September 29, 2026
Recent Butler School of Music Ph.D. alumna Mercedes Alejandra Payán Ramírez has been named a tenure-track assistant professor of ethnomusicology at the University of New Mexico.
At the University of New Mexico, Mercedes Alejandra Payán Ramírez is continuing a line of research that has taken her across communities in Mexico and the American Southwest. Her work focuses particularly on Indigenous women in Mexico who perform in brass bands, examining the ways women have entered musical traditions that were historically dominated by men.
“These used to be male-only bands,” she explained. “But since the 1980s, women have started joining the bands, and now several women even lead the bands.”
Mercedes Alejandra Payán Ramírez with Poj Suu'n, in Santa María Tlahuitoltepec Mixe, Oaxaca.
Her research examines not only the musicians themselves, but also the communities and cultural structures that support these ensembles.
The bands, she explained, have some similarities to wind bands in the United States. What distinguishes them, however, is their connection to local governmental structures and their distinctive repertoires.
“They play symphonic arrangements of classical repertoire, but also play a lot of pieces of popular Latin music, especially, local genres such as son and jarabe” she said.
Although her current research takes her into Indigenous communities in Mexico, Payan Ramirez traces an important part of her journey as a researcher to her time in Austin.
While pursuing her Ph.D. at the Butler School of Music, she began volunteering with the Coahuiltecan people in San Marcos.
“I started to volunteer there just to get to know the area that I was living in, but also how to get acquainted with Indigenous people on this side of the border,” she said.
That experience became an important foundation for her approach to ethnomusicological research, one centered on developing relationships with communities.
Mercedes Alejandra Payán Ramírez with ¡POM! Orquesta Mexicana
Mercedes Alejandra Payán Ramírez’s research and performance work also extends beyond her academic fieldwork. She is a member of ¡POM! Orquesta Mexicana, a musical ensemble dedicated to the research, performance, and revitalization of Mexican art music rooted in Indigenous and traditional repertoires. Mercedes Alejandra Payán Ramírez was invited to join the orchestra in part because of her expertise in Indigenous music and understanding of Indigenous musical traditions.
Mercedes Alejandra Payán Ramírez performing with ¡POM! Orquesta Mexicana
Mercedes Alejandra Payán Ramírez credits several University of Texas faculty members with playing important roles in her development as a scholar and helping her navigate the path from graduate student to professor.
At the top of that list is Robin Moore, Professor of Ethnomusicology. Mercedes Alejandra Payán Ramírez and Moore quickly connected through their shared research interests and knowledge of Spanish. When she applied for her as a student, Moore was the first person to contact her.
Moore also encouraged her to take a class with Luis E. Cárcamo-Huechante, an associate professor in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese and the Native American and Indigenous Studies program. She credits Cárcamo-Huechante’s class with giving her important background for the position she eventually accepted. The class also helped lead to her collaboration with the Coahuiltecan community in San Marcos.
Another important influence was James Gabrillo, Assistant Professor of Musicology and Ethnomusicology, whom Mercedes Alejandra Payán Ramírez credits as a pivotal figure in her development as a researcher. Jacqueline Avila, Associate Professor of Musicology, also played an important role in her graduate experience. Mercedes Alejandra Payán Ramírez credits Avila’s Mexican Soundscapes course with helping prepare her for her work and, ultimately, her job interview. Avila even provided a practical piece of equipment that Mercedes Alejandra Payán Ramírez used during her interview: a clicker that allowed her to move through her presentation without having to remain behind a computer.
And then there was Tony Rasmussen, Assistant Professor of Musicology and Ethnomusicology. Although Mercedes Alejandra Payán Ramírez did not take a class with Rasmussen, he was an important resource as she navigated the academic job market. Having recently gone through the hiring process himself, Rasmussen helped her understand the application process and what to expect.
For Mercedes Alejandra Payán Ramírez, the move to New Mexico has also brought a welcome sense of familiarity.
“It’s been good,” she said. “I’m from northwestern Mexico, so the weather and even the food are similar. It’s good; it feels like coming home.”
Together, those experiences and relationships helped Mercedes Alejandra Payán Ramírez move from graduate student to scholar, researcher, and now professor.