NATIONAL MARIACHI EDUCATION CONSULTANTS, LLC
MORE ABOUT MARIACHI EDUCATION CONSULTANTS
Who we are
National Mariachi Education Consultants, LLC is a consortium of music education professionals eager to work with a variety of educators and school districts to foster the establishment and growth of mariachi music education programs for all children through continued professional development and support services. Our team of clinicians travel the country helping music teachers start their mariachi programs by providing focused and intensive training in this highly specialized musical form.
Meet the Team
Yvette Sital
Yvette Sital began her musical studies through the children’s choir at her church. Through music programs in school and church, she eventually became skilled in playing the instruments in the mariachi ensemble.
Professionally, she has played with several mariachi ensembles including all-female ensemble, Mariachi Mujer 2000 and is currently the musical director of Mariachi Nuevo Mujer 2000. She has traveled extensively as a performer at venues such as the Houston Astrodome, the Reliant Stadium, the Hollywood Bowl, the Santa Barbara Bowl, and the Colosseum at the Caesars Palace, among other places.
As an educator, she has been nominated for the Heart of Education Award, has received many accolades and is a sought-after clinician and instructor throughout the country. She has been a mariachi instructor for the Clark County School District for 17 years. Yvette is the newest Mariachi Director for Del Sol Academy of The Performing Arts.
Yvette has formed part of Marcia Neel’s Music Education Consultants' faculty for over 10 years. She has was asked by the Neel family to take over and continue their legacy with the Educator Workshops in Laas Vegas. She is now the president of the National Mariachi Education Consultants. Her mission is to pass on the knowledge and excitement for mariachi music that she has experienced and hopes that through teaching, students of all ages will work to keep the mariachi tradition alive.
Michael Sital
Michael Sital is a native of Victoria, Texas. For several years, he lived in Las Vegas, Nevada where he worked as a mariachi director in the Clark County School District. In 2013, Sital moved back to the Rio Grande Valley where he now continues his career in music education as a mariachi director with the award-winning Edcouch-Elsa High School Mariachi Program. His experience as a musician includes over 20 years of experience in the world of mariachi. Sital has had the opportunity to perform with numerous renowned groups and learn from well-established musicians and teachers over the 17 years of his music education career.
Michael is currently a member of the Grammy Nominated “Mariachi Los Arrieros Del Valle”. Sital holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). Michael’s experience as a student, an educator, and a performer, has molded him into the reputable musician he is today. Aside from performing and teaching, Sital also writes and arranges music as well as teaching violin, voice, and various mariachi clinics.
Sarah Sital
Sarah Sital began her Folklorico journey in Victoria, Texas with Our Lady of Sorrows Ballet Folklorico In 1992. During her 13 years as a company member, she participated in numerous master classes, competitions, performances, and annual show productions. After moving to Las Vegas in 2006, Sital had the opportunity to start a Folklorico program at a middle school, and a high school. In 2013, Sital moved with her family to the Rio Grande Valley where she assisted in launching four elementary Ballet Folklorico programs at Edcouch Elsa Independent School District.
Sarah recently graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Organizational Leadership degree from South Texas College in McAllen, Texas. While attending South Texas College, she also completed an Associate of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies. As a result she is highly disciplined with excellent teaching skills that will help with good time management, company organization, communication, supply chain management and problem-solving. She is also efficient in goal setting, managing, planning, and creating a vision and direction for organizations.
Our Incredible Team of Instructors & Presenters
Erik Ramirez, Mariachi Acero
Advanced Level Instructor
Erik M. Ramirez is a full-time Mariachi educator and has played violin, trumpet, vihuela, guitar, and guitarron professionally sharing the stage with Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán, Mariachi Sol de Mexico, Mariachi Los Camperos, Mariachi Cobre, Arturo Sandoval, Marco Antonio Solis, Jenni Rivera, Juan Valentin, Emmanuel, Angeles Ochoa. Beatriz Adriana and Tito Nieves. Currently, Erik teaches Mariachi full time at West Prep Academy as a Clark County School District educator in Las Vegas, Nevada. Erik is also director of one of Las Vegas' premier ensembles, Mariachi Acero de Las Vegas. Erik is a leading national Mariachi education presenter and co-author of the ¡Simplemente Mariachi! Beginning Mariachi Method series.
Johnny Gonzalez, A native of Southern California is in his 15th year teaching mariachi education in the Clark County School District. Johnny graduated with a Bachelor of Music Education degree from California State University Los Angeles where he studied as a trumpet and guitar player in Classical, Jazz, and Mariachi music. Johnny began studying mariachi music at a very young age and his early musical instruction included the trumpet, vihuela, guitar and voice. In 1997, Johnny began attending the Jose Hernandez Mariachi Heritage Society where he continued to learn mariachi pedagogy from members of the world-renowned Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez. He started performing professionally at the age of 17 and began touring extensively throughout Mexico and the US. He spent over twelve years performing in some of the world’s most recognized venues such as The Greek theater, Hollywood bowl, Staples Center, Teatro Degollado in Guadalajara Jalisco,
the Smith Center in Las Vegas. Today Johnny is privileged to be a part of the K.O. Knudson
Academy of the Arts faculty. As the mariachi director of the award-winning Mariachi Los
Pumas he continues to provide an elite mariachi institution in the Clark County School District.
