Some groups had harp players, others had multiple instructors dedicated to each section of the band. “And there I was, running around with my backpack,” Martinez says with a chuckle. Although the kids aren’t competing head-to-head, they’re still subject to high standards. The schools...
Since the 2016 presidential election, this kind of scene is the more common one on the plaza. Musicians from Mexico have become more reluctant to swing across the border to perform on weekends, making it difficult for L.A. bandleaders to fill out their groups. And local immigrants who hire...