J.R. (Rudy) Palacios was born on April 16, 1982 in Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico. He began his musical studies at the age of eight by playing the Recorder at Josefa OrtÃz de DomÃnguez Primary School. In the summer of 1992, he and his family decided to move to the U.S., and he’s been here ever since. The first American school he attended was Salomon P. Ortiz Intermediate School in Robstown, Texas. When J.R. was in fifth grade, his choir teacher learned about his ability to play the Recorder and asked him if he wanted to play for his classmates on Music Appreciation Day. On that day, J.R. was teaching his classmates what he knew about the Recorder, and he played a few songs for them. Half way through the day, J.R. was joined by Juan Villalpando (now one of his fraternity brothers). J.R. noticed that Mr. Villalpando was caring two cases. When Juan took out the horns out of their cases, J.R. was immediately interested in those instruments. Those instruments were a Trombone, and an Euphonium. During that session on Music Appreciation Day, J.R. went from being a speaker to being a spectator. Mr. Villalpando explained to the students how those two instruments worked and then he played a few songs. At the end of Juan’s presentation, he asked if anybody wanted to try either one of the instruments, and J.R. decided to try out the Euphonium.
During his sixth grade year, J.R enrolled in band and that’s when he started studying the Euphonium under the direction of Mr. Noe Benitez. During that year, J.R. learned the fundamentals and he started to become a decent player. One week before his first concert, Mr. Benitez went up to J.R. and asked “Do you want to play a Solo?†Without thinking about it, J.R. agreed and that’s when he received his first solo, Love Me Tender by Elvis Presley. J.R. became the first student in Salomon P. Ortiz Intermediate School to ever play a solo in a concert. At the end of the 6th grade year, all band students who were going to be in band in Junior High had to audition to see what band they were going to make. J.R was one of two upcoming seventh graders to make the Wynn Seale Junior High Honor Band.
As a band student in Junior High, J.R. studied under the direction of Mr. Edward Avila. During his 7th and 8th grade year, J.R. was the section leader for the school’s Honor Band, and was a member of the Region Band, and received Superior Rating at the Solo & Ensemble competition. During the summer between his 8th grade year and Freshman year, J.R transferred from Robstown ISD to Tuloso Midway ISD. In Tuloso Midway he studied under the direction of Mr. Dwight Behr, Wanda Christian, and Priscilla Vega. J.R. was the section leader for the Euphonium Section during marching season and in the Honor Band all four years of high school. In high school, J.R. was a member of the All District band, and received numerous Superior Ratings at the regional and state lever for the Solo & Ensemble competitions.
J.R. graduated from Tuloso Midway High School in 2001 and is currently a Music Education Major at Del Mar College. In college, he has studied under the direction of Andrew Russell, Eileen Russell, David Irving, Keneith Drobnak, and is currently studying with Darrell Brown. At Del Mar College, J.R. is a member of the Concert Band, Jazz Band, Mariachi and the Brass Ensemble. In his College carrier he has played in concerts with Tom Braxton, Jim Rotondi, Lou Marini Jr., Rick Cortez, Doug Beach, and Frank Mantooth. During the summer, J.R. is a member of the Corpus Christi Municipal Band. On April 21, 2002 J.R. became a Sinfonian from the Kappa Chi Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Fraternity. Hector Gutierrez is his Sinfonian Big Brother, and his Sinfonian Little Brothers include Mark Ramon, Elijah Ortiz, Adrian Medina, Ted Sonnier, Eric Reyna, Jacob Murphy, Sal Romeros III, Adam Jewel, Justin Smith, Josh Salinas and Richard Flores.
