2023-2024 Hall of Fame Inductees
Jose R. Adame
Ruben Adame was born on September 1, 1961 to Ruben and Moriama Adame. He is the oldest of four, and extremely proud to say that all of his siblings were in band under the direction of Pete Cisneros, Pat McNallen, Joe Edmonson, and Ciro Trevino, to name a few. Ruben received his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from the Pan American University, now known as University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, in 1985. While working on completing his Bachelor’s degree from 1982 – 1985, he started the first ever band program at St. Joseph Catholic Church where he discovered his passion for band directing. To this day, the relationships formed with many of the St. Joseph band students still exist.
After graduating from Pan American University in 1985, he took a position at La Joya HS as an Assistant Band Director. Ruben Adame retired as Director of Bands at La Joya High School in 2014 and now returned in 2016 to serve as the Fine Arts Director at La Joya ISD. He was a band director for 32 years, with 26 of those years with the La Joya Independent School District. While serving as Head Band Director at La Joya High School from 1996 – 2014, Mr. Adame’s bands experienced success at many levels. His bands advanced to the UIL State Marching Contest in 1998, 2000, 2002, and 2004. Also in 1998, the La Joya Wind Ensemble was selected as a TMEA State Honor Band Finalist for the first time in school district history. The La Joya Band program was also a consistent UIL Sweepstakes Band recipient and received numerous Outstanding Band awards at various Concert and Marching festivals.
Mr. Adame also served Region 15 in the Rio Grande Valley as Band Vice Chairman, Band Chairman, and as Region 15 president. He also served terms on the UIL Advisory Committee and as a Region Representative for the Texas Bandmasters Association. Mr. Adame is an active adjudicator, consultant, and clinician for various band programs around the state. He is a member of the Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, Texas Adjudicators Association, and Phi Beta Mu. Currently, Mr. Adame currently serves as the UIL Region 15 Executive Secretary, the UIL Area G Executive Secretary, and serves on the Texas Music Adjudicators Association Executive Board as the TMAA Mariachi Vice President.
Throughout his career, Ruben also played trumpet with La Orquesta Universal, Noe Pro, Dr. Dean Canty’s Big Band, Celebration Band, West Side Band, and played various concerts with Jose Jose and Julio Iglesias.
Mr. Adame is proud to say that he is from a family of music. He is married to his beautiful wife of 24 years, Kerri Adame, who is a Band Director in the McAllen Independent School District. He is extremely proud of his three sons, Javier Adame, who is a Band Director at Barrientes Middle School in Edinburg and a TMEA All State Band member, Justin Adame, who is a Band Director at PSJA North High School and a two year TMEA All State Band member, and Jake Adame, who is a Sophomore Music Major at Stephen F. Austin University. He is also very proud of his wonderful Daughter in Laws – Lily and Liza and is very proud of his three grandchildren, Josiah, Jayden, and Ellie. A few of Mr. Adame’s favorite things in life are spending time with his entire family, barbecuing in the back yard for family and friends, golfing, playing his trumpet, and being an advocate for all Fine Arts programs.
Wilberto Perez
Wilberto Perez was born in San Juan, Texas to Ignacio Perez, Sr. and Trinidad Barrera Perez in 1961. His influence of music started at a catholic preschool run by nuns where Willie was the director of the kindergarten band, baton and hat. In 5th grade, he was influenced by Roberto Pulido who was his elementary music teacher at Fulton Elementary. At Fulton in 6th grade, he joined the band and played saxophone. Some of Willie’s teachers included Lily Cardenas, David Smith, and later in high school David Aiken, John Taylor and Pete Cisneros who were influential in his life. There he earned a spot in the Texas All-State Band.
In college he attended West Texas State University his freshman year where he earned a spot in the wind ensemble under the direction of Dr. Gary Gardner. He performed at the CBDNA convention in Michigan. Willie was also selected to perform at the honors recital in which the top two instrumentalists for each section were selected to perform.
After his freshman year at WTSU, Willie transferred to the University of Texas at Austin where he studied with Harvey Patel. Directors of the band were Glenn Richter, Paula Crider, and Tom Lee. He earned his bachelor’s degree in music education.
