Faculty/Staff
President/ CEO Joshua "JMo" Morales
Joshua Morales started playing music at 6 years old. Throughout his schooling he played in a variety of musical groups such as Mariachi, band, piano, choir and more. By high school, he had already become an accomplished multi-instrumentalist and even begun his teaching career at various Mariachi Conferences when he was 16. He also wrote and recorded two albums with a local metal band when he was still in High School. He later went on to study Music Performance at New Mexico Highlands University where he received his Bachelor's and Master's in Music in 2007 and 2009. He also earned a second Master's degree in Education in 2011. He had a 14 year teaching career where he taught band, guitar, piano and choir at various different schools. He was selected as the District 7 honor guitar director for 2019 and won Albuquerque's "Over and above" teacher of the year in 2020. Outside of teaching he regularly performs with local worship groups and composes and arranges lots of music for guitar and piano. He is married with three beautiful daughters who all perform music as well. He is now bringing all his experience and passion for music and teaching by launching the Cadenza School of Music in 2021.
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Co- President/CEO Rebecca
Morales
Rebecca Morales has carried a love for the arts all her life. She spent all of her childhood as a dancer. She performed in ballet, contemporary and hip hop dance all the way through high school. She also was active in choir and musical theater, where she met her husband (Joshua Morales). After high school she took some time off to dedicate to supporting her husband and raising their children. She encouraged a strong sense of the arts in her house and along with learning the ins-and-outs of music to support her husband, she strongly encouraged raising their children in the arts as well. In 2007 she decided to go back to school and pursue another passion she carried. In 2009 she completed a degree in Culinary Arts. She graduated “Phi Theta Kappa” and received highest honors from Luna College. She then turned her passion for art into a successful cake decorating business as well as continuing to support her husband and children as a homemaker. In 2018 she got the opportunity to work for the Disney Company and spent 3 years working for Disney while honing her business skills. She is excited to bring her love of the arts, her passion for community and her skills to running Cadenza School of Music with her husband Joshua Morales
Teacher
Mercadyz Morales
Mercadyz Morales knew she wanted to be involved in the arts for as long as she can remember. She has done extensive training in gymnastics, dance and music from a very young age. She attended a performing arts middle school and high school where she excelled in piano, voice and dance. She has also performed with dance studios in town and was a competitive gymnast. She now attends CNM and plans on getting her degree in music and education. She has trained with Joshua Morales since he opened up Cadenza music and now brings her passion, skills and personality to our school.
Mercadyz Morales
Mercadyz Morales knew she wanted to be involved in the arts for as long as she can remember. She has done extensive training in gymnastics, dance and music from a very young age. She attended a performing arts middle school and high school where she excelled in piano, voice and dance. She has also performed with dance studios in town and was a competitive gymnast. She now attends CNM and plans on getting her degree in music and education. She has trained with Joshua Morales since he opened up Cadenza music and now brings her passion, skills and personality to our school.
Teacher
Yolanda Morales
Yolanda Morales was a school teacher for over 30 years. She is also the mother and first piano teacher to Joshua Morales (owner). She started her journey playing piano at a young age and has continued to play throughout her lifetime. She also loves children and spent her life teaching bilingual education in elementary schools throughout Texas and New Mexico. She now enjoys retirement spending time with her husband, kids and grandkids. She is excited to bring her knowledge and skills to JMo's Cadenza School of Music.
Musical Theater Director
Acalia Morales
Acalia Morales has been interested in the arts since she was a baby. Always loving different forms of music, dance and drama, she grew up participating in all areas of the arts. She attended a performing arts middle school and high school where she honed her skills in various art forms but particularly in theater. She developed a love for drama and the stage and excelled in her acting. She has done various shows and done background acting on a number of TV shows. She currently works as a teacher at KinderCare and studies at CNM. She is excited to bring her love for kids, and drama to Cadenza music to run our musical theater department.
Teacher Intern
Lina Mancia
Lina begin her musical journey as a student at JMo's Cadenza School of Music. She began in piano classes and was a natural talent. She has excelled quickly to now perform as a top pianist at JMo's. She loves to give back to the upcoming students and hopes to become involved in music and education in her future. She is excited to bring her passion and joy for music to the upcoming JMo's kids.
Why Choose Us?
WE ARE A FAMILY BUSINESS
We are not a corporate or national chain. We are a family and are all local to New Mexico. When you come here, you are not just another student but you truly become part of our Cadenza family.
WE BUILD COMMUNITY
This is not just a place where you come for a lesson, but we are a place where you build community with your fellow students and instructors. We place a lot of value on family and believe that we are all a valuable part of that family. We put lots of effort into building community with things like Cadenza fun days, performances and guest artist nights.
WE HAVE HIGH STANDARDS BUT ALSO BELIEVE THAT MUSIC SHOULD BE FUN
This is not like school where you have to be worried about common core, passing tests and getting good grades. Here we all have a common goal and that goal is to become the best musician possible while maintaining a relaxed and fun environment. No stress, fear or anxiety in our classes. We will encourage and support everyone as we all take our individual journeys to musical mastery.