For the seventh time, the Odessa High School Mariachis will compete at the state level.
The competition is set for Feb. 24 and 25 at the Seguin High School for the Performing Arts. Director Jerimie Hernandez said they will be competing against schools across the state more for high scores than anything else.
Eighteen musicians are going.
“Really what we’re aiming for is overall 1s. We have three judges and the goal is to get a 1 from each judge. We achieved that in 2021. That was the last time we achieved that. Last year we didn’t advance to state,” Hernandez said.
This year, they scored overall 1s at the region contest in El Paso.
“I am looking forward to the contest. It’s a new group; a fresh group. We’ve got quite a few students here that have not played the varsity level, so they’ve had really formidable minds so that we can work with that and shape the sound that we want to create for the ensemble and create it to success,” Hernandez said.
He added that it’s hard to predict how the group will do.
“It’s always difficult to make a good guess. You just don’t know. There are just so many things that could happen either way — good or bad. The one thing that we can focus on is are we delivering techniques that judges would like to hear in our performances? I find that it’s just better to stick with that mentality of are our techniques there and is the judge going to be pleased with what we’re doing,” Hernandez said.
They have also stayed away from whether their sound is a 1 in any given practice as they have done in previous years.
“This year, I think to prove where our focus has been those questions haven’t come up at all,” Hernandez said.
He added that one of the things he likes about this year’s group is that they are holding each other accountable.
“As we’re practicing, if there’s something missing from one student or the other, they’re taking time to address it within each other. If there’s something that they still need my help with, they call me over. I like that they’re holding themselves accountable. They’re teaching each other. They’re working with each other; cooperating with each other; collaborating with each other. I step in if it’s a problem that they’ve stumbled upon that they can’t figure their way out of,” Hernandez said.
Abraham Flores, Victoria Rivera, Carmen Robles and Sienna Carrasco are all veteran mariachi musicians having played since they were in middle school or younger. They are all familiar with mariachi music and listen to it even outside of school.
The group has been practicing every day and around this time of year they practice after school.
Flores, a junior, plays the Guitarrón and has been in mariachis since he was in sixth grade. He said he thinks going to state will be an amazing experience.
“I’ve personally never gone to state, but I’m hoping it will be a good experience,” Flores said.
He feels excited and ready to go and says they have a good chance to win.
Rivera, a senior, has been in mariachi since eighth grade and plays the violin. She said mariachi music has always been a part of her life.
“I’m really proud of our group because I feel like it took a lot of teamwork to be able to (get) where we’re at and make it to state …,” Rivera said.
“As long as we work together as a team, I think we’ll do fine,” she added.
Rivera said she is thrilled about going to Seguin.
“It’s something that we have been working toward the whole year. It’s the goal to make it to state. I’m super excited and I can’t wait,” she added.
Robles, a junior, plays guitar, and has been in mariachi for six years.
“I’m really glad we made it. I’m glad that the kids who couldn’t make it last year are going to have the opportunity to go this year, especially the seniors. It took a lot of hard work, but I’m really proud of everybody for putting in the hard work and doing their best,” Robles added.
She said the group should do pretty well.
“Regardless of what we get, I’ll be really proud of everybody … because I know everybody in this group really tries hard,” Robles said.
Carrasco has been in mariachi since seventh grade. She plays the violin and sings. She’s glad the group will be going to state this year.
“I feel like we definitely deserve it, especially knowing and being part of all the work that we’ve had to put in this entire year. Like Carmen said, it should be … extremely rewarding to those that were part of the varsity group last year and didn’t get to advance to state,” Carrasco said.
As for how they’ll do, she said there’s almost a feeling of uncertainty of how they’re going to perform.
“But there’s also that light of hope in the back of my mind that is rooting for us to just keep going, beat everyone else and get what we deserve,” Carrasco said.
