Media Credit: Altug Sami Icilensu Music Professor Alice Gomez, who teaches percussion, composition and popular American music courses, sits behind the drums in the McAllister. An unexpected phone call to music Professor Alice Gomez led to her playing percussion for Latin singer Vikki Carr in a concert in Brownsville Nov. 2. Not only did she play with Carr, a couple of the songs played that day were recorded, Gomez said Tuesday. Gomez, however, is unsure of how those recordings will be used.

According to her Web site, Vikki Carr, who lives in San Antonio, has been a Latin singer since 1961 and has performed internationally. She has won three Grammy awards and released 59 records, both in Spanish and English. “Vikki Carr is definitely one of the pioneers of female Latin singers,” Gomez said. Carr was looking for a percussionist for her concert, and one of her sound technicians, who was acquainted with Gomez, suggested that she be considered for the job.

“The call came out of the blue,” Gomez said. Gomez was thrilled to have the opportunity to play with her because Gomez had been a fan since she was a child, she said. When Gomez met Carr in Brownsville, Carr remarked that she had been impressed with several of Gomez’s compositions. Gomez said with a laugh that she remembered thinking, “Wow, she knows who I am.” She was invited to play again with Carr on Dec. 31 in Carr’s “Night in Vienna” New Year’s Eve concert, Gomez said.

The concert will be in the Majestic Theater with the San Antonio Opera and the San Antonio Symphony performing traditional Viennese waltzes and marches. Gomez will participate in the concert by playing percussion while Carr performs. Gomez teaches percussion, composition and American popular music courses at this college and directs the student Latin Jazz Band.