Downey High School’s New Mariachis Club

Lukas Luna and Clarissa Arceo
February 4, 2020

Downey High School’s band program is certainly large, but it’s growth may be hindered by students who see musical experience as necessary to joining. To help grow the program, Band Director, Mr. Guerrero, is advising a new Mariachi club designed specifically to appeal to students with little-to-know prior musical experience.

Though Mr. Guerrero is acting as the club’s advisor, it was actually Mr. Houts’ idea to get Mariachi music on campus. As such, the band director is not terribly familiar with Mariachi music, but he is ready for the challenge this new form of music offers him.

“… It’s going to be a new journey for me [mariachi club]. I’ve never played Mariachi music, though I did go to a workshop in July to learn a lot about it,” Guerrero said. “So for me, it’s going to help me grow and hopefully help the students learn about music from a different culture.”

Any new idea on campus must depend on student support to persist, luckily for Mariachi club, it has already swept up forty signatures. One of these interested students is junior Violet Becerra, who looks forward to using the club to better explore her heritage.

“I’m looking forward to it. It is a big part of my culture,” Becerra said. “I’ve had family members that have been in mariachi bands and being able to learn it in a different way than they did is just interesting to me.”

While the various people already involved with the club are certainly enthusiastic for its formation, Mr. Houts easily remains the biggest believer in the potential of the program. He has hopes to turn it into a class and potentially attract a whole new audience of potential musicians.

“I ran the idea by our band director and I went to the district office and they said yes. I want to get it eventually as a class, but they said start it as a club,” Houts said. “… We have Jazz band and Marching Band, so why can’t we have Mariachi band.”

Mariachi club meets Friday’s from five to seven in L203.

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About the Writers

Lukas Luna, Co-Copy Editor

In his second year as Co-Copy Editor, Lukas Luna, 12, intends to fulfil his future plan of continuing his passion for journalism. With this being his third year in Newspaper, as well as being a Downey High School writing center tutor, Luna works hard to challenge himself. He is always willing to push his boundaries, as he just recently interned for “Voices of Creativity” this summer where he got to interview author and educator, Renaldo Lawrence.

Luna explains that covering event stories are his favorite part of Newspaper. “It’s the most memorable, the most exciting,” Luna said. “It’s hands on, where you feel the most official, where you’re able to get those ‘in the moment quotes.’

Clarissa Arceo, Photographer

New student from St. Pius, Clarissa Arceo, 12, is starting her first year as a photographer in Downey High School’s newspaper, The Downey Legend. Arceo has a passion for photojournalism and wants to pursue her dream as a photojournalist. Arceo has taken summer courses at her dream universities, USC and Stanford, to flourish her writing and picture taking skills.

Arceo loves to help people in anyway she can, whether it’s doing favors, tutoring, or helping people obtain and achieve their goal. “I like helping people individually,” Aceo said. “Which is why I have also considered psychology and teaching.” Being in The Downey Legend makes her more available to the community to communicate and help people.