About Música Mariachi
Residential summer music camp || Ages 10-18 ||
An exciting summer music camp for beginner to intermediate-level musicians presented in partnership with the Latino Cultural Arts Center that explores the musical cultures of the Americas.
In 2024, expert faculty Maestros will guide students in the study of Mariachi within a supportive and inspirational environment, to broaden a student’s musical experience and knowledge.
Interested in extending your musical adventure this summer? Sign up for Jumpstart for Strings or Jazz from A to Z in addition to Música Mariachi and you will receive a $100 discount.
Students who register for this program through one of our partner organizations may be eligible for a full scholarship.
Partner Organizations
- Latino Cultural Arts Center
- El Sistema Colorado
- Colorado Youth Mariachi
- Upbeat Colorado
- Birdseed Collective
- Boulder Valley School District (Liaison: Diane Brenton)
More Info
Tuition and Fees
Tuition (includes lodging and meals):
$1,500*
Interested in extending your musical adventure this summer? Sign up for Jumpstart for Strings or Jazz from A to Z in addition to Música Mariachi and you will receive a $100 discount.
Application Fee:
$85
Optional Fees:
Bedding and bath linens (includes twin fitted and flat sheets, pillowcase, blanket, and a bath towel): $85
Audition Requirements & Deadlines
No audition is required for this program, although an application must still be submitted through Acceptd.
Application Deadline
- October 31, 2023: Applications Open
- March 15, 2024: Final Deadline
Location and Address
This summer residential music camp takes place at our Estes Park campus:
465 Longs Peak Rd
Estes Park, CO 80517
Rocky Ridge Music is located near the base of Long’s Peak at Rocky Mountain National Park. It is just off of Highway 7, about 4 miles south of Estes Park and 6 miles north of Allenspark.
From Highway 7, turn west onto Longs Peak Road, which is at mile marker 9. There is a sign there that says, “Longs Peak Area.” Drive about 1/3 mile to our entrance on the right.
Driving from Denver:
From Denver, take I-25 North. Exit onto Highway 66 West. At Lyons, take Highway 7 to Allenspark (left). Total drive time from DIA to RRMC is about 1 1⁄2 hours.
Driving from Northern Colorado:
Driving west on Highway 34, you’ll drive through the Big Thompson Canyon and into Estes Park. At the big intersection, take Highway 7 South.
Daily Schedule
Sample Daily Schedule (Subject to change!)
7:15 to 7:45 am Breakfast
8:00 to 9:50 am Mariachi Fundamentals – group class
9:50 to 10:00 am Snack
10:00 to 11:00 am Ensemble Rehearsal
11:00 to 12:00 pm Breakout Sectionals
12:00 to 1:00 pm Lunch
1:00 to 2:00 pm Mariachi Topics
2:00 to 3:00 pm Recreation time!
3:00 to 3:45 pm Private Lessons 1/Practice
3:45 to 4:30 pm Private Lessons 2/Practice
4:30 to 5:30 pm Ensemble Rehearsal
5:30 to 6:15 pm Dinner
6:15 to 7:00 pm Practice Time
7:00 to 8:00 pm Special topics series
Student and Family Handbook
Visit our handbook page for the important forms and information you’ll need before arriving on campus!
COVID-19 Policies
Please see this page for more information.
Música Mariachi FAQ
Will my child have a counselor during this program?
Yes! Counselors are selected from our College Intensive program. Counselors supervise, reside with, and mentor up to eight students during the this program.
When should I arrive for this program?
For youth programs, registration will take place until noon. We will provide lunch and parents are asked to stay for a brief orientation from 1pm-2pm.
Please call our office (303-449-1106) or email rrmc@rockyridge.org with any questions or concerns.
Where will I live on campus?
Our residential cabins are dorm-style with bunk beds; youth program students will reside with their counselor and 3-6 roommates. Bathhouses with showers are just a short walk away.
Check out our campus building gallery using the button below to see what our residential cabins look like.
Will I receive music in advance?
You may receive music in advance, especially if you are an intermediate student. It is more likely, however, that any music that might be needed will be distributed during the first or second day of the program.
You do not need to be able to read music to be a student in this program!
Do I need to bring bedding?
