Roberto De Leon

Instructor

Roberto De Leon is a drummer, steelpannist, tarolero, guitarrónero and vihuelista from Chicago, IL. His focus as a performer, arranger and music educator is in Latin American music, emphasizing Mexican Music. He is primarily a banda and mariachi musician, having performed with bandas and mariachis across the U.S. and Mexico.

De Leon has a bachelor’s degree and a performer’s certificate in percussion from Northern Illinois University (NIU), where he studied under Gregory Beyer and Ben Wahlund. As an undergraduate, he started Banda NIU, which evolved from a student organization into a class under the direction of Christopher Scanlon. De Leon was also involved with NIU Steelband, learning from Liam Teague and Yuko Asada. He built bridges between NIU Steelband, Banda NIU and Mariachi NIU. With his graduate assistantship through the NIU Center for Latino and Latin American Studies, he was able to grow Banda NIU and Mariachi NIU beyond the greater DeKalb area.

While living in Albuquerque, New Mexico, De Leon started a banda at The University of New Mexico (UNM) called Banda UNM (later Banda505), Albuquerque’s only banda. During this time, De Leon focused on gaining experience in teaching banda, but also in mariachi arranging and mariachi education. As a part of De Leon’s mariachi education journey, he learned guitarrón and vihuela under Jose “Chino” Carillo, Adolfo Estrada, Robert Lucero and Monica Trujillo. In addition to directing Banda505 and freelancing as a mariachi, he worked with Albuquerque Public Schools, becoming their only steelband teacher, teaching mariachi classes and founding the banda at Atrisco Heritage High School. With the help of his colleague, Elijah Ramirez, they were able to turn the after-school banda into a class.

Upon his return to Chicago, De Leon continued his musical endeavors with Banda Cuatro Estrellas and Mariachi Camino Real de Chicago, both of which he founded and directs. He also performs with the Waubonsee Community College Steelband, directed by Melissa Wang. He is a mariachi teacher at Orozco Academy in Pilsen, working for the People’s Center for Cultural and Contemporary Arts and also a substitute teacher for Chicago Public Schools. De Leon is ecstatic to be back at NIU in his new role as Banda NIU’s director.