Ramsés Calderón discusses inspiration and healing
In a conversation with the Carillon, Ramsés Calderón talks about music and how sounds spark emotions through thoughtfully constructed compositions.
Love for the craft
Calderón, who formerly taught music at the University of Ottawa, said his love for music and composing has only grown since he’s been in the industry.
“When you write music or compose music, it’s because there is a need inside to express yourself,” he said.
He shared that his musical journey started at the age of 11 when he played his first instrument, the marimba. After this, his passion for music only grew as time passed. This eventually led him to wanting to explore the world of music in depth.
When asked what drives him to play and create his music, Calderón said he isn’t in the industry to make money but more so for the love of it.
“The music I write and compose is not merely for business or to follow any particular formula, but rather to express what is truly inside not only myself, but also for those who listen to it.”
Whenever I am creating a musical score, it feels like I am writing a novella where there is a beginning, middle and end.” – Ramsés Calderón
Rhythms from the homeland
The music Calderón creates is centered around using traditional instruments and rhythms from his homeland. He is originally from San Salvador, El Salvador and said that his music is in honour of where he is from and the people who reside there.
“The best way I can describe my music is that I am carrying the spirit of Central America,” he said. “I really love Indigenous music and culture in general. Take their traditions and make it into something of their own. A lot of their music is based on their own experiences and realities,” Calderon said.
“Their type of music has always been, like any other form for Indigenous peoples, a storytelling form and I hope that never changes. Whenever I am creating a musical score, it feels like I am writing a novella where there is a beginning, middle and end.”
Opportunities and experiences
Calderón said his musical journey has given him opportunities and experiences that he would have never experienced otherwise, like teaching music at a post-secondary institution.
He added that being in an environment where he is chatting with people who are just as passionate about music was a special experience. Although he gave his students the fundamentals of music and taught them the required course material, he also wanted to help them find out what their own interests are.
“I always tried my best to encourage the students to explore their own creativity because music is a form of art and it’s all about self-expression.”
When it comes to playing or composing music, Calderón shared that connecting with yourself and allowing your feelings to drive your musical journey goes a long way in producing top tier music.
“You know, some of the best musicians out there are the ones who play as though they have nothing to lose. Music is a piece of self-expression unlike any other art form.”
Calderón said that while teaching new musical scores, he would ask how his students were feeling and what the main messages were in the music to get an idea of what emotions were being conveyed. The types of instruments used can really make a piece of music what it is.
“I truly believe that choosing what instruments to use per piece is still to this day very difficult, given it has to flow with the emotions of what we are trying to convey.”
Some of the best musicians out there are the ones who play as though they have nothing to lose.” – Ramsés Calderón
A unique experience for each
When the Carillon asked University of Regina (U of R) students what music means to them, a lot of students said that it gets them through their days.
“Music and singing especially have helped me express a lot of what I have been afraid to share,” said Lawrence Zastre, a first-year English student.
Zastre added that he has been able to convey a lot of what he has gone through while writing his own songs. His hobby of writing songs and singing has helped him to heal from a lot of the traumas he experienced as a child. “I’ll be honest, I don’t know where I’d be today if I didn’t have music in my life.”
Like Zastre, other students around campus shared how listening to music works as an escape from the stresses of their everyday lives. Calderón explained that music– whether it’s playing, writing, singing ,or listening to it– is an expressive medium that some people use as a way to truly understand themselves. Music, in some cases, is a way of healing from traumas.
“With all the stresses of classes and everyday life, hobbies like music are great at helping decompress,” said Patrick Hansen, an engineering student.
Everyone has their own interests, and that’s what makes us all unique. Calderón’s interest and passion for making music inspired by his homeland is a possession that he wouldn’t trade for anything in the world.
“Music is truly a special medium for self-expression, and I am grateful for every experience I’ve had so far.”