Rocky Ridge can provide you with bedding and towels for a $85 fee. Please indicate your interest in this option on your application. Otherwise, you are free to bring your own bedding or sleeping bag and towels.
Do you screen your teachers before they work one-on-one with my child?
All of our teachers are professionally background-checked.
Sign Up
How to Register
Please submit an application through Acceptd, using the link below.
Deadlines
Registration for this program will open on November 15, 2023.
Registration Fee: $85
Please call our office at 303-449-1106 or email rrmc@rockyridge.org with any questions.
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Faculty
Priscilla Arasaki
Bachelor’s degree in Music Studies from the Butler School of Music at the University of Texas at Austin
Priscilla Arasaki holds a Master’s degree in Music Education from the University of Colorado Boulder and a bachelor’s degree in Music Studies from the Butler School of Music at the University of Texas at Austin. Primarily a violinist, Priscilla has studied with Strelsa Burks, Eugene Gratovich, and Harumi Rhodes. She has received teacher training certification through the Suzuki Association of the Americas with Christie Felsing, Susan Baer, Ed Kreitman, and Mark Mutter.
Priscilla is currently the Orchestra and Mariachi director at Sunset Middle School in the St. Vrain Valley School District. She began teaching Orchestra in Austin, Texas and then moved to Colorado, where she gained an interest in mariachi music and performance. This led her to establish a mariachi program at Skyline High School, and then continue to increase the presence of mariachi ensembles throughout the St. Vrain Valley School District.
Priscilla is also a member of Las Dahlias, an all-female musical group that performs mainly mariachi music. This group has been featured with the Colorado Symphony, performed for Governor Polis’ Inaugural Blue Sneaker Ball, and continues to promote mariachi music throughout the Front Range.
Mari Meza-Burgos
B.A., Metropolitan State University of Denver
Mari Meza-Burgos is an actor, singer and musician from Colorado. Mari has spent most of her life performing music from the the Mexican tradition known as Mariachi. She is currently the lead vocalist and vihuela player for the Colorado-based female Mariachi, Las Dahlias. Mari has also been in many productions at Su Teatro, has worked with Curious Theatre Company, the Colorado and Shakespeare Festival. Mari is a graduate of Metropolitan State University of Denver, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Music and received her MFA in Theatre, Contemporary Performance from Naropa University. Mari is passionate about extending her knowledge of Mariachi music to youth by providing private lessons in voice and vihuela and serving on the board of directors for Colorado Youth Mariachi Program.
Kris Emanuel
Instruments: Trumpet, Armonia Education: MA in Educational Leadership and Administration from CU Denver, BME in Music Education – Instrumental from MSU Denver and BA in Music from CUNY Hunter.
Meet Kris, a dedicated musician and educator originally from New York City who now calls Colorado home. He loves spending time cycling in the mountains! Kris started playing the trumpet in 4th grade and later switched to the French horn while in college, studying under esteemed professors like Rich Casparie, Alexander George, and Kolio Plachkov.
Kris began his current position as the General Music and Mariachi director at Indian Peaks Elementary in St. Vrain Valley Schools in 2017. His early positions included long term substitute positions as Middle School Orchestra and High School Band directors in Mapleton Public Schools. He also worked in Adams 12 as a General Music Teacher and Elementary Music Coordinator. His passion for music education extends beyond the regular school day. Kris has developed various music clubs, including a Mariachi Band, Guitar Club, Drum Club, Choir, Recorder Club, and Rock Band to serve the special interests of students and the community.
His interest in Mariachi Band came from the community at Indian Peaks Elementary. Kris believes that music educators serve as a conduit to allow students and their community to be seen and represented in the music programs. He wanted to create an ensemble that wasn’t unique for Indian Peaks, but could be continued at the middle and high school levels. He established partnerships with the Mariachi Band directors at Sunset Middle and Niwot High. He is excited to be a part of Rocky Ridge’s Nuestras Raíces: Música Mariachi and looks forward to meeting and supporting the music makers!
Bob Klimek
Instruments: Mariachi, Voz. Education: Doctor of Arts (Theory/Composition and Ethnomusicology); U.N.C.; M.A. (Composition/Chorale/Voice) D.U.
