Enochs is a melting pot, full of students with all sorts of talents. Whether it be athletic ability, artistic flair, or musical genius, Enochs has it. 

Looking past the sea of eagles, we find talent in the form of a 16-year-old senior who just moved to Enochs from Oakdale. Samuel Rocriquez is the lead guitarist and lead vocalist of Sam and the gang which Sam described as an RnB, funk, jazz, alternative, and grunge band.

Inspiration can be found in the strangest of places, but Sam takes inspiration from profound, albeit typical, sources:

“I take inspiration from my Dad and other artists such as Kurt Cobain and Jimi Hendrix. When I was a little kid, my pops would play in churches and I would admire him. In my teens, I would go through a lot of struggles at my old school. People would cuss at me, spit on me, call me the n-word – just people being crazy. Then I saw some of Kurt Cobain and Jimi Hendrix’s struggles and challenges when they were teens and now they’re incredible musicians. That’s why they’re huge inspirations to me. I feel I can relate. They just inspire me and I hope I can be closer to them.”

One can imagine a wide-eyed young Sam staring star-struck at his father performing his heart out in church and thinking he can one day be like his dad. Kurt Cobain and Jimi Hendrix are idols to many because of their musical abilities and influential works. 

Sam finds success in the music industry. He finds success not only musically, but financially as well. Sam believes his success is a product of:

“How I can persevere through the failures I have come across, ignorance that I have faced, and the fact that I perform well in front of an audience.”

However, Sam’s ballad of success is not all triumphs. The most prolific artists of all time have faced struggles of some sort and Sam is no different. He has faced many obstacles, but one of the major pitfalls he faced was racism.

“Racism is something that I have experienced the most in Oakdale. In 9th grade, I broke my arm and the jazz band teacher didn’t like me so when I would mess up, he made me do push-ups. Another time I experienced racism in Oakdale was when I was walking through the hall with three other white girls, all not wearing masks, and I was singled out and punished for not wearing one.”

Through storm and strife, Sam has confronted this challenge. Not only did he prevail through – he used what tore him down to build himself up even stronger. Sam believes that:

“I definitely became a better person out of these experiences”

And a better person he is. Sam showcases his improvements through his ability to secure gigs by himself. Finding success in the music industry is tough nowadays, but Sam illustrates how he is breaking through and establishing his name. He is confident that his stake in the music industry will stay successful in the future stating:

“I can most definitely pursue music in the long run, the money is good.”

Saying you can pursue your dream in the future is one tall order, but Sam has proven to be worthy of a bright future in music.