This Tales of the Magic Skagit episode was written by Meyer Sign’s Skagit Valley Youth History Project intern, Morgan White, who also happens to be a percussionist with the Mount Vernon High School Band. Following our recording of an interview with Ramon Rivera, Morgan spent some time with her high school’s beloved music director to learn a little more about his life story. You can find other stories by Morgan in our Meyer Sign “Tales of the Magic Skagit” collection.

Ramon Rivera is a man who has dedicated his life to music and teaching. His passion for music started at a young age when his mother bought him a trumpet from a yard sale and said, “You’re gonna be a mariachi someday.” And she was right. Since then, Ramon’s love for music has only grown. 

Born on March 22nd, 1977, in San Francisco, California, Ramon grew up in a family that loved music. Throughout his childhood he attended public schools and lived in the California cities of Fresno, Camarillo, and Oxnard.

Ramon began playing in a school band in 4th grade, and in high school, he joined a mariachi program that was just starting. His love for mariachi music continued to grow, and he played with his family’s band, “Mariachi Camarillo,” at weddings and parties. Mariachi is a traditional Mexican musical genre characterized by lively rhythms and vibrant instrumentation. At the time, not many people outside of the Hispanic community knew what mariachi was – and some people did not consider it real music. Others feared it would take kids away from other things like marching band and other music courses.

After attending California State University Northridge, where he was part of the marching band and volunteered at the Boys & Girls Club, Ramon’s love for teaching music was sparked. He also met his wife in a mariachi class at the university where she played the violin.

Ramon taught at Oxnard High School in California for five years and then at Wenatchee High School in Washington for fifteen years. Then one day he got a call from Mr. Scherr, a Mount Vernon High School music teacher, saying they needed a mariachi director because they saw what he was doing in Wenatchee and wanted to expand the mariachi program in Mount Vernon. He took the job because he believed that mariachi needed to be shared with more people in Western Washington.

Mount Vernon High School Mariachi

Ramon is now in his fourth year of teaching at Mount Vernon High School. He runs several programs at the high school, and in addition to  mariachi he also teaches three classes of folklorico, a traditional Mexican dance style that showcases the rich cultural heritage and colorful costumes of different regions in Mexico. He also is one of the teachers in Latinos in Action, a class that empowers Latino youth through leadership, service, and cultural awareness. 

“Mariachi and folklorico are a big part of being a bulldog,” Ramon says, and he considers them to be especially important for students whose cultures were not previously well represented. But he also believes that their significance goes beyond Latino students. “It’s important to know about different cultures and their traditions, even if a person is not ‘part’ of that culture.”

Mount Vernon High School Folklorico

Ramon himself is a role model for students, despite not being “the norm” as a teacher (his words), and his joy is to be able to teach kids about music and share his love and passion for it with others. He is also a loving person who shines a light on other people, even if they are not in the mariachi or Latinos in Action programs. “The whole point of teaching is to find a student and to give them the spotlight and make them seen,” he says.  

Latinos in Action

Throughout his life, Ramon has lived by the quotes, “Don’t let anybody try to tell you you’re not good enough,” and “People who are successful are the ones who never give up.” His mother, who started his music-loving journey, and his wife, who has always supported him, are his biggest role models. When he’s not teaching or playing music, Ramon enjoys spending time with his son, Alex, who is in middle school, and he loves to “scooter around” with his son with his “Big Tire Scooter” while watching his son do tricks. 

Ramon’s dedication to music and teaching has inspired countless students over the years. He has helped to keep the tradition of mariachi music alive and has shown that it is a valuable and important part of our cultural heritage as Skagitonians. Learning different things such as mariachi and folklorico gives students something to be passionate about, and it’s about sharing those moments with the students and sharing that love and devotion to the culture. 

Ramon’s success in building Mount Vernon High School Mariachi and Folklorico (now the largest in the state) is evident in the media coverage it has received beyond the Skagit Valley, including a visit from Governor Inslee – and his goal is to further spread awareness of the art forms’ cultural traditions. In the meantime, his passion for teaching and his commitment to his students has made him a beloved figure in the community, and his impact will be felt for years to come.

Viva Ramon Rivera…y viva mariachi y folklorico!

(Listen to this Tales of the Magic Skagit podcast interview with Ramon Rivera)