​ Jose De Jesus Hernandez Artistic Bio Jose Chuy Hernandez is a Tenor and guitarist with a musical background in Classical, Mariachi, Rondalla and Trio. At the age of eight, Jose became a member of the Xochiquetzal Boys Choir, headed by Father Salvador Barba Adame in Guadalajara Mexico, a renowned institution for half of century. For five years he was educated in and performed classical pieces by Mozart, Bach, Shubert, Beethoven and many others in operas and other dramatic performances. Since 2009, Jose has been studying and performing Mariachi music with local groups to include Mariachi Azteca, Mariachi Tapatio, Mariachi Jaliscience and others. In 2015 he revisited his classical roots by training in the genre of opera once again. Former student at The Carl Franzen Opera Studio in San Jose California, with a focus on Opera, Belcanto and Theater. He is a current student at the David Gustafson Opera Studio. In April 2017 he was a part of an intensive Opera Workshop in Queretaro Mexico, where he participated in individual and Master Classes with internationally renowned voice professor Carlos Aransay from the Royal Opera house in London. Jose Chuy has been a music instructor at The School of Arts and Culture (Mexican Heritage Plaza, on the East side of San Jose) since 2014. Has been a part of a network of teaching artists serving at-risk youth mainly within the Mayfair neighborhood. Currently directing a Children’s and Adult community Choir program “Coro Folklorico CANTA” Serving East-San Jose, Salinas and Hollister with close to 100 students. Since September 2017 he has also been teaching at Salinas Valley State Prison (CDCR) under ACTA (Alliance for the California Traditional Arts) a Mariachi/Vocals class to the adults inmates at this institution. 2019 was a year dedicated to Theater. Jose was honored to be a part of Teatro Vision’s Production of Macario. He functioned as Vocal Director, in charge of training and directing the whole cast. As well as taking a few different acting rolls (El Diablo, El Panadero and El Inquisidor) In December of the same year he also participated in a community production of a Christmas traditional play in the city of Salinas CA. Also as a Vocal director, actor in the cast and Pit Orchestra musician. Jose is a graduate of the Multi-Cultural Arts Leadership Institute (MALI) class 9. To further his education into Music and Theater, in January 2020, Jose began a new journey as a student at Gavilan College in Gilroy CA.. Jose continues to educate himself in order to develop his craft. His goal is to become a better performer and ultimately a better instructor to his students.

​Rosalinda Sanchez Co-Founder California Academy of Novel and Traditional Arts Arts Education, Community Engagement, Communications, Finance & DEAI In 1991, Rosalinda began her journey in the arts as a professional back-up singer. She performed in several shows in both the Bay Area and the Central Valley. When opportunity knocked, she traveled to Los Angeles to record backup vocals. In 2000, her visual art work, in what she referred to as “recycled, functional furniture art” was featured in a San Francisco, Mission district art gallery. In a life changing trip to the Middle East, she witnessed the extreme plight of Syrian refugee women, huddled with their children in makeshift shelters fashioned out of cardboard. She also had the opportunity to extensively travel and live in different states within the U.S. and Mexico, observing and experiencing culture, education, arts, social and business trends, issues and shifts. While living in the Midwest, she concluded that she could positively impact Latinx and women’s communities if she achieved her business degree. That’s where her love for writing was born. In 2009, she wrote on the subject of Cultural Diversity for online publication the Examiner in Kansas City, and later in San Diego. In 2013, she started her career in the nonprofit sector when she returned to her native Bay Area. She was a Finance and Human Resources officer at a mid-sized church in Sunnyvale and eventually found her way to a neighborhood in which she had extensive history and love in the East Side of San Jose. In 2016, at the Mexican Heritage Plaza where she was responsible for the Arts Education suite of programs, she managed successful partner relationships with 50-year veteran, folklorico dance academy Los Lupenos of San Jose, and other social community partnerships such as the Si Se Puede Collective. She, along with her team, engaged hundreds of students, parents and volunteers in addition to being responsible for producing several artistic productions. As an arts educator, she grounded her teaching artist staff in the pedagogy and musical culture of El Sistema, a social, classical musical movement. The movement has impacted over 1 million student lives worldwide, who otherwise, would not have access to quality music education. Rosalinda has developed and designed El Sistema inspired music programs in a variety of instruments to include intro to music (ukulele, recorder), African and Brazilian drums and traditional Mariachi instruments such as trumpet, guitar, vihuela, guitarron, violin and voice. She successfully activated summer programming in a variety of art forms including the experimination of fusing technology with traditional art. She also managed a thriving, multi-year, in-demand Mariachi Conservatory. A champion for equity, access and inclusion in arts and education, in 2020 she was hand selected to be a member of the Santa Clara County Office of Education Artspiration Strategic Planning Committee, she consults a Bay Area youth theater company on its restructuring, and now brings her experience and passion for community arts as a co-founder of C.A.N.T.A. in Hollister.