As an activist scholar and musician, I approach my research, teaching, and community engagement with a sincere collaborative intention. I have developed this guiding principle based on a framework of ethics and commitment to Indigenous and Mexican migrant communities, mindful of how knowledge is produced and represented in academic literature. For over the past two decades, I have accompanied several Oaxacan migrant community-based organizations to assist in creating and participating in various cultural performances across the state of Oaxaca, Mexico, in California, Oregon, and Texas, and many others. My pedagogical approach is to ensure that students have first-hand interaction with community musicians and scholars. I believe in building bridges between community and academic space by creating opportunities for students to network with community musicians and music/museum professionals.
My current work focuses on second-generation Zapotec brass bands in Los Angeles, California, and transborder relationships with their communities of origin in Oaxaca, Mexico. My long-standing commitment with Oaxacan communities fostered the basis of trust in planning one of the largest outdoor community-oriented concerts sponsored by the Department of Music at the University of California, Riverside: “The Inaugural Oaxacan Philharmonic Bands Audition,” which took place on January 27, 2018. This event was a collaborative effort with four Zapotec intergenerational philharmonic bands in Los Angeles: Banda Santa María Xochixtepec, Banda Yatzachi el Bajo – Los Angeles, Banda Nueva Dinastía de Zoochila, and Maqueos Music Academy. August of 2018, Dr. ChDirector Leticia Gallardo of La Banda Filarmónica Regional Femenil Mujeres Del Viento Florido where the First Indigenous Women Music Retreat in Santa María Tlahuitoltepec, Oaxaca, Mexico.
I collaborated with the Smithsonian Institution as a Digital Curator and Content Specialist for the Smithsonian Latino Center Live Mobile Broadcast Series (2014-2017) doing community-oriented work bringing live online transmission of various cultural practices direct from the community members' homes in Colorado, New Mexico, California, and Mexico City. These broadcast series are now archived at Smithsonian Latino Center Mobile Outreach on YouTube and Google Arts and Culture platform. In addition, Dr. Chávez is grateful for her longstanding relationship and work as a cultural and linguistic presenter for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival from 2010-2016.