Willie started his teaching career in Mercedes ISD, then Del Valle, and Edinburg North HS then became Director of Fine Arts for Edinburg CISD. He finished his educational career in San Benito ISD as head director and Director of Fine Arts.
Willie’s bands were consistently earning UIL Sweepstakes awards. His marching bands were always ranked at the top of every competition and his bands went to numerous state marching contests.
Willie has served as UIL/Festival Adjudicator, TMEA Region Band Clinician, presented clinics at TBA and TMEA conventions. Willie is a member of TBA, TMEA, TMAA, Phi Beta Mu, and Kappa Kappa Psi.
For TMEA Region 15, Willie served as region band vice chair, band chair, TMEA Region President, and served as region band organizer, assisted with region auditions, UIL events and served region 15 & 28 at TMEA and TBA conventions in various capacities throughout his professional career.
He is very fortunate to have the support and companionship of his lovely wife Angelica who is also an educational administrator having worked for the Weslaco ISD, and Edinburg CISD for 28 years and is now semi-retired while running the family business, TMF.
Willie continues contributing to the fine arts programs by providing services and products to school organizations as owner of TMF, Travel, Merchandise and Festivals.
Willie considers himself extremely lucky to have realized his dreams of becoming a band director. He shares that “God has a plan for all of us. All we must do is to take advantage of the situation He puts in front of us.” Willie continues to share that he feels grateful to all the students and parents at Mercedes ISD, Del Valle ISD, Edinburg ISD and San Benito ISD for all their love and support during the time he was a teacher there.
George Trevino
George A. Trevino, born and raised in San Juan, Texas, is the son of Teofilo and Maria Z. Trevino whom he attributes his love for music. Along with their encouragement, he was able to begin his journey through music which helped to foster his career. His love for Jazz is attributed to his inspiration of his uncle, Jazz Saxophonist Rene Sandoval, while his love for concert band literature was attributed to his friend and mentor, Arcario (Art) Guajardo.
Trevino attended public schools in the PSJA school district 1st through 12th grades where he was a band student under the direction of Pete Cisneros. Upon graduating from PSJA High School, he attended Baylor University, University of North Texas and received his BA degree in Music Education from UT-Pan American.
He began his career in Los Fresnos CISD as a middle school director before moving to Brownsville in 1992 to help open Lopez High School as an assistant director under Stacey Dunn. Trevino was promoted to head director at Lopez High School in the fall of 1999. Under his direction, the Lopez Marching Band won Class Champions at the BOA Houston Regional Competition. The Lopez Lobo Marching Band also advanced to the Texas State Marching Band Competition numerous times.
Under George Trevino’s direction, the Lopez Symphonic Band entered the TMEA State Honor Band 7 times and advancing every time, winning the 4A classification in 2004, 6A classification in 2017 and the 5A classification in 2020 with outstanding performances at the TMEA conventions.
Mr. Trevino’s bands have been chosen as “Best in Class” and “Best Band of the Day” at a number of concert festivals throughout the Texas state. The Symphonic Band earned nothing less than superior ratings at the University Interscholastic League Concert and Sight-Reading contests since the school opened in 1993. He has served as an adjudicator for marching and concert bands at the region area and state level.
In 2012, Mr. Trevino became the recipient of the Texas A&M University Inspirational Award. The award recognizes Excellence in Teaching at the high school level while inspiring Texas A&M graduates, challenging them to excel at the collegiate level and beyond.
In 2017, Mr. Trevino was also named a recipient of the National Band Association Citation of Excellence Award; an honor awarded to outstanding concert band directors whose ensembles have a history of a distinguished level of accomplishment.
In 2018, Texas Bandmasters Association awarded Mr. Trevino the Exemplary Band Award.
His concert bands have benefited from a rigorous commitment in pursuing a quality education through performing quality literature at the highest level. Trevino is sought after as a clinician and has presented clinics for various school districts, as well as in the Texas Music Educators Association and Texas Bandmasters Association conventions in San Antonio. His professional affiliations include TMEA, TBA, and Phi Beta Mu.
George Trevino retired along side his wife Lucy, after 35 years of service to public school music education. He now serves as Administrative Band Specialist for Fort Worth ISD. He enjoys spending leisure time with his lovely wife of 34 years and daughters Julia and Laura, cooking, traveling and cruising in his restored 1966 convertible Mustang.