The Frost School of Music’s generations of famous alumni aren’t just evidence of the school’s ability to foster outstanding artists. They also offer ongoing inspiration to students and continue bringing the world’s attention to the opportunities and network it offers.
Those advantages were showcased when two renowned Frost School graduates reconnected with the school for music videos.
Miami-based pop star Gloria Estefan, who has an honorary doctorate from the Frost School and has been a strong supporter and frequent collaborator, brought in students for a major shoot of songs from her latest album, “Raices.” And multi-GRAMMY winning singer-songwriter Jon Secada, B.M. ’83, M.M. ’86, chose the Knight Center for Music Innovation to film a video of “Unforgettable,” from his and faculty member and jazz pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba’s album “Fascination,” a tribute to singer Nat King Cole, which they recorded at Weeks Recording Studio in 2024. The two artists were joined in the taping by Secada’s daughter Mikaela.
Athena Pacanins, a Miami-raised senior who is a singer and songwriter in the Modern Artist Development and Entrepreneurship program, was ecstatic when program chair Dan Strange texted with the opportunity to join a “Raices” video shoot at the Faena Theater on Miami Beach last spring. “I was totally shocked and ran into my mom’s room to tell her,” said Pacanins, a lifelong fan whose parents played Estefan’s 80s hit “Conga” at their wedding. “We were all jumping up and down.”
Pacanins and a small group of other Frost School students joined other young extras in the shoot at the jewel-box-like Faena Theater cabaret, part of the luxurious Faena Hotel. The elaborate production showcased Gloria singing the title track and several other songs from “Raices,” mixing a glamorous, pre-Revolutionary Havana style with the exuberant spirit of contemporary Latin Miami. Gloria’s husband, producer, and partner, Emilio Estefan, was there, as were the couple’s daughter, Emily, and grandson, Sasha.
Between takes, Gloria joked and talked to the newest generation of Miami Latino fans of her music, which thrilled Pacanins.
“It was so cool,” said Pacanins. “She was so kind and friendly and down to earth, and so was her team. When she shared stories about Emilio, it was like hearing stories from my grandmother.”
At the time, “Raices,” a heartfelt tribute to the Estefans’ Cuban musical and immigrant roots and family, was taking off on a successful trajectory that led to it winning the 2026 GRAMMY for best tropical Latin album and the 2025 Latin GRAMMY for best traditional tropical album.
Pacanins was deeply moved by the record. “It’s such a beautiful perspective to connect with and honor where you come from,” she said. “Sometimes people forget the humanity of celebrities. This album does a fantastic job of showing the humanity of Gloria and Emilio and their story. It’s such a great work of cultural heritage.”
Fellow student Brandon Flores, a senior studying classical vocal performance, was grateful to participate in a major production with a longtime star. “It’s a great opportunity,” he said. “When you’re in close proximity to those who are active and successful, you get a better idea of what to work towards and what to expect— and hope for.”
When Secada suggested shooting the “Unforgettable” video at the Frost School, the album’s co-producer, Julio Bague, an alumnus who is vice president of the Latin Division, East Coast and Puerto Rico at peermusic, which released “Fascination,” enthusiastically agreed.
“To capture that beautiful moment between Jon, Gonzalo, and Mikaela, there’s no better stage than the recently built Newman Recital Hall,” said Bague. “It’s really spectacular, and I’m proud that it was showcased in our video.”
Secada said the hall’s advanced acoustics and technology, and beautiful setting, added tremendously to the video’s atmosphere. He was proud and emotional to collaborate with his daughter at the school which did so much to shape him as an artist.
“What a way to come full circle in my life and in my career,” Secada said. “To share what the Frost School of Music is all about and how proud I am of how far it has come means a lot to me. For my daughter to understand that I graduated from a university that is front and center in the latest technology in contemporary as well as traditional music—for me to share that with Mikaela was really quite special.”
“I continue to be proud to have the Frost School of Music as part of my career and part of who I am as a musician, as a professional, and as a lover of education.”
