WNMU student Antonio Guerrero (center) plays the vihuela with Mariachi Plata de WNMU. He is seen here during production of "The College Tour," Nov. 7, 2023Antonio Guerrero is a featured student in the upcoming Amazon Prime TV episode of "The College Tour" that was filmed on campus in November. Press release for event at end of article.

Even before he set foot in a classroom on campus, first year student Antonio Guerrero Ramos was immersed in Mariachi Plata de WNMU.

A graduate of Atrisco Heritage Academy High School in Albuquerque, Guerrero was in Silver City last June for El Son de la Gila, a mariachi conference sponsored by WNMU, and for ¡Fiesta Latina!, the annual celebration of New Mexico's connection with its Mexican heritage, customs and traditions.

"We hit the ground running when I came here because even before I started classes, we had a two-week camp for ¡Fiesta Latina!" and the conference, said Guerrero.

Mariachi Plata de WNMU is central to Guerrero's attendance at the university. He learned about the group when members visited and performed at his high school with WNMU Music Instructor and Director of Mariachi Plata de WNMU Bryant Chaffino. "They are the biggest reason why I came here," said Guerrero.

Since this summer, Guerrero, who plays the vihuela for the group, has traveled extensively with Mariachi Plata de WNMU. "We just travel a lot, which is really cool because we always have something to keep us busy," he said, "We are always playing or presenting ourselves somewhere."

The highlight of their travels this year, he said, was a performance at Mariachi Extravaganza at the Santa Fe Opera over the Labor Day weekend. While there, the group had the opportunity to play onstage with headliner Angeles Ochoa.

"The Santa Fe Opera was the biggest stage we have played on so far," Guerrero said, "It's the biggest stage I have ever played on in my life. The energy we had for our own set was really cool. … Hearing all the people [in the audience], I just felt like a rock star."

Guerrero said that he enjoys travelling with the group and spreading the music of mariachi.  "Even if it just for a small gig, it is nice to go and play somewhere," he emphasized, "Wherever we go, it's just a lot of fun. … We have had a lot of good moments with the group."

He has also noticed that Mariachi Plata has improved musically during his time at WNMU. "We are always getting better," Guerrero said, adding, "I personally believe that the closer you are as friends in a group, the better you play together, but it is also how long you have been with the group."

The camaraderie of the group is crucial on stage, he explained, as it helps the group members get past moments of musical uncertainty. "There have been times I haven't been 100% on my music," he confessed, "I have been behind on this or that, or I don't have [a song] all the way memorized … or you have it but you don't feel confident about it. But once you really get it—when everyone feels that confidence, your confidence bounces off each other and increases the energy."

While Guerrero enjoys all the musical genres he has played—from concert band to rock to jazz—his heart is in playing mariachi. He discovered the genre in middle school after his mother suggested he listen to it. "Something about it spoke to me at that point," he said, "I would listen to the lyrics and the medleys, and to me it just made sense."

He also attributes his love of mariachi to his music teachers. It "has to do with the teachers fanning the flames of passion," he explained, "I am really grateful to the teachers I have had because they have given me opportunities."

Guerrero credits Chaffino with bringing his understanding of mariachi to a new level. "I very much appreciate him as a director," he said, "He is really about feeling. … He is all about elevating the level of music. When you play in high school, you play the notes that are there, but he really wants us to know all the little details from all the different parts and how they work together to help elevate us as a group."

Guerrero plans to become a music teacher, a path that would allow him to pay forward what he has learned. "I would like to be able to share this music and inspire others just like my directors inspired me in the past and present," he said.

https://www.grantcountybeat.com/events-calendars/local-events/82907-the-college-tour-mustang-edition