Author D.R. Ransdell
  • Author D.R. Ransdell
  • News & Events
  • Books
    • Dervla Alarms the Nanas
    • Party Wine >
      • Party Wine Extras
    • Andy Veracruz Mysteries >
      • Mariachi Meddler >
        • Mariachi Meddler Reviews
        • Mariachi Meddler Extras
        • MM Questions for Discussion
      • Island Casualty >
        • Island Casualty Reviews
        • Island Casualty Extras
      • Dizzy in Durango >
        • Dizzy in Durango Reviews
        • Dizzy in Durango Extras
      • Substitute Soloist >
        • Substitute Soloist Reviews
        • Substitute Soloist Extras
        • SS Questions for Discussion
      • Brotherly Love >
        • Brotherly Love Extras
    • Campanello Novels >
      • Amirosian Nights
      • Thai Twist >
        • Thai Twist Reviews
        • Thai Twist Extras
      • Carillon Chase >
        • Carillon Chase Extras
        • The International Carillon Festival
        • International Carlllon Festival 2025
      • Olive Envy
    • Mariachi Memoir >
      • Mariachi Memoir Reviews
      • Mariachi Memoir Extras >
        • Music Gigs >
          • Mariachi Fun >
            • What Is Mariachi?
            • Mariachi CD--Diana canta la venganza
          • Italian Folk Songs
  • Audiobooks
  • Scripts
  • Awards
  • Extras
    • Bio
    • Media Room
    • Mystery Book Club
    • Model Mysteries
    • Literary Trails >
      • John Grisham
      • W.B. Yeats
      • J.R.R.Tolkien
      • World Carillons
    • Travel Muse Blog
    • Cat Fun >
      • Sample Poem by Bandit
      • World Cats
    • For Teachers
  • Contact
For more info:
Picture
Picture
Arizona/New Mexico Book Award 11/9/2019
Picture
When I talked my way into a mariachi band, I never expected it to be so much work!

Usually I write fiction, but here I delve into non-fiction with a musical memoir. Learning mariachi was not one bit easy!  In fact, it's the hardest thing I've ever learned if you don't count Italian, back handsprings, and let's not even bother to mention cooking!

SECRETS OF A MARIACHI VIOLINIST

I would have never guessed that nostalgia for living in Mexico would lead me to join a mariachi band in Tucson, Arizona. Nor would I have guessed that learning by ear could be such a challenge! Despite rivals and flirtatious compadres, I was too stubborn to give up. Instead I used on-the-job training and late nights with a tape recorder to learn song after song. In the memoir I recount some of my favorite evenings at El Mariachi Restaurant and describe the alarming process of relearning technique. The cheerful vignettes show the ups and downs of playing in a musical group--a must-read for any music lover!

Note: The 2019 version includes 10 additional chapters.

WINNER  of the Arizona/New Mexico Book Awards 2019 for Biography-Arizona!

Honorable Mention for the 2017 Readers' Favorite Non-Fiction-Music/Entertainment Award

Purchase in Tucson: Mostly Books
6208 E. Speedway (Speedway and Wilmot)



Purchase on Amazon
Reviews
Extras
Two-Minute Book Blurb
Audio file for Chapter 5
​

In this chapter I talk about the difficulties of learning by ear--ouch!
Why write a memoir about mariachi playing? Listen to my book launch video below.