Noberta Fresquez is a 2019 Platinum Music Awards honoree. Originally from Deming and currently living in Albuquerque, Noberta is well known in the world of Mariachi throughout the United States and Mexico. She is the producer and developer of Mariachi Spectacular, now in its 29th year in Albuquerque. She produces the Mariachi Christmas show held annually at Popejoy Hall, a family tradition now in its 19th year. She has brought international talent to the NM Market and showcased some of New Mexico’s finest entertainers.
Noberta’s passion for show production began in the late 70’s with her first event for the local LULAC agency, (League of United Latin American Citizens). This led to her taking on the production for the National LULAC conference in 1981. She then produced and promoted shows across the US for Mexican Music Legend Antonio Aguilar where she perfected her art of stage production.
For 20 years, Noberta produced the Hispanic Heritage Shows at Tingley Coliseum for the New Mexico State Fair, featuring nationally known Mexican acts as well as local entertainment. During the 20+ days of the Fair, Norberta showcased acts from all over the state and from multiple genres including Mariachi, Dance, New Mexico Style music, Country, Latin Pop, Norteño, TexMex as well as artisan styles.
In 1991 Noberta created the Mariachi Spectacular where her favorite music, Mariachi, would be highlighted and classes could be offered to the local community. She had great assistance from Dr. Rupert Trujillo, The University of New Mexico Department of Continuing Education and other Community Leaders. The Mariachi Spectacular has grown from approximately 40 students to over 600 that attend annually.
above: video biopic short about Noberta Fresquez – premiered August 23, 2019 at the Platinum Music Awards show – created by Bunee Tomlinson of Windswept Media.
Bert Dalton is a 2019 Platinum Music Awards honoree. Originally from Chicago and living in Santa Fe for over 20 years, Bert is a renowned and versatile jazz pianist, arranger, educator, and producer, who has lived, performed and taught in Santa Fe for 20 years. Bert is a recipient of the 2013 Santa Fe Mayor’s Award for Excellence, A Chicago native, Bert received his music education at Northern Illinois University, studying with Dr. J. B. Floyd and performing with Ron Modell’s award-winning NIU Jazz Ensemble.
Bert’s
versatility shines in his performance history. He has led a number of
groups such as the Chicago Jazz Exchange, Yoboso, the Bert Dalton Trio,
the Dalton Brothers Trio, and most recently the Brazil Project. In
addition to leading these groups, Bert has performed internationally and
recorded with Herbie Mann, Anita O’Day, Bud Shank, Butch Miles, Howard
Alden, Frank Morgan, Bobby Shew, Eddie Daniels and many others. In
addition, he has opened for Tito Puente, Pete Escovedo, Grover
Washington Jr. Pancho Sanchez, and the Count Basie Orchestra.
Bert has been Music Director of the National Dance Institute (NDI) of New Mexico since 1998, currently serving over 6,000 elementary school children throughout NM. He has authored a pianist’s manual and organized the first Music Director’s Conference for the national Association of NDIs. His many years of service at NDI-NM as Music Director have brought his piano music, delightful personality, and presence as a mentor into countless schools and to thousands of children.
above: video biopic short about Bert Dalton – premiered August 23, 2019 at the Platinum Music Awards show – created by Bunee Tomlinson of Windswept Media.
New Mexico Music Commission’s Student Musician Spotlight
Featured Student: Sydney Chapman ~ Farmington | Kirtland
Sydney Chapman, trumpet
Sydney Chapman has been playing the trumpet with the Kirtland schools for the past 8 years, 4 years with the San Juan College (SJC) Symphonic Band, and 3 years with the SJC Jazz Big Band. As a senior at Kirtland Central High School (KCHS) she is in her 3rd year as the marching band’s drum major. Adding to her years of experience, she has dedicated the past 2 years playing with the New Mexico “Arsenal Drum and Bugle Corps” and is looking forward to auditioning again later this year.
