Posted on March 18, 2025 by Katelyn Juarez
How one professor’s passion for music is infusing UTSA with the rhythm of Mexican American culture
Roy Martinez, political science major and MAS music student, sings a song by Vincent Fernandez with Rachel Cruz, director of MAS Corazón, on guitar.
When Dr. Rachel Cruz arrived at UTSA in 2020, she had a vision to create a musical ensemble that would not only showcase the rich traditions of Mexican American Music, but also serve as a platform for social change and cultural empowerment.
As a newly appointed faculty member in the Department of Mexican American Studies, Cruz, a classically trained opera singer, found herself on a transformative journey. “If REGSS [Race, Gender, and Sexuality Studies] had not come along and pushed me or pulled me out of formal music, and into the department of REGSS, I might have remained focused solely on the technical and esthetic aspects of music, limited by the conventional boundaries of performance and composition,” she reflects.
This shift in perspective led Cruz to recognize the deeper significance of music as a living archive, a form of resistance, and a way to express the complex human experiences that reflect the interconnectedness of societal struggles and personal identities. With this newfound understanding, she set out to create an ensemble that would embody these principles.
Cruz’s journey to UTSA began years earlier when she was teaching at Texas A&M International University in Laredo, Texas. There, she had the opportunity to direct the school’s mariachi ensemble, which quickly became an award-winning group. “The first time I saw those students get up on the stage and win a national championship, my life kind of shifted,” she recalls.
Witnessing the transformative power of music, especially for those students who had never traveled beyond their hometown, had a meaningful impact on Cruz. “It’s one thing to get applause yourself, but being able to do that for 17 other people – that feeling far outweighed the feeling of receiving that applause myself,” she says.
The ensemble at UTSA, MAS Corazón, is an evolution of the San Antonio all-star phenomenon previously known as Mariachi Corazón de San Antonio, led by Cruz. “The name ‘Mas Corazón’ has a double meaning,” Cruz explains. “It represents both the Mexican American Studies program and the idea of ‘more heart’ – music that reflects our department’s focus on social change and activism.”
The ensemble’s lineup is equally diverse, with Cruz leading the charge alongside two graduate assistants and occasional guest musicians, including talented mariachi vocalist Roy Martinez. “Sometimes it’s a trio, sometimes it’s a quartet. It depends on who’s available,” says Cruz.
Jose Macias, a Latin Grammy Award-winning Conjunto and Tejano musician with over 20 years of experience in composing, recording and performing, became a key member of the group and a graduate assistant to Cruz. After being introduced to Cruz through a professor and learning about MAS Corazón’s creation, Macias joined the ensemble and began playing his button accordion in an academic setting.
“I used to think my musical skills and knowledge of Conjunto and Tejano music were something I did and practiced on my own time,” says Macias. “MAS Corazón has taught me that I – and the community I come from – are holders and creators of valid and important knowledge.”
Macias holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mexican American Studies from UTSA and is expected to graduate in 2025 with his Master’s certificate in Mexican American Studies. In October 2024, he was appointed Executive Director of the Conjunto Heritage Taller (CHT), a non-profit organization in San Antonio that focuses on the preservation and promoting traditional Conjunto music played on the button accordion and Bajo Sexto.
“I have never taken on such a task, but the knowledge and leadership skills acquired from MAS Corazón have given me the confidence to accept this new role,” Macias adds.
This philosophy has attracted students from a wide range of backgrounds, from computer science to communications. The group’s music is just as diverse, spanning genres from Tejano and conjunto to urban hip-hop.
“I like to tell my students that if you identify as Afro Latino, Latina, Latinx, Latina, then the music you write is that – it doesn’t matter the style in which you write. If I write it, then it’s Latinx or Latine music because I wrote it and that’s who I am,” Cruz says.
The commitment to inclusivity and cultural representation has been a driving force behind the development of UTSA’s Bachelor of Arts degree with an emphasis in Mexican American music. The degree is unique, as it is the only one offered through a MAS program in the United States.
The program’s impact has been widespread, empowering students to explore their cultural identities through music and providing them with a platform to share their stories.
— Katelyn Juarez
