Xóchitl Morales was raised in a family where music was not only practiced—it was lived. In Delano, California, they grew up immersed in mariachi tradition, playing multiple instruments, singing harmonies, and participating in family ensembles. As a multi-instrumentalist and singer, she learned through observation, repetition, and familial guidance, developing skills within a collaborative, intergenerational environment. From a young age, Xóchitl was no only expected to perform, but also to teach. Instruction was less about asserting authority and more about fulfilling a shared responsibility—an ethic that continues to inform how they engage music today.

Though their early musical experiences were grounded in community, their transition into institutional spaces revealed how gender shaped access and expectations. In a university mariachi ensemble, Xóchitl encountered a highly masculinized culture where leadership and musical authority were frequently reserved for male students. Despite her experience and capability, she found herself and her sister marginalized—both informally and through structural decisions that undermined their participation. These moments clarified how leadership in such spaces was often assumed to be male, even when young women demonstrated equal or greater preparation.

Rather than conform to a dynamic that diminished their contributions, the sisters chose to invest in music-making that honored their family’s values. They continued to perform and teach in community-based contexts, where collaboration and cultural grounding remained central. This decision was not a rejection of mariachi, but a refusal to limit their participation to roles that excluded leadership or creative input.

Xóchitl has continued to teach and direct musical ensembles with an approach shaped by her early experiences. They facilitate learning by centering student voice and fostering environments where young people, especially girls, can develop confidence and skill without rigid hierarchies. Her role in education is rooted in care, and in a belief that teaching and leadership are shared practices rather than positions of dominance.

Their ongoing work challenges prevailing norms within mariachi and related traditions, where women are often cast as vocalists but rarely as arrangers, directors, or ensemble leaders. In their family and community ensembles, Xóchitl arranges music, leads rehearsals, and mentors others—not as an exception, but as part of a broader movement toward equity in cultural practice.

For Xóchitl, gender equity is not an abstract goal—it is lived through the everyday choices of who gets to speak, sing, and lead. Her story exemplifies how mariachi, and traditional music more broadly, can be a powerful vehicle not just for sustaining cultural heritage, but for transforming inherited roles and reimagining leadership. Through their work, Xóchitl shows that tradition and progress are not opposites; they are interwoven in the hands of those who live them fully.

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