Dr. Casillas Builds Mariachi Magic | Phoenix News

Dr. Efrain Casillas, a music teacher at Desert Oasis Elementary, just won the 2026 CMA Foundation Music Teacher of Excellence award — national recognition for turning mariachi into a transformative force for kids. Starting from scratch, he taught himself the genre and built a thriving program that’s boosting student confidence, cultural pride, and self-expression. The emotional moment when his students surprised him with the award was pure magic — proof that passion, persistence, and unexpected inspiration can change lives. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/f215123bdf36c373