Phrasing is how you use your voice to group words together. Use this passage to practice reading with proper phrasing. Print a copy of this passage from InsideNG.com to help you monitor your progress.
Many Mexican American teens are thinking about careers in mariachi. Schools offer courses in mariachi music, and competitions are spreading across the country as more and more Hispanic teens become interested in their culture.
“I like to tell stories,” says Victoria Acosta, who won competitions even before she was a teen. “When I’m singing, it’s like I’m telling a story. There are sad songs, and happy songs, and love songs. There are all different kinds of stories to tell.”
When Victoria was just 4 years old, she fell in love with mariachi music. She begged her parents for lessons.
Her parents supported her. “We need to do our part to preserve our culture,” says her father, Ruben Acosta. He is a fifth-generation Mexican American. “Mariachi music is so beautiful. We want to make sure it doesn’t die out.”