Faculty & Staff
Director of Tocando programs
Natalie Jo Conover
Violist
Natalie is a violist, teaching artist, and arts administrator dedicated to building vibrant communities through performance, education, and collaborative leadership. She holds a B.A. in Viola Performance from West Chester University of Pennsylvania and has pursued additional training through institutions such as Berklee College of Music, The New England Conservatory, and The Teaching Artist Training Institute.
Originally from Philadelphia, she has collaborated with organizations across the United States, including Tocando Music Project, San Antonio Music Academy, and Settlement Music School. As former Operations Manager and Teaching Artist at Tocando in El Paso, she expanded enrollment, coordinated partnerships, and supported student-centered programming. She is excited to return to Tocando in a new role, continuing to foster community, resilience, and artistic growth through music.
Teaching Artist & Staff Team
Administrative staff
Laura Saucedo
Operations Coordinator
MUSIC APPRECIATION
Vincent Arrieta
Minister of Rock & Roll
Vincent believes the creation and/or consumption and appreciation of music are the most distinctly important purposes of the human species, therefore music education is not only essential to the human experience, it enlightens and expands one’s ability to comprehend and enjoy life’s other elements such as compassion, optimism, critical thinking skills, problem solving skills, and mathematical thought processing.
Strings
Cellist
Mr. Esparza is enrolled in a B.M. Music Education program at the University of Texas at El Paso. He began working with Tocando in 2021 as a Strings Teaching Artist. Mr. Esparza is an asset to the program due to his dedication to the students, ease in teaching style and his youth, which helps him to relate and work with the many different personalities and situations he faces daily.
PERCUSSION/MUSICIANSHIP
Irving Cuellar
Mr. Cuellar holds a B.M. Music Education from University of Texas at El Paso, M.M. Percussion Performance from New Mexico State University and Professor of Music from El Paso Community College. Mr. Cuellar began working with Tocando in 2021 as a Rhythm Teaching Artist.
Irving believes the role of music education is to allow students the opportunity to find enjoyment of music through any chosen instrument. He is a strong believer that anyone can play an instrument. His goal as a teacher is to find the right instrument and enhance any students’ musical abilities.
Join Our Team!
Become a Volunteer (Aka, the POWERHOUSES of Tocando!)
We look forward to learning about your interests and placing you as a Music Mentor, a Teaching Assistant, an academic tutor, or a special supporter in other projects and opportunities. Click below to fill out our online application.
Interested in a Staff or Teaching Artist Position?
Click below to be redirected to our general application!