Board of directors
Dr. Gabriel Gutierrez
Dr. Gabriel Gutierrez grew up in Davenport, Iowa and attended Palmer College. Shortly after graduation, he moved to Houston to pursue his own chiropractic practice. Dr. Gutierrez is a Doctor of Chiropractic and has been in private practice since 1982.
Dr. Gutierrez has been on the board since the 2002 and became president of the board in 2014. He has been a board member and has held offices in school, civic and professional organizations.
Dr. Gutierrez currently lives in San Antonio, TX.
John Paddie
John Paddie is currently a Master’s student at Sam Houston State University studying under Dr. Kyle Kindred. He is an active composer, arranger, performer, and educator based in the Houston area. His work has been heard on the marching field, in the concert hall, in small chamber settings, and even on a country record!
His performance experience includes indoor drumline with Imperial Percussion Theater, the SHSU Bearkat Marching Band, the Statesmen Barbershop Chorus in Spring, and several rock/indie groups in the Houston area.
Bensen Kwan
Bensen Kwan is a student pursuing a bachelor's degree in music education at the University of Houston in Houston, Texas. He is currently studying percussion with Dr. Blake Wilkins - Professor of Percussion and percussionist in the MUSIQA Contemporary Ensemble in Houston, Texas - and has studied with UH Professor Alec Warren who performs with the Houston Ballet, and around the Houston area. During his time at the University of Houston, Bensen has performed with both of the percussion ensembles, wind ensemble, and symphony orchestra. Outside of the university, Bensen has performed with the Brazosport Symphony Orchestra and the Houston Civic Symphony.
As a music educator, he teaches private lessons and is a front ensemble technician at Stephen F. Austin High School in Sugar Land, Texas. After completing his degree, Bensen plans on teaching at a middle school/junior high and eventually plans to pursue a masters degree in conducting.
Gabriel Villalobos
Villalobos is an artist and musician who was raised in Houston and is an alumnus of the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. He went on to study visual arts at Cornish College in Seattle. He also found himself learning gamelan, the traditional gong chime orchestra of Indonesia. He is the founder of Space City Percussion and its inaugural project Space City Gamelan. He has gone on to work as an educator in South Korea and Vietnam in the subjects of English, digital art, and film-making.
Villalobos has worked in many disciplines. Music and visual art remain passions he continues to involve himself in. As a board member He supports our mission and helps us to gain clarity on our vision for growth and development. His experience gives us direction and his enthusiasm energizes us. He is excited to engage the community once again with a project about which he cares so deeply.