San Miguel de Allende has a long-standing reputation as an arts playground for seniors. The magical mountain pueblo has long attracted a multicultural array of retirees looking to enjoy the city’s abundant, eclectic offerings of cultural activities.
In recent years, however, the city has begun to see a dynamic shift. While there are still water aerobics classes, yoga and book clubs, there are also rock concerts featuring teenaged bands, skateboard parks and special clubs designed just for teens.
With more and more younger families arriving, San Miguel is gaining a reputation as not just a great place to retire but also as one that is evolving into a capital for kids.
Musical theater for kids
Teen Connect SMA (SMA stands for San Miguel de Allende) is a club that puts on theatrical music productions and sponsors “unplugged” — i.e. no phones allowed — adventure camps for kids. The founder, Kirsten McCormick, moved to San Miguel five years ago.
“I’m a mom of five kids. We moved to San Miguel as kind of an experiment,” McCormick tells me. “To see if it was a good fit for my family. I fell in love immediately, but my teenagers were less impressed.
“It seemed like there wasn’t much for them. I realized [that] if I wanted the whole family to stay, I needed to do something. I started Teen Connect SMA in January of 2021 with a socially distanced outdoor meetup. We played icebreaker games with the kids, and I saw how much they lit up at being in person instead of online.
“I knew my kids needed this. I decided to do it once a week. And now we have this high-quality children’s theater, classes, clubs and social events.”
Today, Teen Connect SMA comprises over 100 families, and its musical theater program puts on a big production twice a year.
Drum teacher launches teen concert series
Yet another music program for children and teens started in 2023, when San Miguel native Luis Flores moved home after spending 15 years in California.
“I got my first drum set when I was only eight years old,” Flores says. “I’ve been hooked since then. Punk rock and skateboarding culture always caught my attention, and that’s how I discovered the bands that became my inspiration.”
Flores now teaches drums and percussion to over 50 students in San Miguel aged two to 19.
“In my classes, we learn about all music styles, but we definitely focus more on rock ‘n’ roll. From the very first lesson, my students play along to bands like Black Sabbath, AC/DC or the Beatles,” Flores says.
In Flores’ program, kids can do regular live gigs: He arranges concerts in public parks for special occasions, and the teenagers play at local cafés and restaurants.
“I always encourage my students to perform in front of audiences,” says. “This helps build self-esteem, and it gets them excited about future presentations. Some of my students are now forming their own bands: Cat Litter, Toxic, Indigo, Vestige and Music Machine. These young bands have already been performing in local venues like Café Rama, Tupinamba, Amapola and El Sindicato.”
‘A fertile environment for kids’
These young bands include students taught guitar and piano by local music professor Mario Moya. Born and raised in San Miguel, the classically trained Moya plays harpsichord, piano and guitar.
Moya has recently noticed a recent change in the town’s personality.
“The musical scene of San Miguel is moving. More people are coming. Not just Americans but also Mexicans from Mexico City, from Monterrey, from Guanajuato. It is becoming a better place for young people,” Moya says. “Once, it was mainly retired people. There was even a saying that people came here to die happy,” he says with a laugh.
As a boy, Moya earned part of his music class tuition by accompanying his teacher to perform in rural communities and orphanages. To this day, he remains passionate about bringing art and music to financially challenged families. His perception of the evolving music scene in San Miguel is positive.
“Due to our economic situation, my father was not sure about music. Probably he would have rather had a teacher or a lawyer,” Moya says. “To become a musician was just a dream.”
“But now I see the way that music is developing here,” Moya adds. “There is the desire of the kids to play, but there is also support from the parents. The families moving here are finding it a very fertile environment for kids. San Miguel has a better infrastructure for youth. I mean, we have the teen club that puts on musical productions, Luis Flores with 50 kids playing drums, the youth orchestra, new music stores, skateboarding parks. Look at all the possibilities.
“People often want to say that the past was better. And, yes, there are a lot of people moving to San Miguel. But it’s very cool to think how the city has developed from a touristy retired international community to what I consider a multicultural musical scene. Because of the demand, there is so much to offer. It is amazing to me that so many kids here have access to art.”
Demand for youth activities higher than ever
The private-sector demand for youth activities also provides more opportunities for lower-income families. Moya offers scholarships, while McCormick’s unplugged teen adventure camps spend part of their experience teaching younger kids in the countryside.
“The camp is free for [the rural kids], and it gives the teens a chance to do service, immerse themselves in the communities and give back,” McCormick says. “It feels good for everyone. It’s an awesome integrated experience. Overall, I’d say San Miguel has become a great place for teens.”
Flores’ student bands played a sold-out show at a popular nightspot in downtown San Miguel in late July.
“This change in the music scene for San Miguel is very exciting,” Flores said. “It will be very beneficial to the community to have a nice mix of retirees and young families at these events. When the kids play live, there is great energy in the crowd. It turns into an amazing time, and everyone enjoys the show.”
Anne Richards is a San Miguel de Allende-based author.
