The hallways at Los Altos High School fill with hungry students as the bell dismisses them to lunch. But for three kids in the crowd, the break from class means it’s time to transform from pupils to musicians. Trading pencils for guitars and presentations for performance is LAHS’ resident corrido band, Grupo Inicial.
Three months ago, freshman Jesus Guerrero Moreno and sophomore Nathan Cabebe decided to bring their guitars to school. They started playing during ACT and lunch, sharing corridos with their peers. Corridos are traditional northern Mexican ballad songs that tell stories ranging from legends to daily life.
“I kind of forced Nate to play at school,” Jesus said. “Sometimes, we bring our guitars because we get bored, but we also want to play for people.”
While they were playing one day, senior Jose Salazar heard them and decided to introduce himself.
“I was like, you know what, I’m going to go sit with them,” Jose said. “I didn’t know them at all, but we connected through music. We all look up to Ariel Camacho. He’s the best singer in Mexico.”
When Jesus and Nate realized Jose could sing, they decided to form a band together, naming it Grupo Inicial.
Despite only playing together for a couple months, all three have backgrounds in music. Nate and Jose have played and sang respectively from a young age. For Jose, it was his grandpa who influenced his passion for music.
“My grandpa was a pretty big musician back in Mexico,” Jose said. “He would play for the government and radio stations. Music always caught my attention, and as a little kid I grew up singing. Today, my favorite hobbies are singing and playing my guitar.”
Newer to music is Jesus, who only learned how to play the guitar nine months ago. Just like Jose, he was inspired to pick up a guitar by Ariel Camacho. Camacho was a Mexican musician who played primarily corridos before his passing in 2015.
“I watched TikTok and YouTube videos to learn,” Jesus said. “I just kept practicing until I got it.”
Although their relationships with music differ, they share a common love for it.
“My favorite part about music is sharing it with other people by performing,” Jose said. “It feels good to perform. When you sing, people listen to you. It gives you a chance to put yourself out there.”
“I like that you can change the way people feel,” Nate said. “If you play for them, they’ll be like, ‘That’s cool, that’s what’s up.’”
Having recently added a bassist to the group — Jose’s little brother’s godfather — Grupo Inicial is evolving. So far, they’ve only played covers of their favorite corridos, but they hope to start making their own music soon. Even though Nate never learned to read music, he’s confident he can compose original works.
“I just listen to music and match what I hear,” Nate said. “By now, I can play whatever I want.”
Music has inspired the three to dream big.
“We have dreams to play professionally,” Jose said. “We’re going to keep playing and see where it takes us, and if God lets it be, make it big.”
“Going big is something I’ve always wanted to do,” Nate said. “The dream is to perform for arenas and stuff like that.”
The next step for Grupo Inicial will come on Monday, March 31, when they plan to play at the LAHS culture rally for the whole school. It would be their first formal performance. And though performing can be nerve wracking, their love for music trumps stage fright.
“We aren’t used to the feeling of a lot of people in front of us,” Jose said. “It definitely makes you really nervous, but we all grow and learn and we have to get used to it.”
With a little serendipity, and a lot of love for music, these three LAHS students have forged a friendship. But past that, the four current members of Grupo Inicial — a freshman, a sophomore, a senior, and an adult — exemplify music’s ability to transcend social barriers.
“Music brings people together,” Nate said.
