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Mariachi & The Brain

EEG recordings of mariachi performance.

EEG recordings of mariachi performance.

This project uses EEG to record brain activity during live mariachi performance.

Play
Setting up the EEG cap on a mariachi performer

Background: Mariachi Sana Sana

This project is connected to Mariachi Sana Sana, a Houston-based initiative founded by Stephanie Horton and Gail Aflalo, both pre-health students at the University of Houston. Named after a beloved Mexican nursery rhyme, Mariachi Sana Sana brings mariachi performances to nursing homes and memory care facilities throughout the Houston area, offering a culturally grounded alternative to music therapy approaches built around Western classical repertoire. What started with three members has grown into a group of twelve high school and college students.

Presentations

  • UMBC, Baltimore — EEG data collection during a live mariachi performance, June 2025
  • Señales at the Alley Theatre, Houston — Hispanic Heritage Month celebration, October 3, 2025, where I took part in a panel discussion on neuroscience.
Maxine Annel speaking on the Señales panel at the Alley Theatre for Hispanic Heritage Month

Partner Institutions

  • University of Houston, BRAIN Center
  • Mariachi Sana Sana
  • Alley Theatre, Houston
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