Episode 8 | Richy Ramirez | @rrm92
Welcome back to another episode of DrumGAB podcast. Episode eight is all about social media and personal networking. For anyone who is curious about how to properly grow an Instagram account, how to use Facebook to the fullest advantage, or what people are looking for with your content when you are being scouted, then this is definitely the episode for you.
Richy's story starts with a dream. A dream to perform in front of a sea of 20,000 people and actually make a living from it. He felt, even at seventeen, that it was important to avoid the 9-5 grind altogether. So how did he do it? He starts by moving out of Inland Empire and getting down to L.A. It was a make it or break it strategy. He received a scholarship for music and decided that he was going to take his drumming to the next level. After completing 2 years of a music program, he decided a third enrollment wasn't worth it for what he wanted to do in the music industry. He was learning plenty by asking questions and observing the pros and taking pages out of THEIR books.
Richy goes into great detail about creating YOUR brand. Whether that is a podcast, like DrumGAB, a drum manufacturing company or an artist page, there must be certain aspects of your content that have to be in check for it to benefit you. We talk about understanding Facebook boosting vs sponsored ads. Richy is a wealth of knowledge on how to utilize your social media.
It is clear that it means a lot to Richy to help his community. He throws down some hard facts about the state of musical education in L.A. It doesn't exist to children until they reach grade four. He shares a compelling story about this young girl that was living in a ghetto and he used to walk by her house and saw a drum set in the window. Eventually, he felt compelled to approach her mom about giving this girl lessons. Richy gave this 11-year-old girl lessons for almost nine months and it made a huge impact on her life. The outcome of these lessons inspired Richy to create Unik Education. It is a very positive initiative that Richy and his partner Marius create. The big picture is to get Unik Education in every school in L.A. I hope they reach their goal.
In closing, Richy explains that he wants to represent himself as a helpful and resourceful drummer. He wants to give back to people and let everyone know that you have a choice to pursue your dreams. You can play drums for the rest of your life if you want to and Richy wants to demonstrate how it is possible. Very inspiring conversation overall.