Q & A: Challenges of Mexican Music

Today, I’m responding to a question from an Instagram Q&A.

If you would like me to respond to your question about Fulbright or my grant project, message me on Instagram or through my contact page.

Now for today’s question: What (if any) challenges are unique to Mexican piano repertoire?

I might be premature in responding to this question considering that I have barely been in Mexico for a month and am just starting to audit classes at the conservatory. Perhaps I will revisit the topic toward the end of the year and see if my answer has evolved or expanded. For now, I can think of three challenges:

1) Finding the music: Likely the number one challenge of studying Mexican piano repertoire is the fact that it is notoriously difficult to find. The rights to the music may be owned by relatives of the composer, or the music was never published, or it went out of print, or some other issue. A number of Mexican pianists have generously offered to share their scores with me, but this does not solve the bigger issue of helping more pianists access this music for performance and teaching.

2) Technique: Several generations of Mexican composers were strongly influenced by Frédéric Chopin and Franz Liszt, so many of their works display highly virtuosic pianism. Strong technique is essential to execute much of this repertoire, especially octave skills and light-but-rapid scale work.

3) Cultural awareness: Technical practice aside, interaction with the cultural elements in this repertoire is indispensable. Does the composer draw on traditional dances, popular songs, poetry, etc.? Are they quoted directly or varied in some way? It is essential to connect with these elements, whether by watching a video of the dance or song, attending a live performance, or joining a dance class - whatever you can do to connect with the music and the culture that inspired it.

Thank you for reading, and don’t forget to send me your question for a future blog post!

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