group perform? 

Johnny: Depending on the turnout for any given night, every school will get 3 songs or about 12 minutes. Normally about 15-20 schools attend every Friday so the events last 4-5 hours. The events normally start at 4 pm and will go through 8:30 pm. Sometimes the events at the high schools can last a bit longer. Middle schools perform first followed by the high schools. 

Our school also has a ballet folklorico program. We’re one of the only middle schools that have ballet folklorico and it’s growing every year. 

Cynthia: Thanks for sharing some of your secrets to success and congratulations once more on your successful win. 

Johnny: Thank you. I have to say it was a really big deal. This was the first time our principal had ever attended the Mariachi Extravaganza, and being that it is our 20th anniversary of the mariachi program, it felt great to win first place. On the Monday following the competition, our principal pulled all of the kids out of school and had them parade around the campus with their medals. He was very proud of all of the students and wanted everyone to celebrate their win. It was a great feeling!

We’re looking forward to the Mariachi Extravaganza Las Vegas!

Cynthia: Thanks you! Everyone is so excited….everyone wants to go to Vegas and see all of the great talent that is there!!! Remember to register for the Mariachi Extravaganza Las Vegas Vocal Competition by the January 31st deadline. Click here to register. 

Lock in your early group registration rate here!