Due to the state of the world economy, it’s no secret that funding for the arts has taken a major hit, making it harder for aficionados to find certain music and for new audiences to discover it. Fortunately, San Diego has groups like Camarada, which will perform at the Neurosciences Institute at 6 p.m. on May 1. Featuring David Buckley (violin), Travis Maril (viola), Dana Burnett (piano), Erin Breene (cello), dancer Gloria Lanuza and founder Beth Ross-Buckley (flute), the group will perform a special concert, “Fandango,” showcasing the classic mix of Spanish flamenco music and dance. Speaking with Ross-Buckley from her Mission Hills home, with the sounds of rehearsal and good-natured banter in the background, it’s clear that Camarada is as much a group of close friends who enjoy making music together as it is a highly respected musical group. As Ross-Buckley explained, the group’s name combines the two concepts. “Camarata is Italian for chamber ensemble, and then we added ‘cameraderie,’” she said. “We don’t mean just among the musicians, but also camaraderie with the audience. We have a real good time when we’re playing, it’s not just a gig.” While today Ross-Buckley is best known for her flute playing, she actually first began performing as a young pianist while growing up in a small Minnesota town. “I was playing both [flute and piano], but piano competitions got you to the bigger cities,” she joked. “I had a lot of time to practice; there wasn’t much to do [in town]. I practiced really hard to go to the big city, Minneapolis. Music entertained me and it got me places in the world.” The group’s beginnings go back to 1994, when Ross-Buckley arrived to San Diego via San Francisco, to teach at San Diego State University. “When I came here 20 years ago, I didn’t see very much chamber music,” she said. “It’s a passion of mine.” When she met like-minded faculty and students, the group quickly came together. Besides core members, Camarada also includes two dozen other musicians who augment the sound as productions dictate. Today, there are numerous ensembles in town, with Camarada helping lead the way to bring classical music to younger audiences. Later this year, the group will perform special concerts at the Children’s Museum downtown. Ross-Buckley feels it’s important to bring classical and other non-pop music directly to the children, since they get so little exposure to it otherwise. “It’s not the first thing they gravitate toward, that’s for sure,” she laughed. “When I play outreach concerts, you play a piece of music for young kids and ask, ‘Did you like that?’ and they go, ‘That was cool.’ And then I tell them it was classical and they say, ‘Really?’ It’s hard for them to get past the label; they think that they don’t like classical music, but if they’re exposed to it, they do like it.” What sets Camarada apart from typical chamber groups is the diversity of composers and styles of music that the group performs, from Beatles to Bach. The group has more than a dozen live albums available in a wide musical spectrum and recently released its debut studio album, “Tango Nuevo,” dedicated to the music of Astor ­Piazolla. “It would be easier to stick to one style, but this completely challenges us,” Ross-Buckley said. “I think it makes you a better musician to be able to switch tone colors and have to switch playing styles. When [music] challenges me I think every part of my flute playing gets better.”