UIL Recognizing Mariachi As Category In Music Competitions

HOUSTON (AP) – Students in Texas will soon be able to compete for state bragging rights over who is the best at playing mariachi music.

In the next school year, the University Interscholastic League will have mariachi as a category in its music competitions.

Officials will meet in mid-February to fine tune guidelines for the new category. Richard Floyd, the state director of music for UIL, says officials think this will have a lot of statewide attractiveness — especially in areas such as the Rio Grande Valley, El Paso and San Antonio.

Since this will be a UIL event, students must pass their classes to participate. Houston Independent School District leaders helped lobby for the change.

They hope it’s one of the first steps Texas takes to encourage more Hispanic students to participate in art and academic competitions.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)