Arts Student of the Week: Mya Wells

Arts Student of the Week Mya Wells has fond memories of the music that surrounded her during her childhood in California.

"My mom was born in Mexico. In the morning she'd sing mariachi songs while she made me breakfast, forcing me to dance with her," Wells recalled. Those early experiences inspired her to become a musician. "It just came very naturally to me," she said.

Later, when Wells attended Westview Middle School, she took up violin. "Everyone had to choose an instrument. So I said, 'I guess I'll just pick up the violin.'"

Now a junior at Niwot High School, Wells is the first violin in the school's mariachi ensemble, Los Zurdos Mariachi. According to Keynes Chen, NHS Orchestra Director as well as the Assistant Director of Band, the name translates as "the Lefthanded Mariachi."

"Since we are Niwotians," Chen added.

The ensemble has grown in the last year from eight students to eighteen. "It's incredible to see how much it's grown," Wells said, "and how eight of us managed to get so many people together. And it's all around our culture. That makes it extra special."

Chen, who selected Wells as the Arts Student of the Week, appreciates the caliber of her musicianship and the values she brings to the ensemble. "She is a very passionate, dedicated, and talented violinist and vocalist. Even though her main instrument is violin, she also sings beautifully."

At first the ensemble struggled, Wells recalled. "But then as we started working together more, it just became so much easier and it is just having fun with each other."

The work paid off. The ensemble was chosen as the featured entertainment at the St. Vrain Valley Schools Foundation Gala on Nov. 5, where they played music from her childhood, including "La Llorona" and "La Paloma."

"That was one of the most impactful performances for me, because I have never played in front of so many people," Wells said. "And it just felt very high stakes. I was singing and I was shaking but I just got through it, and it was,... it was really good, I think."

This year, Wells was one of the two students from NHS, and one of the twelve students from the state of Colorado, to be selected to participate in the Mariachi Estelares de Colorado, the first All-State youth ensemble in mariachi. "These exceptional students were invited to perform with the Grammy-nominated mariachi artist, Lupita Infante, in the Viva Southwest Mariachi Festival on September 25, 2022," Chen said.

According to Wells, "It was a crazy experience. It was so cool seeing everyone from different parts of Colorado coming in to play all together. Just being there was such a huge honor, playing at the same place as Lupita Infante--that was incredible. Incredible."

"Mya is such a strong force in our ensemble not only because of her outstanding musical leadership and musical skills," Chen said. "She is also a kind and patient mentor to her peers whenever help was needed. Furthermore, her humorous and vibrant personality is such a wonderful addition to our mariachi family here at the NHS."

As a high school student, Wells has appreciated experiencing the differences between musicians and non-musicians. "I feel like with musicians I feel more of a connection. You know we are both very much in love with a certain aspect of music and so, it comes easier."

Among her favorite composers is Vicente Fernández, an important mariachi musician in Mexican culture. "He's always been someone that I've grown up around, and his music is very important to me." When describing her role in the mariachi ensemble, Wells uses an apt metaphor. "I play the melody. In mariachi there is mostly the armonia, which keeps the beat and it makes sure that the melody stays together. If the armonia of the mariachi is the heartbeat, the melody is more like the soul of the piece."

Wells has a variety of hobbies that include playing guitar, computer programming and playing games with friends. She also has a job as store manager at the Sonic in Longmont. She plans to attend college in England, but she has not yet selected a school. "I really want to go to college overseas, and eventually I want to get into networking and computer science. And I still of course want to pay attention to music. I do plan to go pretty far away and maybe my life won't take me down the musical path. I still want to keep it in my life, because it's still a really big part of my culture."

"Even though there's a lot of stuff going on, make sure you have enough time for you," Wells advised. "Because that's something that I used to struggle with. I was always trying to balance work, music and my friends, and I never had time for me. It's important to know that you'll have time for yourself."