Manny Martinez is a senior at the Law Magnet and part of the debate team, orchestra, and the mariachi club.
If you were a genre of music, what would it be?
“Culturally, probably mariachi, since I play a lot of mariachi songs and I really resonate with a lot of the messages of mariachi music. Generally, probably soul. It’s really expressive. I feel like that’s my personality, y’know I try to be as extroverted as I can.”
What instruments do you play?
“My main instrument is violin. I play saxophone, guitar, trumpet, and I’m learning keyboard right now.”
Do you participate in competitions?
“Around December, I’m doing Legion for mariachi, which is just taking a bunch of kids that play mariachi to compete against each other, make up this mega band, and have a concert. Then, early in our second semester for orchestra, I do UIL, solo and ensemble. Sophomore year, I went to State. It’s more fun to have a lot more liberty with the music that you can choose and play for the judges.”
What first got you into music?
“I feel like it’s always been a part of me. I remember when I was little, I would attach a piece of string to our toy box lid and pretend to play guitar. I would also bang a bunch of pots and pans…I guess that was signaling that I wanted to do something in music. And whatever I wanted to do, music was going to be with me.”
How do you interact with music outside of competitions and school?
“I play music for school obviously, but outside of school, I transcribe songs, which is basically the art of putting audio into sheet music and writing it down. For example, my latest transcription was Master Blaster by Stevie Wonder. It’s a really good song, but it has a lot of different parts that might seem simple at first. Once you write it out in music notation, there’s a lot going on, a lot of hidden instruments that you didn’t really hear but really fill in the space for a piece of music.”
What drew you to join the mariachi club?
“I just think mariachi is way more free than orchestra. You have a lot more liberty with the expressions. Classical music is a lot cleaner and more synchronized. With mariachi, I guess uncleanliness is what makes mariachi really sound good. Each musician has their own interpretation of what to do with the music and teach it to others, who can then change it to their interpretation. So, I like the liberty that you have in mariachi.”
What do you like most about music?
“I have to say two things. One is the stories that music tells. I feel like it’s a really good way to not explicitly say a message or a story, but still get that message across in a way that people can easily digest and enjoy at the same time. The second thing I love about music is just the instrumentals. I really love looking at the instrumentals of what makes a song and how they work together with each other to make, you know, music.”
What do you like least about music?
“[The] elitism among different genres. For example, among classical musicians, there’s a lot of, ‘oh, we’re better, because we have more years of being in the music scene.’ I think it’s really toxic. New people who want to experience music are being pushed away by people who think that one genre of music is better than the others. That’s really discouraging, especially now when music is not being funded much in schools. It’s really demotivating for a new student to come into the music scene and actually enjoy it.”
Which famous musicians do you admire?
“Stevie Wonder. His music really resonates with me when it comes to the way he composes and arranges his songs. More than anything, the messages behind his music [resonate with me], because he uses music to express the messages that he wants to get out. He used music to speak against the apartheid in the 80s, and he also used music to make Martin Luther King Jr. Day a national holiday. That’s really the power of music.”
What’s the best piece of advice you received from someone about music?
“Just be open to experiencing new stuff, whether it’s new opportunities, new genres, or new pieces of music to play. I think you’ll find that you like a lot of stuff if you open up.”
