Collaborations
He has collaborated widely with Artists and ensembles such as:
Laura Bravo, Mariachi Rosa Azul, Mariachi Tierra de Oro, el Kallpa, Sonora San Jose, Omar Alejandro, Caracas Latin Band, Sunnyvale Community Players, Palo Alto Players, Berkeley Playhouse, Chabot Wind Symphony, San Jose Youth Symphony Orchestra, Golden State Youth Orchestra, California Youth Symphony Orchestra, San Jose Wind Symphony, Enzo Beltramo, Top Shelf Big Band, the NASA Ames Jazz Band, Brewer’s Brass Band, and Chile y Sol.
Music Educator
Mr. Sanchez is committed to creating joyful, culturally responsive learning environments for students across the South Bay. He teaches band, trumpet, guitar, piano, voice, mariachi, and general musicianship, guiding young musicians with an inclusive, genre-fluid approach.
José currently serves as the 5th Grade Band Director for the Community School of Music and Arts (CSMA), providing instrumental music instruction across all nine elementary schools in the Mountain View Whisman School District. He also teaches private trumpet lessons and group piano/guitar classes at both CSMA and Darrell Leffler’s Academy of Music in Milpitas.
Teaching Experience
Thomas Russell Middle School
– music director (band, orchestra & choir)
William Hopkins Middle School
– trumpet coach
San Jose Youth Symphony
– summer camp counselor
– European tour ringer
Monterey Trail High School
– marching band brass tech
Mariachi OroAzul (SJSU)
– founding director
San Jose Jazz Progressions
– teaching artist
Mariachi En Mi Barrio (Gilroy)
– teaching artist
Audacity Performing Arts Project (Hollister)
– teaching artist
Mu Phi Epsilon & CMEA
– clinician
– community collaborator, leadership
Education Background
José moved to the Bay Area in 2013 to pursue a Bachelor's of Music Degree with a concentration in trumpet performance and music education at San José State University, training with Dr. Kathryn Adduci, John Freeman, and Dr. Diana Hollinger.
He further expanded his versatility through guitar studies with Rick Vandivier, elementary piano pedagogy with Dr. Gwendolyn Mok, conducting with Dr. Edward Harris, and vocal performance (classical, broadway, and mariachi) with Operachi songstress and international Latin artist Dr. Juanita Ulloa.
These mentors helped shape the broad, culturally grounded teaching perspective he brings to every classroom.
Philosophy
Onstage, José’s presence is unmistakably equal parts fire, heart, and heritage. His artistry celebrates community, cultural fusion, and the generations of music that shaped him. José brings an authenticity to every stage or studio he performs in that resonates across genres and audiences alike.
In the classroom, José believes that music becomes most powerful when students feel represented, confident, and excited to create. He strives to cultivate learning spaces that are safe, culturally aware, and energizing - where students not only develop skills, but also discover joy, identity, and community through music.