Chacala Mariachi Institute
Mar de Jade Resort
Chacala, Nayarit
June 24-30, 2018
John C. Contreras
John Contreras has played mariachi music for over 35 years with various groups including Mariachi Nuevo de Tucson, Los Changuitos Feos, Los Palmeros de Los Angeles, Mariachi Tlaquepaque (Los Angeles), Mariachi Perla de Mexico (Chicago), Mariachi Azteca del Sol, and Mariachi Luz de Luna (co-founder). John has toured Europe and the U.S. with the group Calexico with whom he has recorded various CDs with as well as a live concert DVD from London. He has studied vocal performance at Pima Community College with renowned baritone Professor Ben Sorensen and is also honored to have studied at the Los Angeles School of Music and privately with Maestro Heriberto Molina, who was the principal vocalist with Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán for thirty-one years.
John’s teaching resume includes over 25 years of private instruction, and direction/co-direction of the following programs: Mariachi Apache de Nogales High School, Mariachi Pantera de Amphi High School, Mariachi Monarca de Salpointe Catholic High School, and various youth groups throughout Tucson. He has been associated with the Tucson International Mariachi Conference both as a participant since 1983 and as an instructor and workshop coordinator. John currently sits on the TIMC Executive board and serves as Mariachi Workshop Chaiman. John has also been invited as an instructor and an adjudicator for the Las Cruces International Mariachi Conference for the past eight years. He has also been a participant/advisor for the Encuentro de Mariachi y Charreria in Guadalajara, Jalisco. Currently, John is in his 12th year as director of the award winning Mariachi Aztlán de Pueblo Magnet High School, one of Arizona’s most well known youth groups.
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Perry Chacón Jr.
Perry Chacón Jr. began his musical studies in Chula Vista, California with celebrated Mariachi Educator Mark Fogelquist. A part of his studies, Chacón performed with the renowned high school ensemble Mariachi Chula Vista as a guitarrón player and lead vocalist. With Mariachi Chula Vista, he performed in various Mariachi conferences such as the Tucson International Mariachi conference, Albuquerque Espectacular, and the Encuéntro Nacional del Mariachi y la Charreria in Guadalajara, Jalisco. In 2009, Mariachi Chula Vista also represented Mexico in the “Las Americas” exhibit in the Smithsonian Folk life Festival in Washington D.C. Chacón continued his musical studies under Mariachi Educator and composer Dr. Jeff Nevin. He also is part of Dr. Nevin’s professional ensemble, Mariachi Champaña Nevin as guitarist and lead vocalist. As part of this ensemble, Chacón has performed with various orchestras such as the San Diego Symphony, Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra, Idaho Falls Symphony Orchestra, and participated in Folk festivals in France and Brazil. In 2012, Chacón was given a full scholarship to attend the Arizona State University School of Music and studies voice performance under the tutelage of Professor Judy May. Today, Chacón is a Master’s candidate in Opera Performance/Music Theatre at Arizona State University under the tutelage of world renowned baritone Gordon Hawkins and is part of the Mariachi Faculty at Rosie’s House Music Academy in Phoenix, Arizona.
David Gill
David Gill was born in Tucson Arizona and began playing in 1987 with Mariachi Los Changuitos Feos. After graduating high school, he continued his musical path by playing with local groups in Tucson such as Mariachi Tierra del Sol. In 2000, he moved to Los Angeles to play with the renowned Mariachi Sol de Mexico. In the summer of 2001, he moved to Phoenix, Arizona. It was there where he started teaching community youth groups. In 2007, he returned to Tucson to take on a full time teaching position. Today Mr. Gill currently teaches at three Tucson area schools. He has a profound love for teaching and is committed to preserving the art of mariachi.
About the Instructors
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Jeff Nevin
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Jeff Nevin, Ph.D., Director and Lead Instructor of the Chacala Mariachi Institute, is Professor of Music and Director of Mariachi Activities at Southwestern College in Chula Vista, California, where he devised and is now offering the world’s first college degree in mariachi music (begun in 2004). One of the most respected mariachi educators in the country, Dr. Nevin is also professional classical trumpet player, conductor of the Southwestern College Symphony Orchestra, life-long mariachi musician, composer, author and clinician. He composed the world’s first Concerto for Mariachi and Orchestra (together with Jose Hernandez) for Mariachi Sol de México, a classical song cycle “Al aire libre” based on the poetry of Alberto Blanco, numerous arrangements for mariachi and orchestra for his ensemble Mariachi Champaña Nevin as well as many for Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán. His works have been performed by dozens of professional symphony orchestras across the US and Mexico.
In 2012-13 school year he taught as a Faculty Associate at Arizona State University, in 2011 the Mexican government presented him the first “Award for Arts and Culture” for his work promoting Mexican music abroad, in 2008 he was named “California Multicultural Music Educator of the Year” and also Director of Youth Music Programs for San Bernardino’s Sinfonía Mexicana. In addition to countless television, radio and print interviews, Dr. Nevin has been featured in the documentary films “In the Name of Mariachi Music”, “Viva el Mariachi”, and The History Channel en Español’s “El Mariachi”. His first book, Virtuoso Mariachi (University Press of America, 2002), was called “A major milestone in the history of mariachi music” by the Tucson Citizen newspaper, and he has written a comprehensive set of method books, Mariachi Mastery (Neil A Kjos Music Company, 2006), that is used to teach mariachi music in classrooms across the United States and Mexico.
