For many musicians, inspiration might come from long years of practice and experience, someone to look up to, or even from family and friends. For Arturo Ramirez, it all came from a movie.
“I saw someone play [a song from] Interstellar, and I thought it sounded amazing,” Ramirez says. “I had to learn it.”
The emotional, impactful score from Christopher Nolan’s film not only captured his attention, but also sparked his journey as a pianist.
Now a senior at El Rancho High School, Ramirez has spent over two years refining his abilities and taking on any tough musical piece he can find, all while working hard in school as well.
Playing the piano takes up a good amount of his time after school, but he also enjoys training in mixed martial arts, mostly being entertained by those two activities.
Many students take structured lessons to begin learning the piano, but Ramirez started off with guidance from his father before quickly shifting gears and taking learning into his own hands.
“My father was my teacher for a while, but ultimately, I’ve learned on my own,” he says.
Ramirez does not have one favorite piece of music in particular, but loves to practice on the Interstellar soundtrack as a whole, learning, adding, and changing aspects of his playstyle to constantly improve.
For him, the difficulty is part of the enjoyment and thrill of playing an instrument.
“I like having a hard piece that I can’t manage at first, then practicing and getting good at it,” says Ramirez. “I like the feeling of accomplishment afterward.”
Playing an instrument is no simple feat; it requires discipline, patience, and the willpower to keep pushing past failure. Ramirez sometimes struggles with a lack of motivation, but manages to persevere.
“At the end of the day, it’s what I enjoy and I like the difficulty,” he says.
What began as an interest eventually became an important part of Ramirez’s life. Along his musical journey, he has also written two of his own pieces and feels confident in his composing ability.
