Banda NIU, an ensemble in the NIU School of Music that honors the tradition of the great Bandas of the western Mexican state of Sinaloa, has received a program grant of nearly $5,000 from the Farny R. Wurlitzer Foundation to support music education outreach activities by NIU student musicians, specifically performances and workshops of traditional Latino music. It is part of an effort to increase culturally responsive music education initiatives in Hispanic serving DeKalb and Kane County schools.
Culturally responsive music education considers the whole student, the student’s differing perspectives of the world, environment, experiences, and prior knowledge of the subject matter to make education more impactful. It is a mindset adapted by the educator with the intent to honor the student’s background rather than acculturate them to the biases of the educator or program.
“I’m so proud of the work of the student musicians that have made this program grow at NIU over the past two years,” said Banda Christopher Scanlon, assistant professor of trumpet and brass area coordinator who directs the ensemble. “I’m excited to bring them out in the community to connect with neighboring schools and share the rich cultural heritage of Banda music and our work to make the NIU School of Music a home for Mexican traditional music and culture.”
This Banda program will have a significant impact on the students and families in these communities. A pilot workshop was carried out in spring of 2022 with students at Carpentersville Middle School in Kane County, facilitated through an internal grant by the Northern Illinois University Center for Latino and Latin American Studies.
Banda’s long and rich history is drawn on collaboration between European immigrants to Mexico in the 1800s and popular Mexican song. The most popular subgenre of regional Mexican music, Banda relies solely on an instrumentation of wind instruments featuring brass, clarinets, percussion and singers.
Through the Farny R. Wurlitzer Foundation Fund, the DeKalb County Community Foundation provides grants to nonprofit and public sector organizations throughout the greater Chicagoland area to support music education. Funding is made possible through a Community Foundation Field of Interest Fund established by the Farny R. Wurlitzer Foundation.
