Kylie Pascual

Brackets and beats: The cultural and academic importance of Locura de Marzo.

The NCAA’s March Madness reels in millions of participants every year, and Spanish classes add their own twist on the famous basketball brackets with music. 

Locura De Marzo, also known as March Madness, is a celebration of Latin Music implemented in Spanish Classes. Students vote on 16 Latin songs through a tournament-style bracket that is held throughout March. 

At Olympia High School, Spanish teachers Kate Chan and Heather Murphy carefully select songs each year to piece together a bracket. “We try to pick artists from different countries, different backgrounds and music that is representative of different cultural styles so kids can see that Spanish music doesn’t just have [one] voice,” said Chan. 

AP Spanish Four student Peyton Russell has completed several brackets during his high school career. “My favorite part about doing the brackets is getting to take a break from the long month of March, listening to music with my friends, engaging in Spanish culture, and learning more about Latin music,” said Russell. Locura de Marzo allows a fun, lighthearted activity in the midst of rigorous coursework. 

“I think that it is important to engage in other cultures and learn about them, especially through music,” said Russell. Not only is it a break from work, but a chance to see Latin culture from a different perspective. “They expose kids to some parts of Spanish language, culture, or country they may haven’t seen before,” said Chan. 

Over the years of her teaching and hosting these brackets, Chan has seen students’ views on music change. “I see now that through social media, kids have more exposure via TikTok or Instagram to sounds and songs that I don’t think would’ve been on a Spotify link for them,” said Chan.

Latin music has always been a dominant genre when it comes to music, and it is only growing larger and larger. Bad Bunny is a great representation of someone who has only increased the already existing popularity of Latin music. “I think his Super Bowl performance was [popular] because he’s the most-streamed artist in the world. I don’t think it’s the reverse,” said Chan. 

Locura de Marzo was made to allow students learning Spanish to connect to the culture and apply it to the real world. Using something already familiar to students, like March Madness, and turning it into a way to bring awareness to cultures makes learning more engaging and meaningful.