Hays CISD Announces New Director To Lead Lehman Mariachi Program

Hays Consolidated Independent School District (Hays CISD) Superintendent Dr. Eric Wright announced the selection of Alondra Morales as the director of the award-winning Lehman High School mariachi band program, which includes the ensembles Mariachi Los Lobos, Mariachi Azul y Plata, Mariachi Luz de Luna, and Mariachi Primaria.

She brings with her a combination of teaching and professional performance experience.

“I’m excited to welcome Alondra Morales as the new mariachi director at Lehman High School. As a professional vocalist and violinist, she brings sought after performance skills to the mariachi program that will benefit the students at LHS and the feeder middle schools,” said Hays CISD Director of Fine Arts Patty Moreno. “A unique perspective Alondra brings to the program is she has grown up and come full circle in the mariachi world by competing as a high school student, college student, clinician, and now as a mariachi director.”

Morales is currently the assistant mariachi director for North Side High School in the Fort Worth Independent School District.

Prior to that, she served as a voice and violin clinician, and an honors mariachi clinician, at a variety of secondary and higher education schools across Texas.

She also conducted her teaching internship at Simon Middle School and student teaching at Wallace Middle School, both in Hays CISD. Morales has performed professionally for nearly eight years with the bands Mariachi Sol de Texas and Mariachi Amor.   

“We are excited to welcome Ms. Morales to the Lobo family and community,” said Lehman High School Principal Karen Zuniga “She brings vocal and instrumental musicality, a competitive spirit, and her compassion and commitment to challenge and support all of our mariachi groups.”

“The factors that attracted me to the position are the huge potential of the mariachi program at Lehman High School and the welcoming community,” said Morales. “I feel privileged to have completed my student teaching within Hays CISD and have witnessed how awesome and supportive the students, teachers, and parents are of the mariachi program.”

Morales holds a Bachelor of Music from Texas State University and a Texas all-level teacher certification.

She was the recipient of the inaugural Latin Music Studies Endowment at Texas State and a top college competitor at the Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza multiple years in a row.