Johnny Gonzalez, KO Knudson Academy Mariachi
Beginning Level Instructor
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Dr. Perry Chacon Jr, Monaco MS & CSN Mariachi
Vocal Instructor
Dr. Perry Chacón Jr. earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Nevada,
Las Vegas, where he studied under Dr. Alfonse Anderson. He also holds both a Bachelor’s and
Master’s degree in Opera and Music Theatre Performance from Arizona State University, where
he trained with operatic baritone Gordon Hawkins.
Chacón’s musical foundation began in mariachi as a guitarrón player and lead vocalist with
Mariachi Chula Vista in California. With the ensemble, he performed at major events including
the Tucson International Mariachi Conference, Albuquerque Espectacular, Encuentro Nacional
del Mariachi y la Charrería in Guadalajara, and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington,
D.C. He later continued his development with Dr. Jeff Nevin and currently performs as a
guitarist and lead vocalist with Mariachi Champaña Nevin. Through this work, he has
collaborated with orchestras such as the San Diego Symphony, Grand Junction Symphony
Orchestra, Idaho Falls Symphony Orchestra, Yakima Symphony Orchestra, York Symphony
Orchestra, and Santa Rosa Symphony, and has toured internationally to South Korea,
Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Russia, France, and Brazil.
As an educator, Chacón is committed to developing high-quality mariachi programs and
fostering student musicianship. He directs Mariachi Los Gavilanes at Monaco Middle School,
recognized as one of the nation’s premier middle school mariachi programs, and leads Mariachi
Plata at the College of Southern Nevada, a three-time national collegiate champion ensemble.
His work bridges performance and pedagogy, supporting the continued growth of mariachi
education in school and community settings.
David J. Rivera is the Director of Mariachi Studies at Las Vegas Academy of the Arts in Las Vegas,
Nevada. Originally from Corpus Christi, Texas, he began performing mariachi musicat age 12 and
developed a diverse musical background spanning mariachi, jazz, classicalguitar, rock, pop, wind
ensemble, and chamber music. Mr. Rivera studied Classical Guitar and Jazz Arranging with
Professor Philip Hii at Del Mar College before continuing his education at the University of North
Texas, where he performed with the acclaimed 9 O'Clock and 4 O'Clock Lab Bands. He is currently
pursuing studies in Music Composition and Orchestration at Berklee College of Music under
composer Panagiotis Liaropoulos.
Over the past fourteen years, Mr. Rivera has led the growth of one of the nation's premier
high school mariachi programs. Today, the Las Vegas Academy Mariachi Department serves
approximately 190 students through four performing ensembles. Its premier ensemble, Mariachi
Internacional, has earned recognition through major performances, festivals, educational conferences, and international appearances, including performances in London. The department also includes Mariachi Femenil Internacional, the Clark County School District's first all-female mariachi ensemble.
Recent accomplishments include the release of Mariachi Sinfónico, a collaboration between Mariachi Internacional and the Young Artists Orchestra of Las Vegas that combines the traditions of mariachi with the power of a symphony orchestra. In addition to teaching, Mr. Rivera is an active arranger, composer, clinician, and author dedicated to advancing mariachi education and preserving the tradition for future generations.
David J. Rivera, Las Vegas Academy Mariachi
Beginning Level Instructor
Guillermo "Willie" Acuna
Harp Instructor
Guillermo “Willie” Acuña hails from El Centro, CA and has been a member of Mariachi Sol de Mexico since 2008. Willie began his journey into mariachi music in high school where he also gained interest in different regional music genres such as Son Jarocho,Conjunto Norteño and Son Huasteco. These influences have helped him carve out a unique musical identity. As a part of Mariachi Sol de Mexico, Willie has been able to showcase the harp as a prominent and important part of the ensemble. Mariachi Sol de Mexico continues to be a challenging and fulfilling part of Willie’s professional life and an important platform to share with his students what is possible of an instrument that was once in decline, but now holds an integral place in the ensemble.
Acuña graduated from UCLA with a degree in Ethnomusicology in 2017, adding to his admiration for the scholarship of folk genres and solidifying his passion for arts education. Willie often travels the country to teach workshops and seminars on the harp and the importance of maintaining harp traditions within the mariachi ensemble. His other educational endeavors include being a mariachi instructor for the Santa Monica Youth Orchestra and for the first ever mariachi course at Santa Monica College. “I am grateful to have a career in what I am most passionate about and hope to leave a legacy to my students, so that they too may add further to the scholarship and artistry that this music deserves”.
Thomas Garibay, JD Smith MS Mariachi
Beginning Level Instructor
Thomas Garibay, a native of Corpus Christi, Texas, has been a mariachi educator in the Clark County School District in Las Vegas, Nevada since 2005. For 21 years, Thomas Garibay has had the privilege of being the Armonia and Trumpet director for the award winning J.D. Smith Middle School mariachi program in North Las Vegas. Alongside co-director Daniel Gonzales. The J.D. Smith Mariachi Program has thrived under their leadership finding numerous successes at the local and national level.
