Alumni – Mariachi Luna Llena

Adrian Rodriguez	Major: Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Graduation Year: 2018
	Adrian was a member of Wiess College and majored in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. He joined Mariachi Luna Llena unable to play any instruments, but did not let that stop him from learning about his Mexican heritage and about the joy of creating music. Having taken classical guitar lessons for a few months, Adrian felt that the plucking style of the guitarrón was fascinating and studied it for a year under Mauricio Arreola-Garcia.
Alberto Rodriguez	Major: Civil Engineering Graduation Year: 2015
	Alberto graduated from Rice University in 2015. He is the founder of Mariachi Luna Llena. He was a part of Baker College and studied Civil Engineering. In Mariachi Luna Llena he sang and played the Vihuela. Alberto will be moving to Michigan where he will be working for General Motors in their Global Purchasing and Supply Chain function. Alberto was raised in Monterrey, Mexico, and later moved to Laredo, Texas at the age of 9 years old. His passion is Mariachi Music, and he founded Mariachi Luna Llena at Rice University. He has been playing in Mariachi Bands since 2003 in Laredo, Texas. He is happy to be part of the Familia Mariachi Luna Llena!
Alex Clouse	Major: Music Composition Graduation Year: 2015
	Alex graduated Rice University in 2015 in Music Composition at the Shepherd School of Music. In Mariachi Luna Llena Alex played the violin and arranged different songs. He is moving to Los Angeles to follow his dream in becoming a composer for the movie industry. Born in Los Angeles, he played the violin in orchestras for many years before joining Mariachi Luna Llena. Although it’s quite different from Alex’s Classical background, he enjoys Mariachi music immensely.
Amanda Zhao	Major: Cognitive Sciences Graduation Year: 2018
	Amanda was a member of Duncan College and is a born and bred Houston native. She majored in Cognitive Sciences and is pursuing medicine after graduation. While Amanda has played violin classically for 11 years prior to joining Mariachi Luna Llena, she has developed a passion for mariachi music as well and hopes to continue to play for many years to come.
Bowie Lin	Major: Cognitive Sciences Graduation Year: 2018
	Bowie (pronounced like the singer, not the Texas Independence hero) was a member of Hanszen College majoring in Cognitive Science and minoring in Business and Neuroscience. A Houston native, Bowie grew up surrounded by Mexican culture and wanted to learn more about it. Prior to joining Mariachi Luna Llena, he was classically trained on the violin for 15 years. He loved being a part of the mariachi and being able to play a different style of music!
Irene Hwang	Major: Material Science and Nanoengineering Graduation Year: 2018
	Irene was a member of Sid Richardson College studying Materials Science and Nanoengineering. Irene has been playing the violin in symphonies and smaller ensembles since elementary school, but tried mariachi for the first time in college. Passionate about the Latin American culture and comfortable with the Spanish language, Irene fell in love with everything Yucateco over her numerous stays in Yucatan, Mexico throughout high school and college. She enjoyed to growing closer to her mariachi family through music and culture.
Itzak Hinojosa	Major: Computer Sciences Graduation Year: 2016
	Itzak was at Martel College and earned a degree in Computer Science. While he still considers Miami, Florida his home town, his heritage is mostly South American with his parents originally from Venezuela and Colombia. Itzak has been playing guitar since his freshman year of high school and was very excited to be part of his first Mariachi group!
Janie Rios	Major: Political Science and History Graduation Year: 2014
	Janie graduated from Rice University in 2014. She was a member of Will Rice College. She is a Political Science and History double major planning on attending law school after serving as a Teach for America Corps member in the Dallas/Fort Worth region for the next two years. She is from Arlington, TX and has played violin for 12 years and has been involved in mariachi groups for the past 8 years. She was part of the original and founding members of Mariachi Luna Llena.
Jin Hee Park	Major: Kinesiology Graduation Year: 2018
	Jin Hee was a member of Jones College who played violin in piano trios and classical symphonies but never in a band – until Mariachi Luna Llena! Once she learned that Rice had a mariachi group that could combine her love for singing, violin, and Spanish, her curiosity got the best of her. She played with the mariachi to learn about the culture and make music with her fellow members!
Jorge Quintero	Major: Electrical Engineering Graduation Year: 2017
	Jorge was from Duncan College (WOO!) majoring in Electrical Engineering. He is from Houston, TX but with roots that trace all the way back to Guadalajara, Mexico. He played with the Mariachi because it allowed him to feel at home while having a good time with other students!
Juan Sebastian Cruz	Major: Visual and Dramatic Arts Graduation Year: 2016
	Juan Sebastian Cruz A.K.A. “Romeo” hails from Bogotá, Colombia and was a member of McMurtry College. He graduated with a Visual and Dramatic Arts major, studying Theater here at Rice. He hopes to become a multi-faceted phenomena in the entertainment world. He has been playing guitar since 6th grade, and having had no prior experience with mariachi music, was incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this group!
Mario Bencomo	Major: Ph.D. in Computational and Applied Mathematics Graduation Year: 2015
	Mario was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, and raised in El Paso, Texas. He began playing mariachi music since the 6th grade. Since then, he has been a member of many school and professional mariachi groups performing throughout mariachi conferences and competitions. He received his B.S. in physics and applied mathematics from the University of Texas at El Paso in 2010 and his Ph.D. in Computational and Applied Mathematics from Rice University in 2017.
Mauricio “Maui” Arreola-Garcia	Major: Math and Economics Graduation Year: 2015
	Maui graduated from Rice University in 2015 with a bachelors in Math and Economics. In Mariachi Luna Llena, Maui played the guitarron. He will be moving to Dallas where he will be working for a bank. He started playing guitar with Los Tigres of A&M Consolidated High School but first fell in love with the bass beat of the guitarrón in 10th grade. Music has been an integral part of his life alongside his studies and he enjoys every chance to perform. He hopes to go on to get a Ph.D in Economics and let no stone be unturned for the rest of his life.
