Houston teenager named Big Squeeze Youth Ambassador

"HOUSTON, Texas -- Alyssa Villarreal is making her mark in the world of Norteño music, a genre that is typically male-dominated."

"For nearly half her life, the 16-year-old has been learning how to play the accordion. A skill she first learned from an app on her phone."

""I learned my first song after seven months, and I came to my dad, and that's when he first bought me my first accordion," Villarreal shared."

Alyssa Villarreal is a 16-year-old accordionist active in Norteño music, a genre typically dominated by men. She has been learning the accordion for nearly half her life and initially learned via a phone app. She learned her first song after seven months, after which her father bought her an accordion. She now performs with a Norteño band and earned the Big Squeeze Youth Ambassador title at a statewide competition. Her progress illustrates young musicians using digital tools to enter traditional regional genres, achieving recognition and challenging gender norms within Norteño music communities.

Read at ABC7 Los Angeles