In addition, Sydney has contributed to the area community by playing in the Veteran’s Day Memorial directed by Janet Isham. She has also performed the National Anthem for her grandfather, Emerson Lee, who received lost medals during the Vietnam War. She stated, “It was an honor to meet New Mexico Congressman Ben Lujan as he presented the medals to my grandfather.” In the Pueblo of Zuni, Sydney played with the A:shiwi A:wan Band (Zuni Tribal Band) during the 2018 Zuni Fair, “It was a privilege to play with other Zuni musicians after 10 years of band absence, I could feel the excitement from the community members as we played together.” On special occasions, Sydney has played for the Zuni Christian Reformed Church as a way of giving thanks to God.
During her sophomore and junior year at KCHS, Sydney completed 6 separate auditions which included: North West New Mexico Music Educators Association (NWNMMEA) District Honor Band, NWNMMEA District Honor Jazz Band, Fort Lewis College Honor Band, NMMEA All-State, KCHS drum major, and the New Mexico “Arsenal Drum and Bugle Corps.” Sydney has achieved this level of musical excellence by putting in extra hours of hard work before and after school hours. Her most difficult experience was playing and performing with the New Mexico “Arsenal Drum and Bugle Corps,” which consisted of 12+ hours of challenging rehearsals that lasted for a month and concluded with a 2 week tour. Sydney states, “The long amount of hours were mentally and physically challenging, but the rewards came when performing in large stadiums for thousands of people. Representing New Mexico through the performing arts was the best experience thus far.”
Sydney was nominated for the Music Commission’s Student Musician Spotlight by Delbert Anderson, a professional trumpeter from San Juan County. As a Native American musician, he has inspired many younger musicians to pursue their passion for music. He is also the current SJC Jazz Big Band director where he has taught Sydney for the past 2 years. Sydney indicates that, “Delbert is a well-known musician in the community and has created pathways for other Native American musicians to follow.” Delbert says of Sydney, “As one of Sydney’s instructors, I noticed she is a very dedicated individual who practices and completes more than what she is asked to do. She goes above and beyond for her band mates and most of all takes her trumpet playing very seriously. Sydney has a very natural beautiful tone on the trumpet. At such an early age, she has developed a passion for music, became an emotional human being and has the utmost respect for everyone who comes in contact with her.”
Sydney is immensely honored by this recognition and is thankful to her family for their unconditional support throughout all of her musical activities. She also thanks her previous and current band directors for the knowledge they have given her. As a member of the Zuni Tribe, Sydney hopes to inspire, teach, and be a role model for young Native American musicians. Her future plans after graduation is to double major in Music Education and Performance at Eastern New Mexico University.
Congratulations, Sydney, for being selected as a featured student musician! In addition to being inducted into the student spotlight, Sydney will be featured on the Music Commission’s Facebook page and will receive an official certificate of recognition from the State.
Click here for information about the Student Musician Spotlight.
above: Sydney Chapman performing A Child is Born with the San Juan College Jazz Band, directed by Delbert Anderson.
note: Sydney’s biographical information, image, and video are used with permission of her mother, Marla K. Chapman.
No copyright is claimed in the above creative examples and to the extent that material may appear to be infringed, the New Mexico Music Commission asserts that such alleged infringement is permissible under fair use principles in U.S. copyright laws. If you believe these materials have been used in an unauthorized manner, please contact us.
Brian Hardgroove works as a producer and educator. Most recently, he served as artist in residence at Santa Fe University of Art and Design, where he helped start the Artists for Positive Social Change program. As a music producer, Hardgroove sites Eddie Kramer (Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Kiss) and Jack Douglas (Aerosmith, John Lennon, Cheap Trick) as two of his closest and most trusted advisers in the music business. He worked as a producer for Demerit and Brain Failure. He is also the founder of From a Whisper to a Dream, a program that helps young musicians obtain endorsements from manufacturers of musical equipment. Brian is most popularly known for his work with the hip hop group, Public Enemy.
His most recent project is “Audio Rhythm Theory” with Police drummer Stewart Copeland, along with Grammy-winning guitarist Larry Mitchell, who were on a world-wide search for vocalists for their new recording project Audio Rhythm Theory (A.R.T.), touted as the “Biggest Audition in the World,” looking for vocalists who can sing and/or rap in English as well as their native languages. Hardgroove was also recently in production with Fred Schneider (The B52s) completing the debut album for GOOD THANG. Schneider and Hardgroove compose all the songs together. Hardgroove plays all the instruments while Schneider provides his classic vocals stylings.
