Those who saw the film “Linda & Carlos: A Chicano Love Story” on KPBS on Feb. 26 heard music composed by Mission Bay High student musicians.
The documentary explores the lives and love of Linda and Carlos LeGerrette, known in San Diego for their Chicano activism in the late 1960s and early 1970s, particularly with farm workers.
They also started César Chávez clubs in San Diego and have been politically active for decades. Their entire lives are deeply rooted in the Chicano community. The film highlights themes of love, identity and community, reflecting the Chicano experience.
Over 300 members of the Mission Bay High community had an early preview of the film during a special on-campus event on Feb. 4 that included student leaders of the Mission Bay Cesar Chavez Club.
Student musician Elias Nupsl, the project’s assistant artistic director and videographer, introduced the mini-documentary “The Making of the Music: A Chicano Love Story” to explain and illustrate the original score’s composing and recording process. Afterwards, student musicians, under the direction of MBHS Music Director JP Balmat played various sections of the score used in the film.
Mission Bay High Senior Elias Nupsl introducing his mini-documentary “The Making of the Music: A Chicano Love Story” during a Feb. 4 movie screening on campus. (Cyril A. Reinicke)
Filming for the movie was completed by director Richard Saiz in 2023. In March 2025 Linda LeGerrette contacted Balmat after seeing MBHS musicians performing at one of their Meraki concerts in South Park.
That led to Balmat and the music program’s assistant, Eric Wesling, meeting with Saiz so the educational collaboration could start to blossom.
At the screening Saiz recalled Linda LeGerrette’s idea of using high school musicians for his film project.
“I told Linda … these are just high school kids … they have never composed before,” Saiz said. “But if any of you know Linda, once she sets her mind to something,” which was followed by a ripple of laughter that went through the audience.
Wesling became the film’s artistic director and recruited MBHS’ after-school Music Composition Club. Its members are music students who, in addition to improving their performance skills, have a unique interest in writing original music.
Wesling selected Nuspl, now a senior, as assistant artistic director. They were joined by six club members to compose the score: trumpeter Brady Newell, drummers Henry Hartnack and Aleksander Virre, violist Abby Hope, vibraphonist Lina Hope and pianist Joseph Khoury.
The club met weekly after school last April and May and throughout the summer to complete the project.
Khoury said after Wesling met with Saiz, the students were shown the movie so they could understand its purpose and experience its flow and tone.
“Then (we) received smaller sections or chunks of the movie and were given notes on what type or style of music that was needed in a particular section of the movie,” Khoury said.
Hope added, “Some sections or scenes in the movie called for perhaps 30 to 45 seconds of uplifting or joyful music; another clip or scene called for thoughtful or more reflective music. Eric would critique our work and in a very collaborative way we arrived at a finished score.”
Wesling said the students successfully scored at least 20 sections or scenes of music by their final recording session last August at Studio West in Poway.
Mission Bay High School Music Director JP Balmat conducting the ensemble, including trumpeter Elias Nupsl and flutist Alyssa Deaton. (Cyril A. Reinicke)
In addition to the club members, three additional Mission Bay High musicians, all seniors, were invited to participate — flutist Alyssa Deaton, violinist Ian Steinberger and pianist Alexander Flores. Professional bassist Julian Esparza was also added for the recording sessions.
Reflecting on her experience, Deaton said, “I was so impressed with the recording process. I had never been in a professional recording studio before.”
Flores added, “I appreciated being asked to play for the final recording. It was an exhilarating experience being in a professional studio.”