SAN ANTONIO – Tejano music remains a cornerstone of culture in San Antonio and across South Central Texas, but some supporters worry the genre is fading.
A new nonprofit, the Tejano Next Gen Fund, is working to reverse the trend by mentoring young musicians and encouraging them to pair their talent with a college education.
One of the musicians the group is backing is Michael Anthony Hernandez Jr., a 12-year-old accordion player who performs under the name “El Gallo Firme.”
Hernandez started playing at 11 and taught himself by watching YouTube videos.
“It’s just the music is in my blood, basically,” he said.
Hernandez said he wants kids his age to keep learning Tejano music so it doesn’t disappear.
Hernandez is among a group of young Tejano and conjunto artists — including Eddie Perez Jr. and Zeke Campos — viewed by supporters as the next generation of the genre.
The Tejano Next Gen Fund was created to support those musicians, while also helping them pursue higher education.
“We really want to support the culture of Tejano conjunto music, but also support education and the importance of that,” Angelica Alcoser from the Tejano Next Gen Fund said.
The nonprofit has opened a scholarship program for high school seniors to help with education costs. Organizers said the goal is to build a steady pipeline of young artists who are proud of the genre and want to carry it forward.
“It’s important for us to ensure that we have fresh, new musicians — young musicians — who are coming in, who care about the genre,” Alcoser said. “We want to mentor these young musicians. We want to offer opportunities to them.”
Eddie Perez, owner of Gruene Room Recording Studios in New Braunfels and the father of a college student, said investing in young musicians is key to keeping Tejano alive.
“I think it’s super important because if we don’t keep our kids in it, that’s how it can slowly go away,” Perez said. “We just can’t let that happen.”
While Hernandez is focused on his music now, he said his goals for the future — including his education — are big.
The Tejano Next Gen Fund’s scholarship entry period is open to any high school senior until April 30. Information on how to apply is available through the organization’s website.
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