UNLV trains mariachi teachers amid Las Vegas shortage

Mariachi music’s popularity in Las Vegas schools has outpaced the supply of qualified teachers, with about 6,000 Clark County students participating in one of the nation’s largest school programs. To help address the shortage, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas created a mariachi minor that prepares students to teach in local schools. Axel Rodríguez Olivas is expected to become the first student to graduate with the specialization, hoping to pass on the cultural and musical tradition that shaped him. The program also reflects mariachi’s broader place in Las Vegas, where it is both a celebrated part of Latino culture and a popular feature of the city’s entertainment scene.