Coronavirus: Southern California mariachi school still teaching music online during COVID-19 pandemic

ByGabriela Milian WPVI logo
Friday, March 27, 2020
Mariachi school teaching online during COVID-19 pandemic
The owner of the mariachi school is still open and running his business by continuing classes via livestream video.

LOS ANGELES -- The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way so many people live, work and how people educate themselves. At Lluvia y Fuego Mariachi Academy in Southern California, there's a little less music filling the classroom.

However, the owner of the mariachi school is still open and running his business by continuing classes via livestream video.

"It becomes an opportunity for us to actually have better ways or more ways of increasing our capacity to hold a class. And to have maybe more people watch us online even when they can't make it or maybe they're on the other side of the world," said Juan Ignacio Zepeda, owner of Lluvia y Fuego.

Zepeda is looking at this new way of life as a potential for growth change, but he did mention that he has lost about half of his students.

For those who are still staying connected online, one student admits it can be challenging even though he likes staying at home.

"I also miss them like at school, I don't really have a full conversation with them anymore because sometimes during classes we'd have a conversation and just talk," said Isaiah Flores who is in 6th grade and sings, plays guitar and guitarrón at Lluvia y Fuego.

For those students that have continued taking classes online, Zepeda said that they are all adjusting perfectly fine because most kids know how to handle technology. Since classes are still in session at Lluvia y Fuego the academy still has hope despite the changes.