When the family moved to Montemorelos in 1964, the children also learned to play marimba from a player who had come to UM as a student. The brothers and this student formed a marimba ensemble that traveled extensively in Mexico and the U.S. in the 1960s, all playing together on a large seven-octave marimba. Hector later formed another group that included himself, his sister, and three other girls, which toured in the early 1970s.

Flores began taking piano lessons with Olga Schmidt in 1971, when she arrived to teach music at UM. He was an exceptional student and continued study with her until he left for Andrews University in 1975. He completed a B.Mus. in piano performance at AU four years later.

His first teaching position was at the University of Montemorelos, where he directed the choir and started an orchestra. In 1982, Flores' responsibilities expanded to include directorship of the music program, a position he held for the next seven years. While teaching at UM, he completed an M.Mus. in piano performance at AU in 1986. During his final years at the university, he became director of fine arts when the music and art programs were combined just before he left.

He accepted a position at Antillean College, now Antillean Adventist University, in 1989, where he worked under his brother Carlos, who had become chair of that music program a year earlier. While he was teaching there for the next seven years, his wife started a small business making tortillas.

The business prospered, and Hector left his position at the college in 1996 to assist with its operation. For the next seven years, while working with the business, he continued to be active in music, directing the choir at the church, leading a community band and the band at a nearby academy, and serving as conductor of the Mayaguez Symphony Orchestra.

In 2003, he became director of the choirs and string orchestra at Blue Mountain Academy in Pennsylvania, a position he held until 2011, when he accepted the position of choral director at Andrews Academy in Michigan. He toured with the BMA select choir to Puerto Rico in February 2004, Mexico in February 2006, and Spain in March 2008.

Flores has been a guest conductor and clinician at several festivals in the U.S. When the 35^th anniversary of music at UM was celebrated in November 2007, he returned as an honored guest and conductor of the choir and orchestra for Sabbath worship music.

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