He worked as a singer for the San Diego Opera, but was forced to set that aside when an infection in his throat robbed him of his singing voice. Then he taught theater arts, but cutbacks in arts programs took that job away as well.
Despite, or perhaps because of, these setbacks, Spanish teacher Manuel Castillejos encourages schools to invest in the fine arts, and for students to follow their aspirations as long as they have a backup plan. Although he did not return to artistic involvement in schools, Castillejos did find his own school, the Pomona Escuela de Bellas Artes or School of Fine Arts. He and his wife started the school in 1994 with the goal of offering affordable fine art classes. “Our prices were very low,” he said; the school offered weekly fine arts classes for about $20-40 a month. “The whole purpose was to get the community to learn and be exposed to the arts.” Castillejos and his wife were inspired to found the school by their daughter, who suffered from dyslexia. When she was 10 years old, she was in a special education class, and she taught her peers how to dance. “We wanted to invest in a property and start a school of the arts,” he said. “That was the best inheritance we could leave her.”
Although he attempted to sing for a living as a teenager, his parents found out and persuaded him to attend college. Castillejos graduated from San Diego State with a major in theater arts and a minor in Spanish. As he attended that school, he became involved with the San Diego Opera. He became a singer who progressed from bit roles into larger ones, but he had an infection in his throat while he was contracted to do three more performances. “You know the saying, the show must go on,” he said. Castillejos was able to “sing through the pain,” but his voice grew much weaker as a result. His career as a singer was over.
“Thank goodness that I finished college and had a degree in theater arts,” he said. “I lost my instrument.”
Castillejos taught at Cal State Fullerton, USC, and the University of La Verne among others. He ended up at Mt. SAC, teaching part time for nine years, and full-time for 22 years. “You have to do what you have to do, and that’s what’s happening nowadays with the economy,” he said. “A lot of students that are coming to Mt. SAC, that’s what they’re looking for. They need to change their profession or their specialization because the job prospects aren’t as good.”
Despite his difficulties with jobs in fine arts, Castillejos said that they are extremely important to students and to schools. “The fine arts are essential for the growth of your soul,” he said.
“It should not be a question as to one or the other,” he added. Numerous students neglect their artistic pursuits in favor of traditional work due to financial concerns, and students should never have to make that decision, Castillejos said.
For aspiring artists, Castillejos advises that there should be a backup plan in place. “You have to be realistic; this is a competitive market,” he said. While in school, artists should take a more traditional major or at least a minor in addition to their artistic classes, and after graduating, they should have a day job. “I always put myself as an example – look what happened to me,” he said.
“You need to be well-prepared and well trained,” he said. For example, those who aspire to act in dramatic roles should also be ready to sing, dance, and be humorous when opportunities arise.
Castillejos recently had to close his school. “It was all going really well until about four years ago when the economy slowed down,” he said.
Most people stopped coming to the larger group classes and only private instruction was popular. As a result, the school was repurposed to be an events hall to be rented for others to use. In addition, a restaurant has leased the bottom floor.
Castillejos has participated in events such as Puttin’ on the Hits; in the early 2000s, he sang as one of the Three Tenors, Luciano Pavarotti, alongside other Mt. SAC staff. He has not involved himself in the theater program; however, he does want to see more representation of Latino culture in the plays. “I see [Latino] actors, professors, performers,” he said. “I don’t see anything representing the Latino culture in the program.” The economy has not yet recovered, but Castillejos is hopeful that when it does, the students will quickly come back. For now, he is content to teach Spanish and have the school ready when there is more student demand. “I love teaching Spanish,” he said.
- Matthew Medina
News Editor
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