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MIDLAND, Texas (KOSA) -The Midland Legacy High school mariachi band is making history.

After earning a perfect score at the UIL mariachi festival in El Paso, they’ve advanced to compete at the UIL state festival in Seguin this month...

The band director Zach Machuca left the Midland area to start his mariachi career then later came back to launch the mariachi group.

His goal is to build more mariachi programs across Midland ISD

The group is known as the Mariachi Revolucion

The program started with only six students and now has over thirty-five students enrolled.

Macheco started the varsity group last fall and now they are one step closer to making history.

“It is really a testament to how hard they are willing to work and how much they enjoy and truly love making music and the Hispanic culture behind all this.” said mariachi director at Legacy High school Zach Machuca.

The group is aiming to make mariachi music popular across West Texas.

“West Texas hasn’t had a presence as big in the mariachi world. I come from a long-time mariachi family and mariachi experience and is something that stayed kind of down south.” said Machuca.

Macheco teaches his musicians that mariachi is more than just music.

It’s a cultural experience.

“It’s special for me because I am from Mexico, and you grow up listening to all these kinds of music and playing it is really fascinating.” said legacy high school senior Diana Broano.

The most important lesson the musicians have learned is how to build their self-confidence.

“Mariachi has definitely helped with stage presence and with overall confidence because you’re not just singing a song. You are telling a story, and you are trying to communicate with the crowd.” said Legacy high school student Noel Zapata.

The group is practicing five days a week to prepare for the festival.

Their hard work has paid off and now they’ll fulfill their dream in competing against the other best mariachi groups in the state of Texas.

“I have always been mesmerized by the professional groups and I want to get there one day, and we are not professionals yet by any means, but it is another level. Being able to see other high school kids that are also taking that same passion as seriously as I am. It’s awesome.” said Zapata.

The mariachi revolucion is scheduled to compete at the state festival on February twenty-third through the twenty-fifth.