Phillip Haddad	Major: Studio Art, Hispanic Studies and Business Graduation Year: 2016
	Phillip was at Duncan College and pursued a degree in Studio Art, Hispanic Studies and Business. He has played classical guitar since 10th grade, and has developed a love for singing ever since helping to start the first all-male a capella group at Rice in 2013. He has had a deep interest in Mexican culture ever since he began studying Spanish in elementary school and was extremely excited to be a member of the Mariachi Luna Llena family!
Sonia Torres	Major: Biochemistry and Cell Biology; Hispanic Studies Graduation Year: 2019
	Sonia is a senior from Hanszen College majoring in Mathematical Economic Analysis and Applied Math. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Sonia has always been musically involved, playing flute since sixth grade, being a drum major in the Soaring Eagle Marching Band and picking up violin as a hobby. She gained a love for mariachi music from the telenovelas she watched with her mother and loved to perform the genre of music for happy occasions with awesome people!
Spencer Seballos	Major: Biochemistry and Cell Biology; Hispanic Studies Graduation Year: 2016
	Spencer was a member of Brown College. A Biochemistry and Cell Biology/Hispanic Studies double major, he will begin medical school at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine in 2017. Growing up in Shaker Heights, Ohio, Spencer began playing trumpet since he was in fifth grade, but never played mariachi music until he came to Rice. Elsewhere on campus, he played intramural soccer and was a small group leader in Cornerstone Christian Fellowship.
Amanda Perozo	Violin, Head of Traditions Graduation Year: 2022
	Amanda is a junior at Wiess College. She is majoring in Biochemistry and aspires to become a doctor one day. Her journey with the violin began at the ripe age of eleven, her love for music growing tenderly with every note. Born a proud Venezuelan, she wanted to feel more connected to her fellow Hispanics, so she ventured out of the land of classical music, discovering the beauty of Mariachi music. She is incredibly grateful for this opportunity to expand her musical repertoire and cultural knowledge!
Cesar Zapata	Guitar, President Graduation Year: 2020

Gabriel Gomide	Trumpet Graduation Year: 2019
	Gabriel is a junior at McMurty, studying Biochemistry and Cell Biology with hopes of attending medical school. He grew up in the Rio Grande Valley and is familiar with the style and culture of mariachi music. He is excited to have found not only a musical group to continue playing with, but a mariachi family to grow with.
Ian Frankel	Guitarrón Graduation Year: 2019
	Ian is a senior at Martel College currently majoring in Civil Engineering. From Dallas, Texas, he also plays intramural flag football for Martel. Ian joined Mariachi Luna Llena to learn a little bit of Spanish while having fun playing music with people!
Kevin Li	Violin
	Kevin is a senior from Wiess College majoring in Computer Science. Hailing from Little Rock, Arkansas, Kevin is classically trained and has played violin for over 11 years. Although he makes pop arrangements and busks in his free time, he has never before played mariachi music. However, he always loves to try new musical styles and has found mariachi extremely enjoyable.
Matthew Anaya	Violin Graduation Year: 2019
	Matthew is a junior at McMurtry College and is currently studying Biochemistry and Cell Biology with the goal of going to medical school. Raised in El Paso, Texas, mariachi music was never far away. Although he was classically trained in violin starting in the 5th grade, he had never actually played in a mariachi group until college. He joined Mariachi Luna Llena because it allows him to combine his love of music with his desire to learn more about and share his cultural heritage. Matthew loves being a part of the Luna Llena family and is looking forward to making more music and having fun.
Peter Suzuki	Guitar/Vihuela Graduation Year: 2019
	Peter is a senior at Martel College currently pursuing a degree in Bioengineering. He was classically trained in violin growing up, but Peter now mainly plays vihuela and guitar with Luna Llena. Hailing from the suburbs of D.C., he first joined to better connect with his Mexican-American heritage through music. He loves playing with the group to experience mariachi culture, become closer with the greater Houston community, and have a blast with his fellow mariachis!
Rachel Salaiz	Guitar/Voice, Musical Director
	Rachel is a Houston-area native and graduated from Texas Tech University with degrees in Mathematics and Vocal Performance. She hopes to one day be part of the Houston Grand Opera family. Her mariachi and guitar career began at Texas Tech where she was a part of Mariachi Los Matadores and Mariachi Mexico Lindo. She is very excited to be a part of the Rice community and part of Mariachi Luna Llena!
Romeo Garza	Guitar
	Romeo (pronounced like the singer, not the Shakespearean hero) graduated in 2017 with a degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering and was a member of Jones College. Born and raised in Corpus Christi, Texas, there has been no shortage of listening to mariachi in his life. That being said, Romeo is incredibly proud to have started playing guitar two years ago to allow him to actually play mariachi. Playing in Mariachi Luna Llena reminds him of home, gives him a chance to be in a band again, and most importantly allows him to share music and an important part of his heritage with others.
Sam Rossum	Guitar, Treasurer
	Sam is a sophomore at McMurtry college and is considering a major in Economics. Growing up in Orlando, Florida, he had no prior experience in Mariachi, but has enjoyed playing guitar in various settings for many years. Sam has gained a new admiration for Mariachi music, and he looks forward to having fun while playing music throughout Houston!
Steven Schara	Trumpet
	Steven is a Senior at Lovett College and studying Materials Engineering and Chemistry. He sees this group as an exciting chance to bond, create, and perform with a diverse group of people as well as an opportunity to explore a great part of his Mexican heritage through music. His trumpet has been a close companion for the past 7 years, and he has no plans of giving it up any time soon.