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Then that May came the horrific shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. Our whole town was shocked and devastated. Still, during practice, I tried to keep it business as usual. The

band room was a place where kids could make music without having to worry about anything else going on in the wider world. When fall came, my new seniors stepped up. The Fab Five, I called

them. They never missed a rehearsal. I give them all the credit for how well we played at regionals in February 2023. Every day after school, we worked on all the little things: how we step

onstage, when to lift our hats, how we look at each other, how we bow. Our advancing to state was a big deal for the whole town of Uvalde. The community gathered with signs wishing us luck.

Everyone needed something positive to root for. At state later the same month, the kids put their hearts and souls into their performance, and the judges were moved. Each judge gives a score

from 1 to 5, with 1 meaning perfect. We scored two 1s and a 2. And we won. When they brought out the trophy, the kids were in disbelief; hands over their mouths, jaws on the floor, hugging,

crying, families rejoicing, on the phone telling everybody, calling Mexico, “They won the state championships!” And I told the kids, “Nobody can take that away from you. In 50 years, you

will still be a state champion.” VIDEO: UVALDE, TEXAS, MARIACHI BAND PERFORMS IN COLORADO To get a group from where they started, which was the bottom, and to accomplish what we did in a

year and a half, it’s special. After I’d taken the job in Uvalde, somebody asked me, “Why are you working way out there?” And I said, “If you see these kids, it’s a diamond in the rough.

They’re amazing.” They’re all talented in so many different ways. This year, we advanced to state again, but we didn’t win. And that teaches them something too. Things aren’t always going to

go your way. Your responsibility is just to show up and do the best you can do. I mean, I love mariachi, but it’s not the end-all and be-all. It’s about the life lessons it teaches the

students for their future. It’s unlikely any of my students will come back in five years and say, “I’m still playing mariachi.” It’s more likely they come back and say: “Hey, remember when

you told us about not giving up when we make a mistake? I didn’t stop. I kept going.”