In November 2015, Hardgroove joined Harmony Central to create a Signature Forum called “Hardgroove (and Nothing Less).” The aim of the forum is to provide access to the huge reservoir of expertise Brian has accumulated from his years of touring, recording, playing, and producing.
above: TC electronic met up with Brian Hardgroove from Public Enemy at the 2015 NAMM convention and asked him a few questions.
Andru Bemis is a folk and Americana musician from Carlsbad currently living in South Haven, Michigan. He performs on the banjo, violin, guitar and banjo-ukulele (which he calls a “banjolele”). Bemis lives a minimalist lifestyle, and is known for his engaging live shows throughout the United States. He tours primarily by train, public transportation, and hitchhiking.
Bemis has released half a dozen albums, most notably: “Plays Past His Bedtime” (2002), “Singer” (2004), and “Rail To Reel” (2006). “Folkadelphia Session” (2015) is his most recent release, recorded live at the WXPN Studios. He has collaborated on albums with Jason Webley, Trent Wagler & Jay Lapp, Rachel Ries, and Elisabeth Pixley-Fink.
Since 2007, Bemis has operated Foundry Hall, a non-profit, all-ages community center and performance venue in South Haven, Michigan.
Bemis’ solo performances are spiritual, enlightening and entertaining for audiences of all ages. His powerful tenor voice and instrumental accompaniment harken to a time before television, when tunes were shared between neighbors in parlors and on porches, in churches, saloons and Grange halls. His repertoire is a seamless combination of original songs and carefully selected public domain and folk songs, many of which are rarely heard today. Like Woody Guthrie and countless historical folk musicians and troubadours, Bemis often adds new verses to old songs and crafts them to his liking. He has played violin since the age of 5, and is self-taught on the guitar, banjo, banjolele, and an assortment of other instruments.
Songs from Bemis’ self-produced albums are played on radio stations throughout the country, and have been featured in a number of independent films. “Rail To Reel” was called the “Best Folk Album of 2006” by KVDS FM (Davis, CA), for bringing new life and unique instrumentation to a collection of lesser known traditional songs learned and adapted through his travels. Bemis contributes frequently to other artists’ recordings, including a 2011 collaboration, “Say Yes to Yourself!,” with fellow Michigan musician Elisabeth Pixley-Fink. The duo celebrated the album’s release with a 22-state train and bus tour, performing nightly for two months, from Minneapolis to Mexico City.
Nacha Mendez is pioneering the genre of World Latin music, drawing from the influences of her youth combined with the formal training she received during her world travels. Nacha grew up as Marghreta Cordero in the tiny border town of La Union, in southern New Mexico, where she began singing and playing the guitar at an early age. She learned traditional Ranchera Cancion from her grandmother and performed in border towns near El Paso with her cousins the Black Brothers. Nacha is recipient of the New Mexico Music Commission’s 2018 Platinum Music Award.
She went on to study classical voice and electronic music at New Mexico State University before moving to New York City, where she studied flamenco guitar with Manuel Granados of the Music Conservatory of Barcelona, Spain. In the early 90’s she toured Europe as a principal singer in Robert Ashley’s opera company.
Nacha is a nationally recognized artist who received a National Endowment for the Arts Award and a fellowship from Mutable Music in New York. In February 2011, she was honored by the New Mexico Committee of the National Museum of Women Artists. She was voted Best Female vocalist in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 2009, 2010 and 2015. She was awarded Best Family Entertainer in 2012 by the Human Rights Alliance. She received the New Mexico Music industry award for best production in the Latin music category 2013 for her song Bella Isabel.
above: Nacha’s tribute video from the 2018 Platinum Music Awards show at the Lensic. Filmed and edited by Bunee Tomlinson of Windswept Media. Produced by the New Mexico Music Commission Foundation, David Schwartz Executive Producer.
