Josue Lopez, High School Director

Josue Eduardo "Eddy" Lopez, a native of Monclova, Mexico, is an instructor, arranger, composer, multi-instrumentalist and Mariachi Strand Director at GPFAA. In 2010 he graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.M. in Professional Music from Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA.

As a conference instructor, he has taught violin, trumpet, guitarrón, and armonía and arranged for almost all of the large mariachi conferences in the US, including: FESTIBA Mariachi Festival in Edinburg, TX,  Tucson International Mariachi Conference in Tucson, AZ, Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza in San Antonio, TX, International Mariachi Festival in National City, CA, Mariachi Espectacular in Albuquerque, NM, New York City Mariachi Conference in Brooklyn, NY and more.

As a clinician, he has traveled across the country and Mexico to offer instrumental and arranging clinics to both student and professional groups. As a freelance arranger, he has written hundreds of original arrangements for mariachi groups and symphony orchestras across the USA and México as well, including: Mariachi Internacional Los Perez, Mariachi Aztlán from UTRGV, Mariachi Herencia De México, The San Antonio Symphony Orchestra, The Tucson Symphony, Orquesta Sinfónica de Xalapa among many others.

As a recording artist, he has arranged and recorded for many professional and Grammy Award-winning producers and artists including: Natalia Jimenez, Lupillo Rivera, Carlos Rivera, Maluma, Bacilos, CNCO,  Paulina Rubio, Camilo, Pipe Bueno, Alex Campos, Ricardo Montaner, Turizo, Becky G among others.

He currently resides in Grand Prairie, TX, and continues to be in high demand as a guest clinician, arranger, and recording artist

Maria Nereida Sandoval, Middle School Director

Maria Nereida Sandoval, a native of Durango, Mexico, is a seasoned performer, music educator, clinician, and the middle school director at GPFAA. She is an alumnus from the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, Texas and a graduate from Houston Baptist University with a Bachelors in Music Education.

Maria has been a mariachi performer for 20 years. She led and organized several groups to travel and perform around the world. Some highlights of her career were performing in Beijing, China for the Mexican Consulate, Guadalajara, Mexico for the Mariachi Internacional del Mariachi, and the Mariachi Festival in Vancouver, Canada. She has also accompanied artists such as Jenny Rivera & Paquita la del Barrio on their La Gran Senora Tour in Texas, Diego and Amanda Verdaguel, Intocable, Pablo Montero, Graciela Beltran, Pesado, Yolanda Del Rio and Vanessa Alonso. Her theatrical stage debut was with Dallas Theater Center as Tia Carmen in American Mariachi.

As an instructor, Maria has taught at the University of Texas in Austin and the University of North Texas summer camps as the lead violin instructor. She recently was a clinician for Region 6 in San Angelo, TX 2023 for the High School Group.

Maria has been a Texas public schools music educator for 13 years. She is currently the Middle School Mariachi Director for the Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy in Grand Prairie ISD, Vice-President 1 for Texas Association of Mariachi Educators (TAME) and the Mariachi Coordinator for Region 5. She enjoys traveling and spending time with her son Niccolo.

Hector Bermea, High School Director

Hector Bermea is the assistant mariachi director at Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy. He is a trumpet player and educator native of Eagle Pass, Texas. He attended Texas State University, receiving a Bachelor of Music in Music Education.

He was formerly the mariachi director at Los Fresnos High School Mariachi Nuevo Halcón. During his 9 years as director, the LFHS mariachi received 1st division ratings at the UIL State Mariachi Festival. At the 6A TAME State Competition they consistently ranked among the top 5 groups in the state and were named TAME6A State Champions in February 2018.

As a musician and performer, Mr. Bermea has had the honor of accompanying tremendous artists that span a wide variety of genres, such as the Tito Puente Jr, the Spanish Harlem Orchestra, and Poncho Sanchez in the Salsa and Latin Jazz world. As a jazz musician, he has taken the stage with the likes of Bill Watrous, Joe Gallardo, and Butch Miles. As a mariachi musician, Mr. Bermea is a former member of the UTRGV Mariachi Aztlán and has accompanied artists such as Aida Cuevas, Ramon Ayala, Paquita La Del Barrio, Ana Barbara, Vicky Carr, Diego Verdaguer, Amanda Miguel, among many more.