Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 358 - Mariana Ramirez

Percussionist, Educator and Entrepreneur Mariana Ramirez stops by to talk about freelancing in New York City, working on Broadway, and her experiences with the COVID shutdown (03:05), all things Excelsis Percussion (16:15), growing up in Mexico City, her late entry into studying music full-time, her extracurricular activities, and the vast size of her hometown (31:15), studying at Rutgers University (NJ) and the challenging transition to a new country (54:15), her life post-undergrad, revving up her freelancing career, and managing her mental health (01:05:25), and finishing with the Random Ass Questions, including segments on students taking on too much, her experiences as a woman in the percussion world, Mexico-U.S. Soccer relations, the greatness of Mexican food, and the musical Hadestown (01:17:30).

Finishing with a Rave on the 2022 documentary Is That Black Enough For You?!? (01:41:50).

Links:

Mariana Ramirez’s website

Excelsis Percussion

Previous Podcast Guests mentioned:

Marcelina Suchocka in 2022

Britton-René Collins in 2023

Other Links:

SIX The Musical

Once on This Island

Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations

Merrily We Roll Along

Head Over Heels

Caixa Trio

“Hyperballad” - Björk (performed by Excelsis Percussion)

Conservatorio Nacional de Musica

Alondra de la Parra

“Aphasia” - Mark Applebaum

Back to the Future trailer

Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring trailer

The Mandalorian trailer

Isabel Allende

“Whenever, Wherever” - Shakira

Machu Picchu

Hadestown

Raves:

Is That Black Enough For You?!? trailer