Issa Carrasco
Issa Carrasco was born in Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico and has been playing violin since middle school and has played mariachi for more than 15 years.
Issa started playing the violin since she fell in love at age 10 with the Butterfield Elementary Orchestra's rendition of "Over the Rainbow." She is proud to have been a product of the music program at Marana Unified School District, and would like to thank her orchestra teachers Jan McDivitt, Diane Abrams, and Terry Alexander, for their devotion to their students. During summer breaks, Issa took private violin lessons from Carol Brubaker, thanks to the music scholarships offered at her middle and high schools. Issa was a violist with the Tucson Philharmonic Youth Orchestra for six years, three of which she was principal violist.
During college, as a guest at a wedding where a mariachi was playing, a friend made the connection between Issa's Mexican heritage and her orchestra experience, asking if she had ever considered playing in a mariachi. Issa would like to thank Gilberto Durón for asking the question and then introducing her to Alberto Rangel, of Mariachi Tapatío in Tucson. Issa would also like to thank Julie Maldonado for being four months pregnant with twins at that time, which created a need desperate enough to accept a novice, and especially for inviting Issa to her house every week for Mariachi Violin 101.
Issa has been a violinist with Mariachi Tapatío, Mariachi Azteca, and Mariachi Luz de Luna in Tucson, before moving to Tempe, where she joined Mariachi Corazón de Phoenix and will continue with them until Richard figures out that goofy never ends. Thank you Chapulín, R.I.P, for your vote to add Issa to the group. Issa would like to thank her father, who was born in Estación Corral, Sonora, and somehow said "yes" when Issa came home from school one day to say "Thanks for the brand new piano and the lessons, Dad, but can I have a violin, too?" Issa would like to thank her mother for learning the piano and guitar by number and surrounding Issa with music. Issa would like to thank her siblings for tolerating what sounded like a cat exorcism on the days that she chose to practice during those early years.
Issa is married and has two daughters. Issa knows she is not winning a Grammy here but would like to say for the record "thank you" again and that she prays every day for world peace.
