Staff
José Antonio Diaz
Founder and Artistic Director Diaz Music Institute
Recently named as a Texas UIL Sponsor of Excellence and Country Music Association Foundation’s Music Teacher of Excellence, José Antonio Diaz is the founder/artistic director for the award-winning organization Diaz Music Institute in Houston, Texas. Diaz is a Grammy Nominated Music Educator Top 10 Finalist, winner of Berklee College of Music’s John LaPorta Jazz Educator of the Year Award, LULAC Educator of the Year Award, and the Mayor’s Hispanic Heritage Award. Recently inducted into DownBeat Magazine’s Jazz Education Hall of Fame, Diaz’s success was the subject of a featured cover story in SBO Magazine, Band Director’s Guide Magazine, the Houston Chronicle, and selected by FOX 26 and Univision Television stations as a Hispanic Hero. Jose was inducted into the Texas Christian University Band Hall of Fame and received the prestigious Jefferson Award for his work with Diaz Music Institute.
Jose’s leadership has led Diaz Music Institute to become internationally recognized as a premier organization for presenting, developing, and teaching jazz, Latin jazz, and salsa music. The Houston area community enjoys Diaz’s innovative programming through Diaz Music Institute’s annual presentation of Noché Caliente at the Miller Outdoor Theatre. Performing in Noché Caliente is the Institute’s repertoire ensemble Caliente in musical dialogue with some of Latin music’s biggest stars, such as NEA Jazz Master Candido, Pete Escovedo, Eddie Palmieri, and Poncho Sanchez, to name just a few. Also, the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities selected Diaz Music Institute as a finalist for the 2010 and 2011 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Awards. Jose has received four grants from the Houston Arts Alliance to support his creative writing in Latin, jazz, and contemporary music compositions as an artist.
Jose is a graduate of the University of Arkansas (BSE) and Texas Christian University (MME). He is on the board of Directors for The Midwest Clinic and is a member of JEN, NAfME, TBA, TMEA, Phi Beta Mu, Kappa Kappa Psi, and Phi Mu Alpha fraternities. Diaz is co-author of Middle School Music ExpressionsTM (Alfred Music Publication) and composed the music for Freddie the Frog and the Invisible Coquí (Mystic Publishing, Inc.); this book won Creative Child’s Magazine’s 2016 Book of the Year. Currently, Jose is developing a new jazz curriculum entitled “About That Jazz.”
Elizabeth Diaz
Executive Director Diaz Music Institute
Elizabeth Diaz is the executive director for the award-winning non-profit arts organization Diaz Music Institute. During her tenure, Liz has helped Diaz Music Institute through several accolades, which includes:
- Being twice selected by the National Arts and Humanities Program Award as a finalist.
- Being recognized by Texas Monthly Magazine as one of 20 Reasons Texas Music is Bigger and Better Than Ever.
- Students received over $2,000,000 in scholarships since the establishment of DMI.
- Students graduated from prestigious schools such as Harvard, Berklee, and the University of Miami.
Elizabeth is very active in the Houston area communities and has made a significant impact, leading several initiatives to improve education and living conditions. Just within the last two years, Diaz has:
- Led the campaign to build a SPARK park at Lake Shore Elementary.
- Partnered with Generation Park to host a food drive at Ross Sterling Middle School.
- Coordinated delivery of Thanksgiving meals with Harris County Sheriff’s office.
- Worked with Humble ISD to coordinate the new Northeast Homeless Coalition.
- Facilitated a school supplies collection during the Covid-19 pandemic for local elementary schools.
Previous to serving as DMI’s Executive Director, Elizabeth was owned a day care center in the northeast area of Houston. In addition, Diaz is a licensed realtor.
Britney Bloom
Pianist, Singer and Songwriter
Britney Bloom is an accomplished pianist, singer and songwriter who enjoys playing and teaching music. Her love of jazz, gospel, classical and fusion not only make her versatile but it makes her sound stand out and draw the listener in for a dreamy interpretation of musical expression. In 2015 Bloom graduated from Texas Southern University with a degree in Music Performance with an emphasis in Jazz Studies. Previously she spent 2 years at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music where she decided that jazz studies would be her major.
Britney has worked with a variety of different artists and singers such as Cory Henry, Cora Coleman (Prince’s drummer), Tamar Davis (Prince’s lead singer), and many others. She has also opened for world renowned band Ghost Note featuring grammy award winner Robert “Sput” Searight as the band leader and was the musical director for the headlining band “Cora Coleman”, at the Jazz Festival in Johannesburg, South Africa where there were over 15,000 people in attendance.
