Spotlight on Tony Sauza, ETM-LA Instructional Supervisor
"Music allows students to grow holistically and develop skills and talents that can be applied across other aspects of their lives and education."
Why do you believe music education is crucial for every child?
Music education is an essential component to a child’s overall educational experience. Music is recognized as a core subject alongside math, English language arts, science, and history. Along with this, music education helps students develop both cognitively as well as with their social emotional skills. Music allows students to grow holistically and develop skills and talents that can be applied across other aspects of their lives and education.
How important is it to introduce non-classical genres like mariachi and hip-hop to students?
Introducing non-classical genres to students is important primarily for the purpose of ensuring that the curriculum we present to them is culturally responsive. In other words, it’s not so much focusing on the genres that are important as much as it is presenting music to students that they can identify with, and see themselves in the artists they are studying. It is important to focus on rock, mariachi, and hip-hop because it is culturally relevant to the majority of our student population. This can and will change over time, so we have to do our best as educators to stay current and tuned in to what students are listening to on their own time.
What advice would you offer to our Music Teachers and Music Teacher Interns to help them excel in their roles?
I would encourage our Music Teachers and Music Teacher interns to remain curious, specifically in regards to their teaching practice. Teaching is both a science and an art form which allows for continual growth and development over the years. Additionally, I would encourage them to consider that throughout the teaching process, one experiences peaks and valleys. Some days you feel like the best teacher on the planet, while other days feel like you are not connecting or engaging with students effectively. Keeping this in mind can hopefully provide a sense of balance and help build confidence over time.
What are your thoughts on the role of an Instructional Supervisor at ETM-LA, and what does providing support entail in this context?
The role of an Instructional Supervisor at ETM-LA is unique and, in my opinion, very special. Sometimes when a new teacher enters the field of education, they are left to their own devices to figure out all things related to teaching – potentially making new teachers feel isolated. We provide ongoing support and professional development to a cohort of teachers while they’re in the classroom. This helps to ensure that teachers continue to grow professionally – improving their teaching practice. One of the main ways this occurs is by going out to school sites and observing teachers in their element. Having the opportunity to observe them allows Supervisors the ability to witness their teaching and provide meaningful feedback afterwards. This process is ongoing and aims to continually improve the quality of instruction so students can receive the best educational experience possible.
What led you to study ethnomusicology and Afro-Latin music?
During my early college years, I knew I wanted to study music; however, I didn’t want to pursue a traditional music performance degree. After looking around at various programs, I learned that UCLA had one of the few undergraduate programs in ethnomusicology. Also, on their faculty was an Afro-Cuban master drummer named Francisco Aguabella who I admired greatly. Having the opportunity to study under him was something I definitely didn’t want to pass up. For my masters degree, I had similar sentiments about wanting to pursue a non-traditional music pathway. After researching such programs, I came across the Afro-Latin music program at California State University Los Angeles. Through this program I was able to focus on Afro-Cuban music and was able to study in Cuba, which was an amazing experience.
Can you share about the connection between music and Hispanic/Latino culture?
Music is at the root of most, if not all, of the various Latin cultures throughout Latin America. Whether you’re looking at mariachi and son jarocho from Mexico, son and salsa from Cuba and New York, cumbia and vallenato from Colombia, bomba and plena from Puerto Rico, or merengue from the Dominican Republic, there is a plethora of musical cultures within the general term of Latin music. These musical cultures occur within the context of a larger and multi-layered collection of values, customs, and traditions which have helped shape our understanding of what we now consider Latin culture. One of the biggest elements that contribute to this wide array of Latin music is dance! In all of the genres which I listed, dance is a fundamental component to the music and is viewed as essential to the cultural expression of all of these sounds.