Students in Vince Martini's Contemporary Music Ensemble at Vista del Lago High School pick their own songs, arrange them and perform them on stage.

Martini, a music instructor at the Folsom campus, teaches four courses: Beginning Guitar, Intermediate Guitar, Advanced Guitar and the ensemble, known as CME. He created CME when the school first opened, the Folsom Times reported in a Friday, Sept. 18, profile written by student intern Yara Elkheir.

The class stands apart from a traditional music course. Students collaborate on how to interpret and perform songs they choose, working in a band-style setting, according to the school's performing arts page.

"I didn't care about money, I just wanted to play my music," Martini told the Folsom Times, describing his years juggling college classes, a bookstore job and late-night band gigs in San Francisco before he became a teacher.

A Sacramento native, Martini grew up with musically talented parents and started performing as a high school junior, when he was invited to play with band students from UC Davis. He later formed his own group, 99 Tales, before moving to San Francisco for college, the Folsom Times reported.

After graduating, he landed at Vista del Lago, part of the Folsom Cordova Unified School District. The school sits at 1970 Broadstone Parkway and served about 1,782 students as of 2025.

During the 2025-26 school year, CME students performed at the Welcome Back Rally and Open Mic Night on campus. The school's performing arts calendar also listed a Battle of the Bands on March 19 and VistaPalooza, a combined music and art show, on May 21.

Martini told the Folsom Times he wants every student who passes through the program to understand how music connects people to one another.

The school had not posted its fall 2026 performance schedule as of Sept. 19. Families can check the school's performing arts calendar for updates.