Britney continues her musical career as an artist and a teacher. She released a single called, “Show Me” in 2017 and is set to release her debut album in 2022. During the day she adores teaching her Pre-k through 5th grader students about music and showing them that they too can pursue their dreams and passions no matter the obstacles. She enjoys spending time with family, laughing wholeheartedly and any activity that involves bringing people together. She is a firm believer that we are better together than we are apart.
Marvin Sparks
Lone Star College – Kingwood and Drum Set Artist
Marvin Sparks works with various school districts, churches, choral ensembles, and theatrical productions throughout the United States as a percussionist, drummer, teacher, consultant, writer, and producer. Sparks has served on the TMEA All-State Jazz Band selection committee for several years, adjudicated jazz band, drum-line competitions and his former students (Terreon Gully-Stefon Harris, Christian McBride; Taku Hirano-Bette Midler, Fleetwood Mac; Kendrick Scott-Terrance Blanchard; Eric Harland-SF Jazz Collective; Marci Chapa-Beyonce) are some of the leading drummers and percussionists in the music industry.
Marvin Sparks has done extensive research on the African influence in Cuban music and has studied with master percussionists including Oscar Sully (an African master drummer), Famoudou Don Moye (percussionist with the Art Ensemble of Chicago), John Santos (ethno-musicologist in Latin Music), and Cuban percussionists Carlos Aguilla, Fermin Nani, Roberto Vizcaino, and Migeul Nodal. Sparks has studied drum set concepts with Ndugu Chancler, Freddie Gruber, and Ed Thigpen. His research has been conducted at Eastern Illinois University, University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, the DuSable Museum of African American Art and at Centro Nacional de Escuelas de Arte in Havana, Cuba.
As a performer, he has worked in various genres of the music industry, including; Orchestral: Chicago Civic Orchestra, Scott Joplin Orchestra, Texas Master Chorale Orchestra, BlackNote Ensemble, Ensemble Theatre, Broadway Musicals; The Color Purple, The Wiz, Ragtime, Titanic, King and I, and Will Rodgers Follies: Jazz Artists; Max Roach, Joe Henderson, Sandip Burman, Roy Ayers and Ernie Watts: R&B and Gospel; Calvin Owens Blues Orchestra, Maxx Traxx, Gladys Knight, Aretha Franklin, Mattie Moss Clark and the Clark Sisters, Shirley Caesar, Lakewood Church Orchestra (w/Israel Houghton and Cindy Cruise), 2nd Baptist Church and James Cleveland. Sparks has recorded over 200 commercials for Radio and TV as a writer, player, and producer. He is an educational consultant for Sabian Cymbals, Vic Firth Mallets and Sticks, Evans Drum Heads and Latin Percussion Music Group.
Mr. Sparks is presently on the faculty of Lone Star College – Kingwood (Percussion). He has presented and performed throughout the country in areas of jazz, percussion, world music, percussion, and career development. Still an active performer, he has several groups in jazz, popular and world music genres available for performances. Mr. Sparks serves as a educational consultant for Sabian Cymbals, Vic Firth Sticks, Evans Drum Heads, Latin Percussion Music Group, Mike Balter Mallets and Humes and Berg Cases.