As a teacher in CCSD, Thomas has served as co-chair for the CCSD Honor and All-City Mariachis and co-chair for the CCSD Advanced Mariachi Festival. Thomas is currently serving as co-chair of the NMEA Middle School All-State Mariachi ensemble. This past Fall, Thomas was a recipient of the 2025 Orgullo Hispano Educator of the Year by the City of North Las Vegas.
Over 25 years as a professional mariachi musician, Thomas has performed with several groups
in South Texas and Nevada and has had the honor of sharing the stage with performing and recording artists such as Placido Domingo, Arturo Sandoval, Shaila Durcal, Christian Nodal,
and Gloria Trevi just to name a few.
Thomas Garibay continues to spread his love and passion for music with the Las Vegas community both as an educator and a professional musician.
Daniel Gonzales, JD Smith MS Mariachi
Beginning Level Instructor
Daniel Gonzales is the Mariachi Co-Director at J.D. Smith Middle School in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he has taught since 2005. Specializing in violin instruction, Mr. Gonzales has dedicated over two decades to helping build one of the most respected middle school mariachi programs in the region.
In collaboration with his co-director, the premier ensemble, Mariachi Los Bravos, has consistently earned Superior ratings at festivals and has become a recognized presence throughout the Las Vegas community, performing at a wide range of cultural and civic events. J.D. Smith Middle School is widely regarded as a top-performing mariachi program, known for its high standards, musical excellence, and strong student culture.
Mr. Gonzales is known for his fast-paced, performance-driven teaching style, developing students into confident musicians who demonstrate strong music literacy, discipline, and showmanship. His approach emphasizes not only technical skill, but also pride, teamwork, and personal growth through mariachi music.
Originally from Corpus Christi, Texas, Mr. Gonzales began his mariachi journey at the age of 15. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Texas at San Antonio and a Master of Science in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University.
His impact in education has been widely recognized. In September 2025, he was honored with the Orgullo Hispano Educator of the Year award by the City of North Las Vegas. In January 2026, he was also recognized as an A+ Educator through a FOX5 initiative in partnership with Silver State Schools Credit Union and its People Over Profit Foundation, celebrating outstanding educators within CCSD.
Mr. Gonzales is deeply committed to inspiring students to take pride in their culture, push their limits, and experience the power of mariachi as both an art form and a life-changing opportunity.
Daniel M. Valdez is a trumpet player, educator, and mariachi musician originally from Tucson, Arizona, and has been based in Las Vegas since 2007. Rooted in a deep passion for mariachi music, he has dedicated his career to preserving its traditions while expanding its presence in music education.
Valdez serves as a director of the Monaco Middle School Mariachi Program, where he plays a central role in developing young musicians and cultivating a thriving program. Under his leadership, the ensemble has grown into one of the largest in the Clark County School District, earning national recognition through performances across multiple states.
In addition to his work at the middle school level, Valdez is the co-director and an
adjunct professor of Mariachi Plata at the College of Southern Nevada, where he continues to
mentor and guide advancing musicians at the collegiate level.
A Bach Regional Artist, Valdez is known for his expressive playing and strong
technical command, bringing both artistry and authenticity to the stage. Beyond the classroom,
he remains actively engaged in the mariachi community, performing in festivals and events at
both the local and national level.
Through his work as an educator and performer, Valdez continues to create meaningful
opportunities for students while contributing to the ongoing evolution of mariachi music. His commitment ensures that the tradition not only endures, but resonates with new generations.
Daniel M. Valdez, Monaco MS Mariachi
Advanced Level Instructor
Mario Ferrer Jr., Welsaco ISD Mariachi
Intermediate Level Instructor
Mario Ferrer Jr. was born in Weslaco, TX. He quickly discovered his love for mariachi music at the young
age of 12, when he was asked to join an up and coming group called Mariachi Mundial. His experience
with that group gave him the tools early on to be successful throughout high school, earning many
awards such as Division 1’s in Solo/Ensemble and first chair in the All Region Mariachi in all four of his
high school years.
Mario attended The University of Texas Pan American and received his bachelor’s degree in 2006. While
at the university, Mario was awarded a scholarship with the University Mariachi at Pan American and
went on to perform at many venues across the country as well as win many awards at numerous
mariachi competitions.
In 2000, Mario began playing with world-renowned Mariachi Los Arrieros del Valle. He continues being
an integral part of Los Arrieros as a violin player and main vocalist. Throughout his 26 year career with
Mariachi Los Arrieros, Mario has played all over the United States and in Mexico. He has also earned
many awards, which include 2 American Grammy nominations and 1 Latin Grammy nomination along
with the rest of the members of Mariachi Los Arrieros.
Mario Ferrer is going on his 20 th year of teaching in South Texas and has attended and taught at many
mariachi festivals and workshops throughout the country. He currently holds the position of “Mariachi
Senior Advisor” at Weslaco ISD, and oversees the district's Mariachi programs, which include four
middle schools and 2 high schools.