Alumni Letter: Jeff Nevins Dated 7/23/06
¡¡Hola amigos!!

Wow, it's been a long time since I've sent around a note telling you what's
up in the mariachi world, but that doesn't mean nothing's been going on!
Before I tell you what I've been doing, let me give you a "head's up" about
the next big concerts:

I'll be conducting and soloing with the La Jolla Symphony again this Fall
for "Un Canto a México II" on September 30 in La Jolla
(http://lajollasymphony.com ). and "Mexico Canta, featuring two tenors and a
soprano" for Sinfonia Mexicana in San Bernardino on October 7
(http://sinfoniamexicana.com ). Both concerts will feature soprano Monica
Abrego, tenor José Medina and members of Mariachi Champaña Nevín performing
Mexican classical music, songs, and some of my compositions. The amazing
tenor Jorge Lopez-Yañez will also be singing with us in San Bernardino.

I'm also working on shows this Fall in Aguascalientes, Zacatecas,
Guadalajara, Rosarito and Denver, but they're not confirmed yet... cross
your fingers! I'll let you know if/when they materialize. And to all you
Texas folk, mark your calendars: we'll be performing with the East Texas
Symphony (Tyler, Texas) on May 5 next year! :-)

Well, this entire past year I've been on sabbatical from Southwestern
College, writing the mariachi method books, performing and traveling. I'm
proud to say that the method books, ³Mariachi Mastery², are now essentially
completed. All of the instrument books (violin, trumpet, armonia,
guitarron, arpa, viola, cello/bass) are currently in print and available,
while the teacher's edition is now being formatted (soon... soon!!). The
teacher's edition has everything from all of the instrument books, plus
about 200 pages of articles, references, quizzes and "teacher's tips": many
thanks to contributing author Noe Sanchez for his help with some of these.
They're fantastic, take a look:
http://www.kjos.com/sub_section.php?division=4&series=135 . I've also been
to conferences in Texas (TMEA) and Utah (MENC), and I'll be speaking in San
Antonio in a few weeks (at the TODA conference) about the benefits of
mariachi -- promoting the method. I really hope they will be a benefit to
teachers and musicians everywhere.

The biggest trip I took this year was a 2-week tour of Germany, Austria and
Switzerland with the Pacific Symphony in March -- WOW! That was my first
time to Europe, and to go with such an amazing symphony, performing Strauss
in some of the same concert halls where STRAUSS performed... it was, in many
ways, magical.... if for no other reason than the fact that our first day
there (in Munich) a very kooky German "bar bum", who spoke no English nor
Spanish, upon finding out that I was a mariachi, suddenly broke out singing:
"cucurrucucú..... paloma!!" True story..... even THIS guy knows mariachi!

The week after returning from Europe, I took Mariachi Champaña up to Idaho
to perform with the Idaho Falls Symphony and was again amazed: an amateur
(but very fine) orchestra, in a town of 50,000 people, in the middle of
Idaho, performing mariachi?!?! But we had 2,000 people at the concert, and
sold out of all of our CD's in about 15 minutes! It was a great concert,
everybody loved it, and we all made a lot of new friends. I hope to return
there to perform again soon (Christmas?!?). :-) Then 2 weeks later Monica,
José and I were soloing with the Colorado Symphony in Denver, Adam Flatt
conducting, along with Mariachi Internacionál de América de Guadalajara.
Second year in a row for that concert, and another huge success for the
Consul Generál de México en Denver.

I also made it down to Mexico City for a few days to meet with Ruben Fuentes
and Federico Torres, of Mariachi Vargas fame. Don Rubén has asked me to
write them a piece for mariachi and orchestra based on music he wrote for
Miguel Aceves Mejía. I've just finished the mariachi part, now I have to
flesh out the orchestration.... I'm trying to get it done in time for the
Guadalajara mariachi conference..... wish me luck!! Wouldn't THAT be
amazing?!? Vargas, the Jalisco Philarmonic playing a piece I wrote (albeit
based on Fuentes' songs), 10 days in a row in the Teatro Degollago?!?
Trying not to jinx it.... it's not finished yet...... :-)

And last but not least, I'll be performing with the San Diego Symphony for
most of their Summer Pops concerts over the next 2 months: last night was
Broadway songs, next week backing up the Peking Acrobats and playing the
sound track to Lord of the Rings, and I'm not sure about the rest! Just
having fun making music.

Sorry to go on so long with all that, but it's been a while and I wanted to
let you know what's been up. Don't get me started on the Chicago trip
hanging with family (mmmm...... Giordanno's!), or painting the house with
Charlotte (looks great!). Take care, and I hope you're having a great,
relaxing and productive summer (if that's not an oxymoron). See you,

-Jeff

P.S. here's a couple of pictures



Pacific Symphony trumpet section (Barry, me, Tony, Dave) on stage in Vienna




Ruben Fuentes, Federico Torrez and me in Guadalajara last year (crooked tie
and all!)




Jeff Nevin, Ph.D., Artistic Director (619) 888-9509