Central Valley Daily

June 16: In Fresno, Students Add Their Own Flavor To Old Mariachi Music

By Elizabeth Arakelian,

Esther Quintanilla / Central Valley Journalism Collaborative, Jonathan Linden

Published July 16, 2025 at 5:00 AM PDT

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For students, summer is the time to take on new skills when they’re not in school. For a group of them in Fresno, this summer has included handling instruments and learning all about mariachi history. Journalist Esther Quintanilla with the Central Valley Journalism Collaborative takes us to the rehearsal room to hear the students’ finished pieces.

Plus, the latest news headlines: A UC Merced report analyzes the potential cost of immigration raids on jobs; and a Kern County supervisor’s husband remains in jail.

Central Valley Daily

Elizabeth Arakelian

A Valley native, Elizabeth earned her bachelor's degree in English Language Literatures from the University of California, Santa Cruz and her master's degree in journalism from New York University. She has covered a range of beats. Her agriculture reporting for the Turlock Journal earned her a first place award from the California Newspaper Publishers Association.

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Esther Quintanilla / Central Valley Journalism Collaborative

See stories by Esther Quintanilla / Central Valley Journalism Collaborative

Jonathan Linden

Jonathan Linden is a podcast producer at KVPR. Born and raised in Riverside, he's a Southern California native. Jonathan's passion for public radio began at a young age when his brother would play NPR while driving him home from middle school. He earned his B.A. in journalism from Biola University in 2019.

See stories by Jonathan Linden