Horace Alexander Young
Associate Professor of Music
Artist Teacher of Saxophone and Jazz Studies
For more than four decades, Horace Alexander Young has maintained a career as an accomplished musician, educator and recording and touring artist. He is equally gifted as a multi-instrumentalist (woodwinds, keyboards and percussion), vocal musician and composer/arranger. Having contributed to 100+ significant studio and live recordings (in these various capacities), he has also performed and toured extensively with such artists as – Aretha Franklin, B.B. King, Bill Withers, The McCoy Tyner Big Band, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Carol Kaye, Candido Camero, Joe Williams, James Brown, Johnny Nash, The Spinners, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Manhattans, Johnny “Guitar” Watson, David “Fathead” Newman, O.C. Smith, Bobbi Humphrey, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Regina Belle, Dionne Warwick, Jono Manson, Tadeu Coelho, Patti LaBelle, Dianne Reeves, Nancy Wilson, Siedah Garrett, Arnett Cobb, Lucy Arnaz, Billy Paul, Michael Cooper, Bobby McFerrin, Peabo Bryson, Jeffrey Osborne, Patti Austin, Freda Payne, Kenny Barron, Roberta Flack, Norman Brown, Richard Elliot, Alvin Batiste, Marvin Stamm, Jennifer Holiday, Donnie McClurkin, Tish Hinahosa, Jonathan Butler, Youssou N’ Dour, Leon Ndugu Chancler, Bobby Lyle, George Coleman, Milt Hinton, Dave Liebman, Terence Blanchard, Hank Marr, Kim Waters, Doc Powell, Bill Champlin, The Chi- Lites, The Coasters, Alex Acuna, The Ojays, George Duke, The Jazz Crusaders (Joe Sample, Wilton Felder, Wayne Henderson, Hubert Laws and David T. Walker), Ray Parker, Jr., John Kurzweg, Scott Jarrett, Bobby Lyle, Kirk Whalum, Roseanna Vitro, Barrie Lee Hall, Anita Moore, Sheila Moore Piper, Mark Levine, Kathy Kossins, Albert “Tootie” Heath, Cyrus Chestnut, Mark Ledford, Brian Hardgroove, Gary Hobbs, Greta Matasa, Roberta Donnay, Brian Lynch, Tihomir “Tiho” Dimitrov, Greg Yasinitsky’s YAZZ Big Band and The Duke Ellington Orchestra.
His saxophone, flute and vocal skills have thrilled audiences in nineteen (19) countries across five (5) continents at major Jazz festivals in Montreux, Hamburg, Leipzig, London, Paris, The Hague, British Columbia, Berlin, New York, New Orleans, Detroit, Tokyo, Houston, Seattle, Gent, Cape Town, Leverkusen and Glasgow. He also spent 17 years of that time working as Musical Director and a featured soloist with 2019 NEA Jazz Master Abdullah Ibrahim, for whom he wrote numerous arrangements in various instrumental settings, contributed to two studio recordings, several noted television appearances and two award-winning films.
Jorge “Cro Cro” Orta
World-Class Percussionist, Teacher, and Band Leader
Jorge “Cro Cro” Orta has accompanied renowned artists such as Celia Cruz, El Pete Conde Rodríguez, Mimi Ibarra, Viti Ruiz, Ismael Miranda, Lefty Pérez, Henry Fiol, Luis Felipe Gonzáles, Maelo Ruiz, Kim de los Santos, Paquito Guzmán, José Bello , Wichie Camacho, Lalo Rodríguez, Pedro Brull, Kevin Ceballo, Júnior Gonzáles, Roberto Lugo, David Pavón, Héctor Casanova, Eddie Santiago, Roberto Blades, Osvaldo Román, Pedro de Jesús, Luisito Carrión, Adalberto Santiago, Los Titanes, Tito Gomez and Paquito Acosta.
Between 2000 and 2004, he worked in Houston, Texas, as director of Groupo Kache. With Kache, he had the opportunity to record various projects. He participated in different shows with local groups and singers, such as Mark Towns, Yelba, María Williams, Orquesta Mi Rumba, Mango Punch, Penny Lea, and Buzz Smith. He also serves as a Latin percussion instructor for the Diaz Music Institute’s award-winning youth group Caliente. During this same period, he made several tours of the USA with Grupo Niche and participated in the first production of the Orquesta Son de Cali. He also formed his group with which he produced shows in the city of Houston.
In 2004 he moved to Orlando, Florida, where he formed his group, “La Banda,” and performed with various groups and accompanied singers such as Adalberto Bravo, Charlie Cruz, Michael Stuart, Frankie Negron, Domingo Quiñones. , Anthony Cruz, Pedro Conga, Edgar Daniel, Luisito Carrión, José Ernesto, Gerry Galante, and Luigi Texidor. He is also part of the Sonora Carruseles, with whom he does three tours in Europe and the USA. He returns to Houston in 2007 and continues to travel the world with Grupo Niche. He collaborates with local musical bands in the city of Houston. With the determination to do great things, he decided to retire from the Grupo Niche group to form his band and the Houston All-Star formed by the best musicians in the city to do big shows and with international guests. With this orchestra he has accompanied artists such as Maelo Ruíz, Tito Rojas, José Alberto ‘El Canario’, Ray De La Paz, Henry Fiol, La India, Tito Nieves, Charlie Cruz, Oswaldo Roman, Yan Collazos, Roberto Blades, among many.
Orta enjoys teaching Latin percussion and planning annual events and collaborations with various arts organizations. On September 19, 2014, Jorge received a proclamation by the City of Houston as “Crocro’s Day.” He has just released the first Salsa production with his ensemble “Crocro y su Tumba Ká.”
