Spark Spotlight shines a light on an educator making a meaningful impact in their classroom and community. Together, we celebrate their creativity, inspiring stories, and unwavering dedication to SFUSD students’ success. 

At Spark’s Our City, Our Schools 10th Anniversary Gala on May 7, the evening concluded with a fantastic performance by Mariachi Los Osos from Mission High School. We had the opportunity to speak with Music Director Osvaldo Carvajal to learn more about the Mariachi program and the role of music education at Mission High.

Originally from Cuba, Osvaldo Carvajal has been singing and playing music since childhood. He worked as a professional musician in Cuba before immigrating to the United States, where he continued performing with several bands across the Bay Area. Everything changed when he began teaching music at the Mission Cultural Center and witnessed firsthand the transformative impact music had on his students. “Seeing their joy changed my life,” he recalls. “I came home and told my wife, ‘I know what I want to do.’”

Osvaldo earned his degree in music education and his teaching credential from San Francisco State University before joining Mission High School in 2012. Hired initially to replace the choir teacher, he gradually transformed the program by incorporating instruments and launching a Modern Band class. This innovative music education model—introduced by the nonprofit organization Music Will in 2011—brings popular music into public schools, empowering students to play, perform, improvise, and compose using songs they know and love.

Today, Music Will is a national network supporting music educators with a complete methodology, including curriculum, instruments, and teaching materials. Osvaldo remains connected to the organization, attending its annual music summit each summer in Fort Collins, Colorado.

In 2015, at the suggestion of then-SFUSD Superintendent Richard Carranza—himself a mariachi—Osvaldo launched the Mariachi program at Mission High School. “I’m Cuban, not Mexican, but Mariachi music wasn’t foreign to me,” he explained. “Growing up in Cuba, I’d hear Mariachi on the radio with my mom.” The program recently celebrated its 10th anniversary and has expanded to include 11 schools across the district.

Mariachi is offered as an elective, and most students participate for two consecutive years. “They gain so much—social skills, discipline, teamwork, and cultural awareness,” Osvaldo shared. “They meet peers from different backgrounds, learn punctuality, and build confidence. It’s been especially important after COVID, when students returned quiet and disconnected. In music class, they talk, make friends, hang out during lunch—even after school.”

A key part of Osvaldo’s teaching philosophy is immersing students in the creative process. In his classes, students write original songs and express themselves through lyrics. “I guide them through chord structures and rhyme schemes, and they perform their songs in class,” he said. “It gives them the freedom to create and share their voices.”

Another essential element of music education is performance. “At the beginning of the year, I tell my students they’ll have to perform,” Osvaldo explained. “They get nervous—some even try to back out. But I encourage them and help build their confidence. Afterward, they write reflections, and almost all of them say, ‘I’m glad I did it. I feel proud,’ even if they made mistakes.” He’s seen how performing can bring out a different side of students. “Some don’t even speak in class, but when they play music together, they come alive.”

Osvaldo’s music students are in high demand. “I get calls and emails all the time,” he shared. “I’d love to take the modern band out more often, but it’s tough logistically—there’s so much equipment involved. Mariachi is easier to mobilize. We just grab our instruments and go.”

Mariachi Los Osos regularly perform at schools and community events. “We also do things like serenatas on Fridays during class,” Osvaldo added. “I ask teachers if they’d like a song or two, and the students love it.”

Beyond community performances, the music program stays active with assemblies, winter and spring concerts, and mini concert series during the school day. “It’s a great way for students who aren’t yet in the music program to see what we do—and maybe be inspired to join.”

Dreaming about future possibilities, Osvaldo shares that with the right support he would like to improve his equipment and take students to more festivals and conferences. “I go to teacher conferences and see other students performing and think—“We could do that too. But we need help with logistics and funding,” he notes.

For Osvaldo, “a school without the arts is like a house without a garden. Every school should have music—even if it’s just one teacher with one guitar. Music gives students a sense of pride in their school, like a sports team does. It represents the spirit of the school. It also offers students a space to relax, connect, and express who they are.” 

Not a day goes by that Osvaldo isn’t reminded of his purpose as a teacher: “Every student has something special within them. My job is to help bring it out. Sometimes, even their families don’t yet recognize the talent they hold—but when I see it and help them see it too, that’s when the magic happens.”