Fatima and her older brother, Juan, had desire and talent, but no money for the violins they needed. Their youngest sister, Carla, had just finished a lengthy hospital stay that included chemo treatments for leukemia, mom and dad couldn’t fine work and there were no violins for them at school. Music and violins were luxuries that were out of reach, but thanks to your vision and passion, Fatima and Juan, and many other children, have had the chance to reach for their dreams.
When we opened in 2009, Fatima was in the fifth grade. You can see her receiving her violin on the promo video of our first instrument distribution. She was one of the first participants in the Jeremy Project, Musical Mentors and Mariachi programs. Over the past ten years she has blossomed as a musician, even though she hated learning scales and having to work on her technique. Her hard work is paying off and she is glad that she stuck with the program.
Most people say Fatima is a very talented, quiet person. That is also how she would like to be remembered. However, her involvement with Desert Sounds has brought out another side of this young woman. As the lead violinist in Mariachi Sones del Desierto Avanzados level, she developed leadership skills and helped other violinists. When asked, how has Desert Sounds impacted you? She responded, “Desert Sounds got me more involved in music and more interested in learning new things. It made me a better musician than my classmates. Desert Sounds helped me break out of my shell, and talking to new people doesn’t scare me now. It got me more involved in things and I get to see new things in the communities where we perform and volunteer.”
Desert Sounds isn’t just a place that Fatima, a college student, comes to learn. It’s a place where her brother Paco and sister Lupita are also growing up. On Saturdays you will find all of them here for Mariachi. Fatima is giving back and playing it forward as she teaches and inspires young beginning violinists.
Playing It Forward
Posted: March 15, 2020 by Jennifer Crews
Playing it Forward
Fatima and her older brother, Juan, had desire and talent, but no money for the violins they needed. Their youngest sister, Carla, had just finished a lengthy hospital stay that included chemo treatments for leukemia, mom and dad couldn’t fine work and there were no violins for them at school. Music and violins were luxuries that were out of reach, but thanks to your vision and passion, Fatima and Juan, and many other children, have had the chance to reach for their dreams.
When we opened in 2009, Fatima was in the fifth grade. You can see her receiving her violin on the promo video of our first instrument distribution. She was one of the first participants in the Jeremy Project, Musical Mentors and Mariachi programs. Over the past ten years she has blossomed as a musician, even though she hated learning scales and having to work on her technique. Her hard work is paying off and she is glad that she stuck with the program.
Most people say Fatima is a very talented, quiet person. That is also how she would like to be remembered. However, her involvement with Desert Sounds has brought out another side of this young woman. As the lead violinist in Mariachi Sones del Desierto Avanzados level, she developed leadership skills and helped other violinists. When asked, how has Desert Sounds impacted you? She responded,
“Desert Sounds got me more involved in music and more interested in learning new things. It made me a better musician than my classmates. Desert Sounds helped me break out of my shell, and talking to new people doesn’t scare me now. It got me more involved in things and I get to see new things in the communities where we perform and volunteer.”
Desert Sounds isn’t just a place that Fatima, a college student, comes to learn. It’s a place where her brother Paco and sister Lupita are also growing up. On Saturdays you will find all of them here for Mariachi. Fatima is giving back and playing it forward as she teaches and inspires young beginning violinists.