The year was 2002 and the Hays CISD mariachi program was in its infancy. Here, in 2002, the Hemphill Elementary-based group gives a public performance. Andrea Villalobos, one of several students who stayed with the program from its inception through this month’s graduation, is at the mike. (Courtesy photo)

by JIM CULLEN

The founding class of Hays CISD’s mariachi program graduated from high school this month, marking a milestone for the still-evolving and growing program.

Four of the program’s earliest students – Andrea Villalobos, Cecilia Ortiz, Carlton Galvez and Stefan Munoz – stayed with the program from Hemphill Elementary’s 2001-2002 school year (their fourth grade year) and crossed the stage at Lehman High School graduation earlier this month. Three more graduates – Ray Herrera, Yovana Contreras and AnnaLena Hinojosa – were constantly with the program almost as long.

Their names are still found on a yellowed clipping from a story about the mariachi dream in the May 30, 2002, issue of the Hays Free Press. It touts the beginning of what has become a highly-recognized Central Texas school district program.

“Twenty-three fourth graders, consisting of both genders and a wide variety of ethnicities, make up El Mariachi Los Habaneros de Hemphill,” the article states, noting its status as “the first mariachi student group in Hays CISD ever.” Carlos Maldonado directed the group just once a week before school in those days, but the accomplishments included becoming “a cohesive group of guitars, guitarones, vihuelas, and trumpets performing traditional Mexican mariachi songs.”

It further documents the fact that the students had already publicly performed for the Hemphill Cinco de Mayo celebration, Fiesta del Mariachi at then-Southwest Texas State University and the final Hays CISD Board of Trustees meeting of the school year.

Director Maldonado recalls the biggest challenge at the beginning was “having time with the kids to practice.” He says that because the kids were so young and time was limited, “there was a lot of reteaching done.”

Maldonado recruited 20 more violins the next year, adding a pair of weekly after-school rehearsal sessions during competition preparation. In the program’s third year, partner Adolph Ortiz began teaching at Tobias Elementary. Organized that year as a four-day-a-week after-school program, the mariachis growth sputtered, with enrollment dropping from a total of 48 students at Wallace and Barton middle schools to a year-ending count of just 21.

The decision to schedule an actual mariachi class during the school day (at Wallace and Lehman High School) the next school year proved to be the salvation of the program. Adolph Ortiz became a full-time faculty member at Lehman in 2005 and with Chapa Middle School’s 2006 opening, a third participating school came onboard. With Wallace, Chapa and Lehman each offering two mariachi classes a day, the program’s participation grew to more than 80 students. Carlos Maldonado also became a full-time teacher for the first time in 2006, splitting time between Chapa and Wallace.

The just-finished school year saw more than 200 students in mariachi classes at Chapa, Wallace, Lehman and newly-opened Simon Middle School. In testimony to the popularity of the program, Maldonado notes, “we have had to limit our students due to class sizes and class availability”, and notes the possibility of as many as five classes at Wallace next year.

Recognition for the program has steadily grown over its still-short history. The Lehman group made it to the finals of the first-ever Mariachi State Championships. Ortiz also notes with pride the fact that when the University Scholastic League recently made mariachi solo and ensemble a sanctioned event, Austin news channels passed over Austin groups and traveled to Lehman to do their video coverage.

“That’s a testament to how the public feels about Lehman’s presence in Central Texas as the premier mariachi program,” Ortiz said. It’s a presence built on foundations being put down by his program partner, Carlos Maldonado, with students such as the program’s just-graduated founding members.