Dr. Robert Klimek, originally from Chicago, Los Angeles and now Colorado, is a noted vocal and instrumental performer, composer, and clinician. He is an Emeritus faculty member and the founding Director of Music and the Performing Arts at the Colorado School of Mines. His specialties are vocal, chorale, marching/concert band performance/composition, as well as studies in ethnomusicology, specifically the area of Mexican and Latin American Baroque chorale music and its similarities to Mariachi harmonies. He also has a strong interest in performing on Latin/ South American bone, clay, bamboo, feather, wind/percussion instruments. Some of Bob’s past teachers include such eminent figures as Aaron Copeland, Earl Brown, Dave Brubeck, Ned Rorem, and Philip Glass. His vocal and instrumental music compositions often integrate melodic quotes from Alabados he collects around the Southwest. His music can be found in numerous chorale collections. He has been a featured artist (alto flute) on a Grammy nominated Spanish album; was a silver nominee for the National Booksellers Gold Medallion Award and was recently presented with the Michael P. Malone International Leadership Award for outstanding accomplishments in bringing global perspective to higher education.
Bob has been a continuing member of the Southwest Musicians ensemble (Keyboard) as well as a vocal coach with Lorenzo Trujillo for the 1st Mariachi All-State performance (Fall. 2022)
Other Instruments: Pipe organ, harpsicord, piano, flute, saxophone, electronic keyboards.
Lorenzo Trujillo
Lorenzo A. Trujillo grew up in Denver and spent many summers in Arroyo Seco, New Mexico (eight miles outside of Taos) with his extended family. He was highly influenced by his aunt, Eva Nuánez, as a vocalist, guitarist, and violinist. He also engaged his energies in ethnic dance and collaborated with his mother, Marie Orália Durán Trujillo, in the formation of the Southwest Dancers in the early 1970’s. He taught Mexican Folkdance and Flamenco at the Sangre De Cristo Arts Center in Pueblo, Colorado, the University of Colorado at Boulder and Denver, and at San Francisco State University. He is the Director of the Mariachi Program at Metropolitan State University in Denver (see Facebook page and webpage LorenzoTrujillo.com).
For over two decades, he was a member of the Mariachi Alegre de San Cayetano where he played violin and sang. As a musician, dancer, and culture bearer, Lorenzo was awarded the Colorado Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts. He was inducted into the Colorado Chicano Music Hall of Fame and has served on the National Endowment for the Arts as a performing artist, grants panelist, and arts program evaluator. He was also named a Colorado Folk Artist and Master Teacher by the Colorado Council on the Arts through the Master/Apprentice Program and in 2012 was awarded the Tesoro de Oro by the Tesoro Cultural Center.
Lorenzo formed the Southwest Musicians in the late 1980’s, recording several musical standards that are part of a vast repertoire of regional social dances and popular Mexican music of the early and mid-twentieth century. Among his recordings are: Musical Traditions of Colorado and New Mexico (Southwest Musicians); Con Cariño (Mariachi Alegre); A Musical Banquet: From Santa Fe to Denver (with E.J. Rodriguez), and, The Golden Age of the Southwest: From 1840 to Hollywood. He has toured in Ireland, Peru and Italy, presenting traditional music, liturgical and classical repertoire.
In his noted publication, Music of Colorado and New Mexico’s Río Grande, in Enduring Legacies: Ethnic Histories and Culture of Colorado, University of Colorado Press, Lorenzo highlights the history of the Casorio and Entriega wedding traditions celebrated throughout the Upper Río Grande Region of Southern Colorado and Northern New Mexico of the 1840’s. He holds a Doctorate in Education and Juris Doctorate Degrees (Ed.D., J.D.) and served as Assistant Dean and Professor at the University of Colorado School of Law.
Currently, he is the Director of the Mariachi Program at Metropolitan State University in Denver, the President of Hilos Culturales, a non-profit organization that preserves, promotes, and presents Hispanic traditions from the 1840’s of Colorado and New Mexico. He serves as the Vice Chairman, Tesoro Cultural Center, Director, Viva Southwest Mariachi Festival Workshop & Showcase, Director, Latino Cultural Arts Center Mariachi Program, Director, Southwest Musicians, and Trustee, Colorado Symphony.