Laura Jane Jones
Vocalist to the stars, tv and film,
Laura Jane Jones hails from just outside Detroit, Michigan. She was raised in a multi ethnic family, she was adopted along with three other siblings including two from Vietnam. She grew up doing theatre, dance, music, piano, storytelling. Overall she was a creative child. Her first professional gig was singing in the children’s chorus of the OPERA GRAND RAPIDS in operas like Carmen and Tosca. She went on to study at the Boston Conservatory of Music and then received her degree in Theatre and Music from THE UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS in Philadelphia.
Laura Jane Jones has performed in such musicals as Little Shop of Horrors, Jesus Christ Superstar and Hair. Laura Jane Jones is mostly known having toured as the main vocalist for Latin Superstar Enrique Iglesias for many years. She has also toured and recorded with many other superstars including Joe Cocker, Aerosmith, Billy Ray Cyrus, Katharine McPhee, Joss Stone, Teena Marie, Lea Michelle, Kelly Clarkson, Vintage Trouble, Nicole Sherzinger, The Black Eyed Peas, Perry Farrell in Satellite Party, Dave Matthews Band, 50 Cent, Miles Mosley to name a few. . Her music career she has performed on practically every television show in the USA, almost all of them in Mexico and Latin America, as well as many in France, England and Germany.
Laura has also performed on the biggest stages in every capacity imaginable in about 90 countries. She is also a solo artist and has released two of her own albums – the first one called TO MY PLANET BOO produced by grammy winner Xavier Dphrepaulezz aka Fantastic Negrito, and the second one is called EVERYTHING CHANGES. She has performed her solo shows worldwide. Laura most recently recorded vocals as the singing voice for Eva Longoria for the new movie Dora and The Lost City of Gold, she was also featured singing a remake of Quando Quando Quando in Italian for the LETTERS TO JULIET soundtrack (SOUNDTRACK MISPELLED HER NAME AS LISA JANE – ON WIKIPEDIA IT IS CORRECTED AND SAY LAURA JANE AS LISA JANE).
She is also in Sandy the netflix film SANDY WEXLER (netflix), and did vocals on THE GET DOWN (netflix) , THE NEIGHBORS, the season finale of AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE (ABC) , and sang background vocals for Jennifer Hudson and Leona Lewis on the song LOVE IS YOUR COLOR on the SEX AND THE CITY 2 Soundtrack. Now branching in to acting, producing and contracting, she is so executive producer and co creator for the HARMONY – THE BACKGROUND SINGERS OF LOS ANGELES television pilot – that she and her partners are pitching. PLEASE NOTE – SOME OF HER CREDITS THROUGHOUT HER CAREER HAVE BEEN LISTED AS “LAURA JANE”, “LAURA JONES” “LAURA J. JONES” AS WELL AS Laura Jane Jones.
James Earl DeBose Jr
Associate Director of Bands MacArthur High School
James Earl DeBose Jr is in his 4th year of teaching serving as the Associate Director of Bands at MacArthur High School. During his time at MacArthur, the marching band has been consistent UIL Marching Competition Sweepstakes Award Winners with his Concert Bands achieving similar feats. At MacArthur Mr. DeBose serves as the Woodwind Specialist and helps with the direction of the Jammin’ Generals Marching Band, MacArthur High School Jazz Ensemble, and all Concert Bands.
Aside from MacArthur High School, Mr. DeBose volunteers weekly with the Non-Profit organization Díaz Music Institute where he assists with the teaching and mentoring of students to develop life-skills through music. During his time with the Institute, students have had appearances at conventions for the Jazz Education Network and Texas Bandmasters Association and have performed with artists such as Jose Valentino, Chucho Valdés, Francisco Torres, and Meñique, just to name a few.
Alongside his colleague Jose Funes Hernandez, James DeBose is also the co-founder of the podcast channel Jammin’ With J.J. This channel, geared towards young and upcoming directors, was designed to give advice through the sharing of practical tips, advice, and experiences from young, successful directors that teach in diverse and challenging environments.
Mr. DeBose holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from Sam Houston State University and is expected to complete his Master’s from Sam Houston at the end of Summer 2021.
Matt Adamson
Fine Arts Department Chair at Mead Middle School
Matt Adamson received his Bachelor of Music from Coe College in Cedar Rapids, IA, and became the Director of Bands and Fine Arts Department Chair at Mead Middle School in 2018. Before accepting his position at Mead, Mr. Adamson taught at Eisenhower High School for 18 years.
