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Arwen Lawrence is vocalist, dancer, and player of traditional Mexican rhythm guitars whose special attention to poetry, emotion and phrasing has won her acclaim as one of the favorite interpreters of Mexican song and bolero of her contemporaries. The Los Angeles Times declared her song as "one of the most authentic moments of the evening, performed with such loving purity that it stayed with the audience long after the curtain fell." While receiving her Bachelor of Arts in Latin American Literature from the University of California, Los Angeles Arwen began her tutelage with Los Angeles' Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano with whom she recorded and toured throughout the US and Mexico, performing in venues such as New York's Lincoln Center, Berkeley's Zellerbach Hall and Guadalajara's Teatro Degollado. Arwen attributes her unique interpretation and interest in older song styles to this mentorship. Though her strength is in her 'angelic' voice, her interest lies in more earthy traditional music, existing without separation from song, dance and language. Arwen studied regional Mexican dance with teachers in both the US and Mexico, and performed with several dance ensembles such as Ballet Folklórico Ollin in Los Angeles and Ensambles Ballet Folklórico de San Francisco. Yet she is most attracted to traditional dance as an integral part of music, and she has since enjoyed studying with mentors of the Son Jarocho community of Veracruz, Mexico. Arwen has her Masters in Music Education from Holy Names University, Oakland, specializing in the use of traditional music in the elementary classroom (Kodaly). When not misguiding Cascada de Flores, Arwen teaches music in Oakland public schools.
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