More than 40 Metea Valley High School students are picking up vihuelas, trumpets and violins to play traditional Mexican music in a Mariachi Ensemble.
Music educator Jordan Yi started the group to push beyond the Western and European music that dominates most public school programs, as NCTV17 first reported. Yi said he wants students to see world perspectives beyond the classroom's usual repertoire. The ensemble rehearses 90 minutes once a week from October through May and performs concerts at school and in the community. Yi organizes rehearsals and helps select songs, but the students run the show. He does not conduct.
The ensemble is one of three offerings under a dedicated "World Music" category in the Metea Valley music department. Students can also join a Korean Percussion Ensemble or a Steel Band. The expansion comes as Indian Prairie School District 204 earned its 15th Best Communities for Music Education designation from the NAMM Foundation in 2026, a national recognition for equitable access to music learning.
For guitarist Elsie Mendoza, the draw was personal. Her grandfather was a mariachi musician for years, and she grew up around the music.
"My abuelo was a mariachi musician for many, many years. And I always really looked up to him and his love of music … So I wanted to be able to play in a mariachi group like his," Mendoza said.
What pulled other students in varied. Singer and violinist Quinn Manchanda saw a chance to combine two skills. Trumpeter Theodore Golas wanted something beyond jazz to fill the winter months. The competitive pressure of traditional band and orchestra, where chair rankings shape the experience, is absent here, vihuela player Emmett Freeman said.
Violinist Ma'li Simmons said the group connected her to opportunities she would not have found otherwise. Guitarist Carlos Olvera said performances introduce audiences across the community to a genre many have not heard live.
Yi said watching from the back of the hall while students perform and audiences lean in is exactly what he hoped for.
No upcoming performance dates for the Mariachi Ensemble have been announced. Metea Valley High School is at 1801 N. Eola Rd. in Aurora. Families can check the music department's extracurriculars page for updates.
School Week Ahead
No District 203 or District 204 education events for the week of Oct. 19 were confirmed at publication. Families can check naperville203.org and ipsd.org for updated calendars.
