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Editor’s notice: This story is section of a series of profiles of notable fall 2021 graduates.
Angie Stephanie Valencia, who graduates this December with a Bachelor of Songs in new music studying and training, and a small in transborder Chicana/o and Latina/o research, is passionate about building and utilizing mariachi curriculum in Arizona K–12 schools and in increased schooling. 

Angie Stephanie Valencia
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Valencia explained when she discovered there was a absence of tunes instruction for mariachi educators, she decided to analyze music to learn a lot more about how to fill that gap.
“Most of the mariachi academics that are in lecture rooms are astounding musicians who have numerous many years of encounter undertaking mariachi, and some may have even analyzed music, but most do not examine education and understand how to train,” Valencia mentioned.
Valencia also believes that audio instruction should be available to all, unbiased of socioeconomic standing.
Each and every summer considering that she graduated high college, Valencia has taught at Davis Elementary School’s mariachi camp in Tucson, Arizona. She at this time performs violin in the area Mariachi Tierra Azteca.
Valencia experiments violin at ASU below Danwen Jiang, professor of violin in the School of Songs, Dance and Theatre
She stated just one of her proudest achievements throughout her time at ASU is getting a recipient of the Inventive Constellation Grant from the Herberger Institute. The funding allowed her to collaborate on “La Raza: The Songs of Our Men and women,” her senior undertaking recital highlighting Latino musicians and composers. Valencia and her co-creator and good friend Jesus Lopez explained when they utilized for the grant, they did not know the event would be virtual due to the pandemic. They labored all over the semester on the recital and were being ready to make modifications to share their songs as a result of a stay streamed overall performance.
In addition to the Creative Constellation Grant, she was a recipient of the New American University scholarship for 4 decades and the Margaret T. Morris scholarship for two a long time.
During her reports at ASU, Valencia has been a violin instructor with the College of Audio, Dance and Theatre’s String Job, a software that delivers minimal-charge, superior-high quality instruction on orchestral stringed devices to K–12 students. She also dedicates her Saturday mornings to student training classes in hopes of bettering herself as a potential educator.
“Angie’s need to share her new music with others was the purpose she was nominated as an Superb Graduate for Group Engagement in the Herberger Institute for Style and design in the Arts,” stated Margaret Schmidt, professor in the School of Tunes, Dance and Theatre and founding director of the ASU String Job. “She has been teaching in the ASU String Challenge due to the fact her freshman year, and her students are constantly encouraged by her enthusiasm to enable them share her enjoy of participating in string instruments. I know she will carry on as a inventive mentor and position product for the pupils in her new position.”
Dilemma: What was your “aha” moment when you understood you wanted to research music instruction?
Response: When I was in large faculty, I was fortunate adequate to go to Tucson Large Magnet Faculty, which had an amazing good arts program. I was enrolled in 4 tunes lessons in my senior year: orchestra, chamber ensemble, mariachi and AP songs theory. When I enrolled for those classes, I resolved that I would study music. I know now that even if I hadn’t studied tunes, what I acquired in individuals classes and the ordeals it delivered me with have been so beneficial. They formed who I was as a man or woman and developed reminiscences that would previous my lifetime.
A further defining instant was when I joined Mariachi Rayos Del Sol my junior yr of higher school. I had a tiny management place in the group and would operate violin sectionals. I definitely savored staying equipped to enable my fellow violinists learn our components.
Q: What’s one thing you discovered even though at ASU — in the classroom or or else — that shocked you or altered your viewpoint?
A: I learned to be curious and that there is so much chance and creativeness in the planet. There is no 1 way that music instruction appears to be like. I also figured out how lovely the arts are. Getting a component of the Herberger Institute allowed me the option to see diverse art mediums and other artists at do the job. It was insightful to listen to other folks talk about their triumphs and struggles within just their individual inventive field.
Q: Why did you pick out ASU?
A: Picking out ASU was the best and most tricky choice I had almost certainly ever manufactured up to that place in my lifetime. Just after auditioning and becoming admitted into all a few condition universities, there ended up a several items that led up to my selection to research at ASU. When I was in substantial faculty, I had two alternatives to pay a visit to ASU’s College of Audio (prior to it becoming the University of Audio, Dance and Theatre). Just one was with the Tetra String Quartet residency when my quartet was ready to do a workshop/masterclass with them. The other was Violin 360 when I attended a workshop with Professor Danwen Jiang, who I finished up researching with. People encounters ended up both equally fun and important as a musician. But my principal inspiration for choosing ASU was my significant university orchestra instructor Cayce Miners, who is an alumna of ASU and spoke extremely really of the music education and learning method.
Q: Which professor taught you the most significant lesson whilst at ASU?
A: Professor Matthew Fiorentino, who I was using Artwork of Teaching Highly developed Instrumentalists with for the duration of spring 2020, for the duration of the starting of the pandemic, taught me that no subject what else is occurring there is often time to stop and examine in with your college students. We began the semester by constantly executing early morning stretches, and when issues moved on line, we ongoing with that regimen. I think that for the duration of these unprecedented situations and it’s possible even without having understanding, he taught me by way of case in point how to be resilient and ready to adapt as an educator, all the whilst still performing to inspire college students.
Q: What is the finest piece of information you’d give to those even now in university?
A: The ideal advice I would give to current learners is the tips Professor Danwen Jiang gave to me: Even though you are a scholar, acquire gain of the means ASU delivers. When you are a pupil, the campus and ASU are there to serve you. Understand and examine what interests you can and invest your time and hard work there. As soon as you graduate in training, then it is your transform to give back. But when you are a scholar, it is your time to be egocentric and take in as a lot as you can.
Q: What was your preferred location on campus, no matter if for studying, conference close friends or just pondering about life?
A: My favorite area on campus has to be the Songs Constructing courtyard. I like to sit there after morning courses and permit my brain take up the conversations we just had in course. The ambiance of the courtyard is so calming with the really trees, rose bushes and sound of the fountain. It also will come alive for the duration of Tunes at Noon, and it is awesome to see absolutely everyone smiling and experiencing tunes and every other’s business. The people that get in the courtyard are a lovely supportive group of men and women.
Q: What are your strategies soon after graduation?
A: In January I will be likely back to my alma mater, Tucson Substantial Magnet University, as a co-director of the orchestra plan alongside Cayce Miners. It actually is the desire position I under no circumstances assumed would occur suitable out of school.
Q: If a person gave you $40 million to fix one particular challenge on our earth, what would you tackle?
A: I have constantly said that education and learning is a lottery, considerably like lifetime. Some of us are fortunate either by circumstance of exactly where we are and what we are born into. I think there is so considerably room for equity and inclusion in education and learning, but also for regular and continuous improvement.
