Morales said the camp\u2019s hands-on experience goes deeper than social media tutorials. And it gives students a path to musical growth.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis whole main point was to get in-depth with the students and give them a brighter future,\u201d he said. \u201cGive them the pathway a little easier than what [their instructors] had to go through.<\/p>\n
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Organizers brought in well-known Conjunto and Norte\u00f1o drummers to teach and guide aspiring musicians for an intensive camp June 2-3 at a ranch 20 minutes south of Dallas.<\/p>\n
Instructors are among the most popular conjunto and norte\u00f1o music drummers.<\/p>\n
They are Texan and Mexican drummers from award-winning bands known nationally and internationally, who\u2019ve racked up tens of millions of listeners and followers across music-streaming and social media platforms.<\/p>\n
“Instead of having to learn in five, 10 years you’re compacting 30 years of experience into two days, which is a lot,\u201d said Morales. \u201cBut you get one-on-ones with these people. You’re literally a foot away from these people learning and I think it’s just something that people needed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Camper Emiliano Rodriguez is a junior at Skyline High School in Dallas.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s been in school marching bands and attended those band camps. This is different, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like, especially for drummers that are famous and are actually experiencing very big tours, Grammy winners, I feel they’re able to help us see more into that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emiliano is in a local band called La Sede Norte\u00f1a.<\/p>\n
He prefers norte\u00f1o to conjunto. It\u2019s got a faster tempo with traditional folk storytelling.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s what he wanted to learn more about at camp.<\/p>\n
But he got much more.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey also tried to inspire us to listen to more genres, not just norte\u00f1o, because for somebody to play the drums they\u2019ve got to love music in general not just their one genre,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt did open my eyes a little bit and especially since I like experimenting when it comes to music. But I always had second thoughts thinking like, \u2018Should I risk it?\u2019 But these guys really opened my eyes to risk it more.\u201d<\/p>\n
He points to Grupo Frontera, who started as strictly norte\u00f1o.<\/p>\n
Over the years they added corridos \u2013 Mexican legends told in ballads.<\/p>\n
They experimented with rap and tribal, he said. And collaborated on a song with Bad Bunny.<\/p>\n
\u201cRisking basically creating a new style of music, yeah, there’s going to be people that might say like, \u2018Oh, it sounds trash because it’s not Norte\u00f1o no more.\u2019 But it can also get a lot of success because it’s unique. It’s something that has never been done before.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Instructor](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783515556_903_.jpeg\"\/)
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Instructor Pablo Martinez, drummer for Irving-based Conjunto group Adverzo<\/a>, gives tips to drum camp students (L-R) Reynold Lopez Jr, Axel Madrigal, Edwin Pichardo and David de la Cruz June 2-3 in Midlothian.<\/p>\n Camp instructor Pablo Martinez was a heavy metal drummer before joining Irving-based conjunto group Adverzo<\/a>.<\/p>\n Producer Gama Diaz<\/a> wears a Billie Eilish \u201cHit Me Hard and Soft\u201d t-shirt.<\/p>\n He\u2019s also the drummer for Keith Nieto<\/a>, a North Texas conjunto musician who owns the ranch that hosted the camp<\/a>.<\/p>\n Diaz runs the newly renovated recording studio at the ranch, DFW Music Studio. He spoke to the drum students.<\/p>\n Professional drummers who taught at the camp also included Sergio \u201cSheko\u201d Olguin from Los Cuates de Sinaloa<\/a> and La Fiera de Ojinaga<\/a>\u2019s Ozcar Zu\u00f1iga.<\/p>\n Latin Grammy winner Adrian Regalado<\/a> was another camp instructor.<\/p>\n Gama Diaz, DFW Music Studio producer and professional drummer, talks to students about taking risks with music during Baqueteros Macizos Conjunto and Norte\u00f1o drum camp June 2-3 in Midlothian.<\/p>\n He\u2019s drummed for Conjunto Primavera<\/a> for 20 years. Regalado and the San Antonio band are norte\u00f1o legends.<\/p>\n \u201cI had a little kid yesterday, he’s like, \u2018Adrian, I want you to teach me how to do this,\u2019 \u201d Regalado said. \u201cI said \u2018You’re nervous right?\u2019 He goes \u2018Of course you’re here.\u2019 I said don’t be nervous man. We\u2019re family we’re brothers. We’re here to help each other\u2026 I said, try it again. Ta-da-pow! I was like, \u2018There it is. Confidence. Solid.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n Regalado also took a risk. He recently broke tradition, switching from DW to Yamaha drums.<\/p>\n \u201cI might have a lot of fans that aren\u2019t going to be happy with this because there might be a lot of big DW fans that know I use DW,\u201d Regalado said. \u201cLike, \u2018Oh my idol\u2019s going from DW to Yamaha.\u2019 But I’m not selling out. Yamaha wants to help me and I want to help them.\u201d<\/p>\n Drum Workshop is the brand most conjunto and norte\u00f1o drummers use. Yamaha is a bigger company, but their drum kits are not used as much in the Latin music scene. They are trying to expand their international reach, also recently signing San Antonio norte\u00f1o drummer Joey Jimenez, who tours with country music star Koe Wetzel.<\/p>\n The rivalry between the drum companies is big enough news that campers talked about it.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I first heard about Adrian moving from Yamaha to DW, I was like, dang, he’s a traitor,\u201d said Emiliano said.<\/p>\n But, he admits that he did just learn to appreciate trying new things.<\/p>\n Yamaha worked with camp organizers to rent a drum kit for drummers to study the difference from DW kits that instructors brought to the camp.<\/p>\n David de la Cruz, 15, from Waco won a snare drum Yamaha gifted as a surprise raffle<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI might have a lot of fans that aren\u2019t going to be happy with this because there might be a lot of big DW fans that know I use DW,\u201d he said. \u201cLike, \u2018Oh my idol\u2019s going from DW to Yamaha.\u2019 But I’m not selling out. Yamaha wants to help me and I want to help them.\u201d<\/p>\n Regalado, who started as a rock drummer, is glad the students are learning about traditional music, but also branching out.<\/p>\n “Every time I play behind my drum set, I see that as like my partner, my love. because my drums is my life,\u201d said Regalado. \u201cThat’s my domain. That is where I live. That is where I\u2019m from. You want to share that with everybody else. And that’s why we’re here trying to teach these other kids and hope everybody that goes home happy with this camp takes some experience and opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n He promised organizers that he would return for next year\u2019s camp, which the Baqueteros announced will be in Denver.<\/p>\n “Norte\u00f1o is never gonna go away,” Morales said. “Even with mariachi. It’s one of those things in our culture and lo que es regional Mexicano. It’s just never gonna die because people still like it.”<\/p>\n Got a tip? Email Marina Trahan Martinez at\u00a0mmartinez@kera.org<\/a>. You can follow Marina at\u00a0@HisGirlHildy<\/a>. ![\"Gama](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783515556_441_.jpeg\"\/)
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KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider\u00a0making a tax-deductible gift today<\/a>. Thank you.<\/p>\n