Jarrocha’s ukulele teaching guide wins the ‘Art, Science and Light’ award – Universo – UV News System

• Prepared by Alicia Navarrete Landa, graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education at the University of Veracruzana.
• In its content, aspects such as regional diagrams, characteristics of the instrument and its parts, tuning, changing strings, elementary exercises and a glossary are considered.

Carlos Hugo Hermida Rosales

Photos: Luis Fernando Fernandez

12/15/2023, Xalapa, Release- “The jarocha is a very complete folk instrument because it can produce melodies and accompany itself, and it is also an emblem of the state of Veracruz,” declares Alicia Navarrete Landa, graduate of the Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from the University of Veracruzana. (UV).

The young woman received the “Art, Science, Light” award for the best reception work of 2023 in the Bachelor’s category, for the educational innovation project “Teaching and Learning Guide for the Garrocha Harp”.

Alicia Navarrete said that she is very happy to receive the “Art, Science, Light” award for the best reception work in 2023, because it is an achievement that although she wanted it, she did not think about it.

He said: “The institutional recognition of my guide is excellent news and an incentive for future projects.”

The purpose of the work is to provide a written reference for music teachers on this harmonic instrument, and to contribute to the preservation of Veracruz folk music.

The young woman hopes to publish her guide in 2024

In its content, regional diagrams, characteristics and parts of the harp, tuning, chord changes, preliminary exercises and a musical glossary are considered, with the aim of promoting important learning as a curricular resource.

Alicia Navarrete said that from a young age she ventured into the world of folklore, first with the jarana and later with the harp, captivated by its wide variety.

He noted that “its sounds have a very high register and can move without problem from high to low notes, giving them a harmony that is pleasing to the ear.”

He explained that instrument players lack tangible tools to teach music lessons, which is why he suggested developing the aforementioned guide.

The text emerged from interviews conducted with a focus group of harpists who had graduated from a Bachelor of Music Education degree and who work as folk artists.

The Jarrocha lyre is the emblem of the state of Veracruz.

Based on his needs and interests, he combined eight transcriptions of representative sons of Jarocho arranged by degree of difficulty, as well as a glossary so that anyone who wanted to learn could become familiar with the concepts of the subject.

It also included a map showing the location of areas in Veracruz where guitarists gather.

The young woman said that after undergoing the review process, she hopes to publish her text in early 2024 and distribute it in Xalapa, Mexico and the world, because the jarocha is an instrument that has a presence all over the planet.