Perpich Students Experience the Power of Music and Culture Through Act One Virtual Reality
October 23, 2026
Perpich students engage with Act One’s innovative VR Arts Immersion™ program
What does it feel like to be in the room with a mariachi band, hearing the music and learning the stories behind the performers? For students in Katie Kelley’s Spanish 1 class, virtual reality offered a new way to experience the answer.
This morning, students stepped into an immersive performance featuring Las Azaleas, an all-female mariachi band based in Tucson, Arizona, through VR Arts Immersion™, a program developed by Act One and brought to Minnesota through a partnership with Perpich Center for Arts Education.
Toni Beckler, Perpich’s Training and Development Specialist, guided students through the experience, which uses virtual reality to introduce young people to working artists, artistic traditions, and new ways of understanding the world around them.
The experience gave students a chance to explore Mexican culture and mariachi music from a perspective that went beyond watching a traditional video. “I think it’s a lot more personal when you’re there,” Kelley said. “It felt like you were actually interviewing the mariachi band, right? Like, you were actually there watching the mariachi band. So it’s a level up from just a normal video.”
Perpich students engage with Act One’s innovative VR Arts Immersion™ program
The virtual experience also created connections to topics students have explored in Spanish class, including murals, Día de los Muertos, and artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. For Profe Kelley, the opportunity to explore the contemporary side of Latin culture was especially meaningful.
“People don’t recognize Latin culture as something that progresses and is modern,” she said. “Having the feminist take on mariachi, I think, was really important, too.”
Students came away with new perspectives on both the music and the people who perform it. One student reflected on learning that mariachi has historically been male-dominated and appreciated the opportunity to see an all-women band. Another shared, “I didn’t know much about mariachi itself and I think it’s really cool how although it was historically very men-based, that the band was all women and hearing their story.”
Others connected the experience to their own surroundings. One student noted that the mural behind the band reminded them of artwork they frequently see in Minneapolis, while another described the VR experience as “so fun and interactive to use.”
Perpich students engage with Act One’s innovative VR Arts Immersion™ program
For Kelley, these connections are exactly what make immersive cultural experiences valuable in language learning. Students can encounter traditions, discover new perspectives, and recognize how culture continues to evolve.
Through its partnership with Act One, Perpich is bringing VR Arts Immersion™ to students across Minnesota, expanding access to meaningful arts learning regardless of where they live. As Perpich continues traveling to schools throughout the state, students are discovering new artists, exploring cultural traditions and making connections that bring learning to life. For Kelley’s Spanish 1 class, the experience offered more than an up-close look at a musical performance. It brought language and culture together in an engaging, personal way that challenged perspectives and sparked new understanding.
ABOUT ACT ONE: Since 2011, Act One has worked to ensure that every child, regardless of zip code or family income, has access to meaningful arts experiences. Through in-person field trips, the Culture Pass program, and its nationally recognized VR Arts Immersion™ field trips, Act One connects Arizona students and families with theater, dance, music, museums, visual art, and immersive arts education. Learn more at act1az.org.
ABOUT PERPICH CENTER FOR ARTS EDUCATION: Perpich Center for Arts Education is a Minnesota state agency created to promote access to and opportunities in arts education for Minnesota students, educators, schools, and districts. Perpich supports teaching in and through the arts through its Arts High School, statewide professional development and outreach programs, and extensive arts education library. Learn more at perpich.mn.gov.
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