This Latinx Heritage Month, we’re celebrating Illinois State University junior Marie Cruz and the many ways music can connect us to our memories, our cultures, and each other.
As a music therapy and violin performance student, Cruz hopes to help people living with dementia reconnect with memories through music. As founder of the Redbird Mariachi Club, she’s creating space for students to explore music beyond the traditional classical canon, embrace diverse cultural sounds, and discover new ways to experience music together.
Learn more about Cruz’s passion for using music to build connection and community in this video feature.
The video was filmed and edited by student intern Nicholas Lapetino, and produced by social media specialist Madeline Sievers.
