Sophomore Roland Aluko has been playing the violin since he was in third grade. This recent school year, he joined the newly created Mariachi Club.

Although he did not start this club, he is an integral part in its creation.

“No, I did not found Mariachi Club, but I do think my moving to Melissa had a big part in why it is here now,” Roland said.

Moving from Allen to Melissa was a lot of change for him.

“Allen had an orchestra, so it was a big adjustment,” he said.

Since coming to Melissa, he has participated in a few different musically centered performances.

“Last year I did perform at ‘Espresso Yourself’ with Rosie Ruiz and Ms. Hernandez,” he said. “We sang ‘Shallow’ at the performance. It was a very fun night.”

He hopes to be able to further his musical education through the Mariachi Club.

“We are going to competition this year,” Roland said. “We will be competing against other mariachi bands and hopefully win for Melissa.”

The University Interscholastic League (UIL) now hosts a State Mariachi Festival each year. Groups are eligible to participate if they earn a Division I rating at the region medium ensemble contest.