Today we’d like to introduce you to Nelson Ramírez.
Hi Nelson, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started studying music when I was 6 years old, and music has always been a part of my life. At age 15, I joined my first band, and from that age until now, I have worked exclusively with music. I studied at an arts conservatory from age 6 and graduated with a specialization in piano and saxophone. I then decided to continue studying music at university and graduated with three different specializations: saxophone, music composition, and pedagogy. Thanks to my training in classical music and my love for popular music, I have had the opportunity to work with many different groups: ska, reggae, jazz, big bands, R&B, salsa, chamber music groups, live music for dance shows, live music for television programs, musicals, and concert bands. I have also always had a passion for creating music, and from a young age I composed and arranged music for all of the ensembles I mentioned above. As a composer, I have produced a large body of academic music for the saxophone, which has been very well received by the saxophone community. My works have been performed in many countries, including Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Mexico, the USA, France, and Singapore.
Due to the diversity of my musical tastes, my work as a composer is based on fusions of styles, in which I use resources from both classical and popular music, and I really enjoy using elements of popular music and Latin American rhythms.
In recent years, my focus in life has changed quite a bit. I am now a Christian, and because of this new focus in my life, I am now living in Texas, where I am completing a graduate degree in music at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. I can say that Jesus Christ changed my life, and now I dedicate all my work to God. It has been a big challenge to move with my family to Texas, but it has been a season of great growth, and here we are learning a lot and equipping ourselves to continue doing things better and better.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road has not been easy. It is very common for artistic work to be undervalued, especially in Latin America. People like to go to concerts, to the theater to see shows, to art galleries to see exhibitions, but often they do not want to pay, and even less so to pay a fair price for an artist’s work. On top of that, in Costa Rica, my home country, the market is very small because we are a very small country. So, being able to make a living as an artist in such a small market, which doesn’t always value your work as a professional artist, is complicated. But thank God, with a lot of effort and persistence, and always striving for excellence, I have been able to make a living from my profession as a musician my entire life.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As I mentioned before, I am a saxophonist and composer (I also know how to play a little piano and flute). I would say that people have really liked my work as a composer, because I specialize in mixing and fusing musical styles, especially combining Latin American popular music with other genres. I have had the privilege of winning several awards as a composer in my country for this type of work.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
Definitely yes. First, I have to give infinite thanks to God for giving me the life I have had and all the opportunities I have experienced, which have made me grow in many ways. Also, my whole family—my parents always supported me since I was a child and never tried to make me change my dreams. My wife has been my main source of support and cheerleader for the last 12 years; she has been amazing. But also my brothers and sisters, and many colleagues I have worked with, from whom I have learned a lot. And I cannot leave out my university professors, who believed in me, taught me so much of what I know, and were also among the first to appreciate and trust my work as a composer, especially in the more classical area. Many thanks to all these people who have been in my life.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nelson.ramirez.diaz?igsh=eGV4ZjRqazc4ZmI4
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NRD.compositor.musico
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@nelsonramirezdiaz
