Ida Tello

Ida Tello is a first-year master’s student in Musicology at Washington University. She recently received her bachelor’s degree in Music Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she developed an interest in Latin American musical performance and literature. During her undergraduate studies, she served as the vocalist for the Latin Jazz ensemble, the Latin American ensemble, and Grupo Illini, of which she is also a founder.

Ida is passionate about how Mexican-American communities create, transform, and produce music, and how these practices aid in preserving Mexican identity in the United States. Her undergraduate thesis, titled “Son Jarocho’s Communal Politics and Educational Intentionality in the Urban United States,” explores the practice of Son Jarocho – a musical genre from Veracruz, Mexico – in Chicago, and how the genre has served as a means for protest and political dissent. Other research interests include the lasting impact of the Chilean New Song movement on modern-day Chilean politics, the use of recorded and performed music in femicide protests across Mexico, and the importance of incorporating Mexican musical traditions into American public school curricula. She is also interested in exploring the relationships between protest music across the globe and addressing music-making from a postcolonial lens.

Outside of academics, Ida loves to camp, hike, swim, and spend time outdoors. At WashU, she looks forward to joining the Grad Nature Trippers Club, the Beekeeping Club, and the Latin Graduate Student Association. She also plans to continue performing with choirs and jazz combos in the St Louis area.