Since the opening of Mead Middle School, the band has been a consistent sweepstakes award-winning program. The band also won several awards in 2019 at the Spring ISD Band Festival, including a Best in Class for the non-varsity band. Mr. Adamson and his ensembles have performed for local schools, shopping centers, restaurants, hospitals, and Bush Intercontinental Airport. His bands have also performed at various events for Sylvester Turner, the current Mayor of Houston. He was also a significant part of the development of the Eisenhower High School jazz program, which was invited to play at the Jazz Educators Network conference in Reno, Nevada, in 2018.
In his spare time, Mr. Adamson volunteers with the Lakewood United Methodist Church, performing with and writing for their Chamber Ensemble. Mr. Adamson also volunteers with various youth organizations, taught vacation bible school, served as Cubmaster for Cub Scout Pack 1614, and coached youth football with the Langham Creek YMCA, The Farm League, and WePlayFootball in the Cypress and Tomball areas.
Mr. Adamson has a passion for teaching and takes great pleasure in sharing his gifts and talents with others. He looks forward to sharing his experience and talents with you and your students and establishing a culture of success and learning through performance in the band.
Rosie Barron
Freelance Dance Artist
Rosie Barron has had formal training at the Houston Ballet, Met Dance, and Planet Funk for several years. Rosie joined Planet Funk as a part of their performing group and gained much knowledge and experience during her time there. During the early part of the 2000s, she formed her dance group, Freedom Dance, with whom she performed and was Artistic Director. Barron joined the Houston Rockets’ own Launch Crew, which allowed her to perform regularly in front of a crowd of 18,000 at the Toyota Center. The U.S. State Department chose Rosie in 2007 to participate in the Cultural Envoy Program and act as an ambassador to the United States, teaching dance in a month-long tour of Denmark, which she has done twice. Rosie is currently the color guard director at MacArthur High School for the award-winning Jammin’ Generals.
Mark Davila
Director of Bands Grantham Academy
Mark Matthew Davila is the director of bands at Grantham Academy. During the 2021-2022 school year, Mark will be entering his 13th year as a band director. Davila is an alumnus of MacArthur High School verticle schools and attended Hambrick Middle School and was under the direction of Refugio Rodriguez. After Middle School, Mark was afforded the opportunity to be under the direction of Hall of Fame band director and Grammy Award Nominee, Jose Antonio Diaz. After High School, Davila’s commitment to education led me to the University of Houston, where I was under the tutelage of Eddie Green, John Benzer, Tom Bennett, David Bertman, Noe Marmolejo, and Dr. Karen Wylie. After college, Mark was given the opportunity to return to Aldine ISD as a band director. “It truly has been a dream come true for myself and my family. When I’m not at school, I am a husband to my beautiful wife, Sally. Daughter, Laura Ashley and Cats, Leona/Smokey (Smokey-Tune)”
Felix DeLeon
Freelance Trumpet Artist
Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Felix DeLeon came from a family of Church musicians, started off learning piano, and did not pick up the trumpet until High School. Felix attended Mac Arthur High School in Houston, TX, and studied under José Diaz, known for his jazz and Latin Jazz studies. He went off to Florida for college and studied with trumpeter Arturo Sandoval where he gained experience in performing with the greats in Latin music. Felix DeLeon has been involved in numerous recordings and concerts across the nation. One specific recording won a Grammy Award, and another recording was nominated. Felix is currently an artist for Austin Winds, which is a Texas-based Trumpet Company. Now, Felix is in demand as a trumpeter, pianist, composer, arranger, and clinician. He performs and records with various groups in Houston, Texas, and has established himself as a diverse musician in all genres of music.
Ralph Bruner
Freelance Guitar Artist
With over 35 years of music writing and composition knowledge, Ralph Bruner has focused on national and regional TV and radio spots and Hollywood feature films, working through development, composing, production and post-production. Bruner’s management duties included total hands-on supervision, including creating, composing, recording, sweetening, scheduling, client coordination, managing budget, booking studios and facilities, collaborating with clients, and conducting post-production supervision of all projects. Responsible for making financial, marketing, artistic, and staffing decisions. Stylistically versatile in various musical genres, Ralph is an active voting Grammy member (The Recording Academy). Bruner has Lectured at the university level, providing workshops on scoring for film, session playing, music publishing, and the recording industry. Active guitar player with A Bad Think (former drummer Michael Marquart of A Flock Of Seagulls). Private guitar tutor for all ages.