Silver City, NM - A debut album is special to any musician, and it's especially true to Danny Reyes, who describes the release of his album Influences as a dream come true.

"I worked on this album for three years, and it has been a dream to release an album since I was in high school," explained Reyes, a music professor at Western New Mexico University.

Since his arrival to WNMU in 2013, the university community has experienced a renewed energy in the expressive arts program. A new pep band, mariachi concerts and partnerships with area schools are all professional achievements.

The music and work it took to make an album a reality is a personal achievement for Reyes who includes three of his former school mates as musicians in several tracks.

"This is my debut album, so it means a lot to me," said Reyes. "It means that all the work I put into my studies, my playing, composing and arranging was well worth it."

The eight track album is described as contemporary jazz with a little hip-hop and rock influence. Seven of the tracks are original with an eighth track being a cover of a Mulgrew Miller tune titled Holding Hands.

An El Paso native, Reyes began playing the trumpet when he was 10 years old. He earned a degree in jazz education and a master's degree in jazz performance from William Paterson University.

The album is available for purchase on several online sites including www.dannyreyesmusic.com.

Western New Mexico University has served the people of the state of New Mexico and its surrounding areas as a comprehensive, regional, rural, public coeducational university since 1893 and serves a student body diverse in age, culture, language and ethnic background.