TOLLESON, Ariz. — It was a reply to a request that was two and a half years in waiting.
For the mariachi band at Desert Oasis Elementary School in the Tolleson Elementary School District, music is much more than the notes emanating from their instruments. It’s a bridge for their community.
“Because a lot of the students don't speak the [Spanish] language, they don't have something that they can relate with their grandfathers, their uncles,” said Efrain Casillas, the music coordinator for TESD. “By learning to play this music, we were able to bridge that gap and get the parents closer to the students. Now, the whole community comes together.”
Bridging the gap
Trumpeter Sophia Varra is one example of a musician in the mariachi band who uses music to relate with older relatives.
“I started when I was very little,” said Varra, an 8th grader at Desert Oasis. “My grandparents and I would always listen to mariachi music, and I feel honored to be able to do this for them because I joined Mariachi for them.”
Not only has the music bridged the generational gap with her grandparents, it also created a strong bond with her fellow musicians.
“I love them all so much,” Varra said. “We're like a family. Honestly, we spend a lot of time together in school and out of school.”
History in the making
Casillas had waited two and a half years for the reply to his request. He filled out an application with the White House to host the Desert Oasis mariachi band for one of their events. In mid-March of this year, he received his reply.
“This is history in the making for the students and myself,” Casillas said.
Casillas and the Desert Oasis mariachi band were invited to play at the White House during the White House Easter Egg Roll.
“Well, it is a privilege to represent the Latino culture in in the White House and represent this style of music that we all love; their Mariachi music,” Casillas said.
Every year, tens of thousands of people gather on the White House’s south lawn to celebrate the Easter Egg Roll. The White House is expecting 40,000 people to attend this year, 10,000 more than last year. First Lady Jill Biden added an educational theme to the event when the Bidens moved into the White House. For the third year in a row, the theme of the egg roll is “EGG-ucation.” That sits just fine with Casillas.
“I hope that they take away that if you work hard and you are persistent, and you learn to take things seriously, you could get somewhere,” Casillas said. “And that they could transfer this into their daily education and move forward in whatever they do.”
The White House Easter Egg Roll takes place on Monday, April 1. It’s a tradition that goes back to 1878 when then-President Rutherford B. Hayes opened the White House lawn to children after they were kicked off the grounds of the U.S. Capitol.
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