La Rondalla’s Musical Value Felt in Community

By Christa Acuna, Communications Coordinator

In the heart of Oak Cliff, beautiful guitar melodies resonate in a room full of students beaming with passion at the Oak Cliff Cultural Center. Passersby often peek inside the center’s large windows to watch and listen to the creation of a harmonious guitar, bass and percussion ensemble.

Tuesday through Friday, for at least two hours, a group of diverse students gather for the Big Thought La Rondalla music program, directed by musician Dennis Gonzalez. Students are taught by professional musicians who are able to bring out the best in the performers. Growing from just a handful of students and now serving more than 80 youth, many in this group had never tried to read or play any form of music until enrolling in this program.

“Putting a value on music is like asking where in the body love can be found,” said Gonzalez. “It’s impossible to put a price on it, and yet we all can feel the value of it.”

Tony Castillo, a senior at W.H. Adamson High School and La Rondalla participant, found his niche and second family in the program, and flourished beyond what he thought was possible. “The program helped open me up and become less shy,” he said. “Playing music has also challenged my brain and has helped me think on a deeper and harder level.”

Over the four years of the program’s existence, its value has impacted not only the students, but also the surrounding community. The impact is evident through La Rondalla’s enrollment growth and following at workshops, public presentations and family engagement events.

“Being a part of this program has made a remarkable impact on the young people who are in it,” said Sean Fleming, parent of a participant. “I have witnessed the skills and confidence that have been instilled in them. It has made them not just good musicians but better people, and their interactions with the community have opened these young musicians’ minds to a world beyond their homes in Oak Cliff.”

As of today, the students have shared their passion and performed at various notable events, from the local 2014 National Conference of Mayors to the El Grito Festival on the steps of the Texas State Capitol in celebration of Mexican Independence Day. For Castillo, the latter of the events is his most memorable.

La Rondalla is made possible by generous donors, such as the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs; Mr. Jorge L. Baldor; the Candler Family, in memory of Billy Charles Candler and Edward Tate Candler; Data Center Systems; Dow Foundation; and the International House of Blues Foundation.