All throughout January, the El Dorado Mariachi rehearsed every day for their upcoming events. The start of the new year brought in many busy months full of preparation.

The mariachi played for an hour at the SISD Mother-Daughter Conference Jan. 26 at El Dorado High School. Sophomore Elma Garcia used the conference as a bonding experience with her mother and was excited to perform for her.

“Me and my mom have gone every year,” Garcia said. “And now that we’re going to perform I’m going to see everyone and we’re going to sing for them. Hopefully we can make their day a little bit brighter.”

The UIL Mariachi Festival took place on Feb. 1 at the Ysleta Independent School District Service Center. The group performed “El Herradero” and received a two from the judge. UIL is graded from a one to a five, with one being the highest rating.

“I felt very confident, more than I did a month ago,” senior Elian Barrios said. “I saw a big improvement, all the sections clicked together.”

Even though the mariachi troupe did not advance to state, the musicians are committed to improving with their new director at the helm. 

“My personal goal, since it’s my first year teaching here at El Dorado, is that I really want them to feel confident when they get on stage,” Mariachi instructor Claudia Rascon said. “I don’t want them to feel unprepared or that they needed more time or better guidance.”