Our assorted stories and bios - Teresa

Now we get to (harass) Teresa....heehee....just kidding, babybaby sis.  Oh yes, that reminds me!!  I'm the oldest and we all love each other as if we were sisters, soooo.....I call Elena "baby sis", Teresa is "babybaby sis" (so no, that wasn't a typo back there) and Emily - Teresa's younger sister - is affectionately known as "embryo".  I know, there is no rhyme or reason, here.  Onwards...

Once upon a time there was Teresa, drummer and percussionist...

Teresa Flores-Diaz is originally from Los Angeles and started playing percussion at the young age of 13.  She attended Fullerton College, where she studied jazz with Matt Johnson and classical percussion with Robert Slack.
 
In 1997, Ms. Flores-Diaz received the Woman of the Year award from the Fullerton College Music Department.  She earned her Bachelor’s of Music from the University of Southern California Thornton School Of Music in 2001. At USC she studied with Erik Forrester and guest professors Raynor Carroll, David Johnson, Ndugu Chanceller and Morris Lang. While at USC, the Thornton Percussion Ensemble performed at the 1997 and 2000 Percussive Arts Society International Conventions.

In 2001-2003, Ms. Flores-Diaz worked as a percussion instructor for the Pasadena College Tournament of Roses Honor Band. While in Los Angeles, she performed with various groups including the Pacific Symphony Institute and the Debut Symphony Orchestra.

In 2006, she received a Master’s of Music degree from Florida International University. She studied with both Keith Aleo and Michael Launius.  Ms. Flores-Diaz has performed in Florida with the South Florida Symphonic Pops, the Klezmer Company Orchestra, Symphony of the Americas and the Palm Beach Symphony.  She is currently teaching music for Miami-Dade County public schools and is the drummer for the trio the J.E.T..

And there was Felipe, drummer and percussionist...no, really...

 Felipe gets to teach in the Miami-Dade County school system.  Trust me, this is a good thing and he deals with it wonderfully.  If anyone misbehaves, he just gives them this look:

WHOOPS!!!  Sorry!!  Not that look, THIS one.....

If you get really REALLY close to your screen, you can see that "don't mess with me" expression in his eyes, it would scare anyone, truly...
Looking around his office, you can tell he's a sweetie and loves his wife...he has some pics on his desk:

Just too sweet!!!  Then, there's the one behind his desk, on the wall, 27"x41".....

Yes, t'is true!  Let me explain before you thud to the ground...part of his birthday present from Teresa was to give him a session of target practice lessons.  The day we could all meet and go also happened to be my birthday and I LOVE target practice...heh...our teacher was none other than Olympian marks(wo)man and champion: Gabriela Franco.  And a good time was had by all!!


(psssst, it's not really on the wall, behind his desk, I'm just playing with you!)

Onwards!!!