
Richard Hildner Armacanqui & Juan Tomás Martínez
Madison, WI
“Music is a global language…everyone can communicate. You can express your feelings and your thoughts, your energy and your love. You can connect and communicate with the rest of the world, without limits or frontiers.”
Musician Interview
Fusing Family Influences and World Travel
From Wisconsin to Latin America and beyond, Richard Hildner Armacanqui and Juan Tomás Martínez weave together their experiences, travels and cultures to make their eclectic music.
“There’s so much wisdom in the things we have in common, and the universals. But I would say that there’s just as much, if not more, wisdom inside of our differences.”
Questions to consider:
- Richard and Juan talk about how they learned music as young people from their older family members. What have you learned musically from your family or the adults in your life? What music have others shared with you, and how has it influenced your own taste in music?
- Richard says that the music he and Juan play together is an expression of their identities. How do you use music to express your own identity? What does the music you listen to or play share about who you are?
- Juan shared that with music you can communicate with the whole world. What do you think music can do?
Musician Performance

“El niño que quiere jugar”
(The Child That Wants to Play)
Richard and Juan created this new song specifically for this project, inspired by Richard’s experiences with his son and the instincts children have to play.
“El niño que quiere jugar” was composed by Richard Hildner Armacanqui and Juan Tomás Martínez. This performance was recorded by PBS Wisconsin Education on February 9, 2020.
Blockquote
“The most beautiful thing about making musicis when you do something and people respond to what you're feeling and the idea you have.”
Play Music
“El niño que quiere jugar” (The Child That Wants to Play)
Musicians participating in this project have granted permission to PBS Wisconsin Education for their selected songs to be shared. By using this PBS Wisconsin Education website or any of the resources provided to you through the website, you signify your agreement to our Terms of Use.
Guides & Resources

Educator Engagement Guide
Richard Hildner Armacanqui and Juan Tomás Martínez
Wondering how to spark additional learning using these media resources? Check out this guide developed by music educators, for music educators.
Inside this guide:
- Background information about the musician
- Knowledge, skill and affective outcomes for learners with strategies for achieving them
- Academic standards aligned with these resources
Project Credits
Producer
Mia Forslund
Ryan Hendricks
Videography
Ryan Hendricks
Ian Glodich
Nia Scott
Editing
Ryan Hendricks
Sound
Inga Foley
Beauxregard Neylon
Curtis Sorensen
Captioning
Vicki Way Kipp
Design
Scott Stetson
Amanda Roslansky
Ian Glodich
Amber Samdahl
Web
Norman Yuson Cuaño
John Vieth
Tim Schneider
Composition
Richard Hildner Armacanqui
Juan Tomás Martínez
Music Education Content
Kathy Bartling
Darin Menk
Laurie Fellenz
Engagement Guide
Schuyler Gardner Pietz
Madison Elementary School
Stevens Point, WI
Project Partner
Wisconsin School Music Association
Executive Producer
Megan Monday
Director of Education
Alyssa Tsagong
Director of Television
Jon Miskowski
Special Thanks
The Hildner-Medrano Family
Joan Hoyer
Brian Heller and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Mead Witter School of Music
The Latimer Family
The Martínez Family
Funders
Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation
Focus Fund for Education
Friends of PBS Wisconsin
Educator Advisory Group
Kevin Blakeslee
Lincoln Elementary
Madison Metropolitan School District
Madison, WI
Peter Dennee
Carthage College
Kenosha, WI
Matt Eidson
Madison, WI
Heidi Henderson
Milwaukee German Immersion School
Milwaukee, WI
Amy Maack
Gifford K8 School
Racine, WI
Katherine Miller
Hadfield School
Waukesha, WI
Julie A. Palkowski, PhD
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
Madison, WI
Schuyler Gardner Pietz
Madison Elementary School
Stevens Point, WI
Linda Ruesink
Watertown Unified School District
Watertown, WI
Sue Smits
Unified School District of De Pere
De Pere, WI
Kurt Stein
Kurt Stein’s School of Music
Fox Cities, WI
Randal Swiggum
Madison Metropolitan School District
Madison, WI
Jesus M. Valencia
Rio H.S./M.S.
Rio, WI
Natasha Verhulst
Keshena Primary School
Menominee Indian School District
Keshena, WI
Lucy Wrenn
Palmyra-Eagle Area School District
Palmyra, WI