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Alabama’s Only High School Mariachi Band Builds Culture, Community
At Pinson Valley High School in Alabama, students are using mariachi music to celebrate their heritage, build friendships and keep family memories alive.
The school’s mariachi band is believed to be the first of its kind in Alabama and remains the state’s only high school ensemble dedicated to traditional Mexican music.
Senior violinist Jacqueline Vargas said being part of the group has helped her connect more deeply with her cultural identity and with family members she cannot see.
“Especially since all these rough times we’re having with immigration, it’s getting me closer to the family I can’t see,” Vargas said.
The band has also helped Vargas feel more connected to her school.
“I felt so distant from the school before this,” she said. “I felt like all I did was go to school and go home.”
Mason Mays is in his second year directing the mariachi band. He said helping students connect with their heritage has been rewarding, particularly when students may face language barriers.
Mays said music can serve as another way for students to learn and communicate.
“I’ll hold up the instrument and get that student to copy me,” Mays said. “I’ll show them where to put their finger. I’ll show them how to hold the bow, and we’ll do it together as one single motion.”
For senior guitarist Jesus Contreras, who began playing guitar in 2023, part of the appeal is that there is no single path to learning the instrument.
“It doesn’t have a linear way of learning,” Contreras said. “A lot of people I look up to have a self-made practice. People have been able to learn this by themselves.”
Weston Pike also connects his music to family. He said his grandfather would let him play along on the strings when he was young.
“My grandpa would always let me play along on the strings,” Pike said. “I didn’t start taking it seriously until he passed away in 2019.”
Now, the mariachi band provides Pike with a sense of community while keeping that family connection alive.
Although Pinson Valley’s group may be the only high school mariachi band in Alabama, its members hope other students across the state will be inspired to pick up an instrument and discover mariachi music for themselves.
Vargas encourages students to give it a try.
“I say go for it,” she said. “No matter the grade, the knowledge of said instrument. It is such an experience.”
Explore: NBCPalmSprings.com, where we are connecting the Valley.
By: NBC Palm Springs
September 18, 2026
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