“Residential mariachi camp near Estes Park helps students develop as musicians and people”

Original article written by Toni Tresca in the Estes Valley Voice

“Just off Highway 7, there’s a turn that’s easy to miss. Blink and you’ll blow past Longs Peak Road, where a small sign marks the entrance to Rocky Ridge Music Center, nestled in the pines just south of Estes Park.

“This is a big secret,” said Lorenzo Trujillo, director of Nuestras Raíces: Música Mariachi, the weeklong summer music program now in its fourth year. “It’s definitely a challenge to get the word out, but once people are hooked, they’re here forever.”

This week, 31 students ages 10 to 18 have filled the wooded campus with the sound of mariachi. They’ve come from across Colorado and as far as California to attend the country’s only fully residential mariachi camp. Presented in partnership with the Latino Cultural Arts Center and several other organizations, the program offers students a chance to immerse themselves in mariachi while surrounded by the natural beauty of the Rockies.

“I keep coming back to Musíca Mariachi because mariachi is part of my culture, and I can learn more about my instrument [the vihuela],” said 13-year-old Jaqueline Astorga of Denver, who’s attended since the camp began in 2022. “It’s very cool and different coming to Rocky Ridge because it’s an experience unlike anything else.”

They rehearse beneath towering pines, share meals in the dining hall, and bunk together in rustic cabins, all while preparing for a public concert on Saturday evening. Designed to serve both beginners and intermediate-level musicians, the camp blends high-level instruction with cultural celebration and community connection.

“It’s one of my favorite programs that we do,” said Evan Jay Williams, Rocky Ridge assistant director. “Lorenzo said a couple of years ago that the students learn three languages: English, Spanish, and music. Normally, I hate when music is referred to as a language, but it works in this case because mariachi really allows people to connect without words.”

The idea for the program began with the LCAC in Denver, which provided the seed funding and initial vision. Trujillo, a longtime mariachi educator who launched one of the nation’s first accredited collegiate mariachi programs at Metropolitan State University, was brought on to lead.

“I grew up following my aunt, Eva Nuanez, one of the great songstresses and violinists of Colorado and New Mexico, and I started playing because of her,” Trujillo said. “I wanted to continue her tradition and trajectory, and this program does that.”

Now a multi-instrumentalist, educator, and mariachi scholar, Trujillo leads the week-long Rocky Ridge program with a conservatory-style approach. “This is an intense, structured experience,” he explained. “They get sectionals, ensemble, private lessons, and even topics like history and performance skills. They leave here changed, not just as musicians, but as people.”

While the camp is open to all, it was designed with Latino youth in mind. Many of the students are first- or second-generation Mexican Americans, and nearly all are attending on full or partial scholarship. This year, 25 students are attending tuition-free. 

“A lot of these kids come from economically challenged backgrounds,” Trujillo said. “This is our way to, quite literally, invest in the future of mariachi so the tradition can grow. Musíca Mariachi is about economic empowerment. Many of my past students have gone on to college and even full-time music careers. But even if they don’t, they return to their communities more confident, more skilled, and more connected.”

This year’s curriculum features a challenging new repertoire designed to push returning students further while still welcoming beginners. “The songs keep getting harder and harder,” said Eddie Lopez, 16. “But I can still follow along, so I know I’ve gotten better.” He’s been going for four years and says it’s the friendships and opportunities to improve that keep him coming back.

But even with a packed rehearsal schedule, there’s room for joy. Students hike local trails, gather for movie nights and karaoke, and participate in traditional Mexican dances during evening socials.

“It’s fun that it’s not just all work, work, work,” said 11-year-old violinist Tavo Paz, attending from Denver for his second year. “My favorite part is definitely the people. The other students and staff are very nice, and I’ve for sure become a better musician here.”

For Trujillo, those moments of connection are as important as the music. “We are really able to establish a relationship with the students at Rocky Ridge,” he said. “They know we’re committed to teaching to their strengths and acknowledging and empowering their weaknesses. I don’t push them beyond their capacity, but I push them beyond where they are now in order to grow.” 

“I’m excited about the concert on Saturday,” Lopez said. “I’m a little sad that it was cut short a day, because it’s usually on Sundays, but overall, I’m excited. I’m a little nervous too, but because of this program, I’m starting to get used to the stage.”

Read full article in the Estes Valley Voice here: