Our Mission
Enriching Mariachi education across Colorado by empowering music educators to deliver authentic Mariachi experiences through performance, collaboration, and cultural engagement.
Our Vision
A world where students are empowered and elevated by Mariachi music.
Our Values
Facilitation
Authenticity
Collaboration
Elevation
Providing effective facilitation that supports educators in delivering culturally relevant and impactful mariachi education
Maintaining the true essence of mariachi music by honoring its traditions, techniques, and cultural roots.
Promoting teamwork and collaboration to build a supportive learning environment that encourages collective growth.
Striving to elevate the presence and quality of mariachi education across Colorado.
Meet The Team
Meet Our Board
Manuel Del Real
President
Dr. Manuel Del Real is Executive Director of HSI Initiatives and Inclusion at MSU Denver. He directs and promotes strategies and operations aimed at ensuring MSU Denver continues to be a model Hispanic Serving Institution. He is a Co-Founder of the Colorado HSI Consortium and leads the CO HSI Summit.
Michael Pordesimo
Vice President
Michael Pordesimo is a Colorado-based violinist, educator, and arts leader serving as Community Engagement Advocate for Cellists for Change. He is Outreach and Education Coordinator for Sol Vista and Northland Violins, a board member of the Greater Boulder Youth Orchestra, and Vice President of Cuerdas y Canciones. He previously served on faculty at the Center for Musical Arts and as Director of Education for the Wild Beautiful Orchestra. As an advocate for accessible music education, Michael builds partnerships across schools, nonprofits, hospitals, and community organizations, organizing outreach performances and educational initiatives throughout Colorado. He regularly coordinates performances benefiting Children’s Hospital Colorado and local retirement communities. Rooted in Suzuki training and performance study at Eastern Illinois University, Michael brings both artistic excellence and community-centered leadership to his work, believing that music should be accessible, transformative, and deeply human.
Alice Hansen
Secretary
Alice Hansen is an attorney, nonprofit advocate, and longtime trumpet player with more than 30 years of musical experience. She has performed throughout Colorado and the United States with numerous musical projects for over 20 years, and has been a member of Mariachi Las Dahlias for the past three years.
Alice is a founder and attorney of the Rocky Mountain Veterans Advocacy Project (RMVAP), a nonprofit dedicated to increasing access to legal services for Veterans. Alice earned her JD from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and previously clerked for the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. She is passionate about community advocacy, cultural preservation, and using both law and music to build stronger connections across communities.
Juan Levario
Accountant
Juan Levario is the Senior Accountant at KIPP Colorado schools. He is a product of public education and is passionate about improving all forms of education in order to ensure equitable access to all. Juan graduated from the University of Denver with a bachelor's in accounting and minor in leadership studies. Within his role he is responsible for communicating to stakeholders at all levels of the Finance process from monthly BTA meetings with budget managers to annual audits and federal reporting requirements. Juan has also been actively involved in improving internal policies and reporting in order to make sure a quick and efficient Finance department maintains equitable standards across all our schools. During his off time, he enjoys hanging out with friends for a happy hour, running, and playing sports.
Elizabeth McLean Macy
Member at Large
Elizabeth McLean Macy is an Associate Professor of Ethnomusicology at Metropolitan State University of Denver and a Faculty Fellow in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. At MSU Denver, she oversees the university’s global music ensembles, is area coordinator for musicology, serves as Chair of Asian Studies, and developed and curates a Visiting Artist Series on Music, Race, and Social Justice highlighting the work of BIPOC musicians, performers, and scholars. She holds a Ph.D. In Ethnomusicology from UCLA, where her research addressed the function of music tourism in the recovery and rebuilding of post-Katrina New Orleans and Bali after the 2002 and 2005 terrorist bombings. Dr. Macy's current and ongoing research focuses on Balinese master musician I Made Lasmawan and his wife Ni Ketut Marni and the music and dance traditions of the village of Bangah di Baturiti in Bali. She is a member of Denver’s Gamelan Tunas Mekar (for which she also serves as Co-Chair) and leads study abroad programs on the arts of culture of Bali on location in Indonesia.