Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Paul Ramirez. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Paul, appreciate you joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

Prior to the pandemic, I’ve worked as a Physical Therapist Assistant since 2005. I enjoyed the work, and my employer, until I didn’t. I started songwriting roughly 10 years ago, and released my first album in 2018 with The Bannermen, Chicago’s nerdiest band. Music has been a part of my life for a long time, and from writing my first song and forming the band, I knew then and know now, that it would be my future. A few years prior to the pandemic, I grew fatigued from the business side of the healthcare industry. From dealing with insurance companies/lawyers/case managers, alongside questionable decision making from the “higher-ups” in the company I worked for, I knew that I’d eventually leave Physical Therapy, but the pandemic made that decision for me, having been laid off after working for the same company since 2005.
While on unemployment, my friend (and now business partner), Phil Circle, gave me tips on the right equipment to do some teaching music online, and he eventually hired me as a voice/guitar teacher for his school in Chicago. Prior to that, I did help coach some of my musician friends (unofficially and for free), and that helped me discover that I had a talent for teaching.
Since then, I’ve become a business partner with Phil Circle and fellow teacher, Michele Van Leeuwen (bass teacher) to keep the Chicago school open.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a partner at Phil Circle Music in Chicago. It’s a music school that caters to adults. Phil brought me on as a voice/guitar coach. We also have other teachers for drums, guitar, piano, bass, voice, songwriting, saxophone, clarinet, flute, and band coaching. Our focus is one-on-one sessions, but we do offer monthly workshops where we teach small groups, that focus on a particular subject. For example, I teach a background vocals/harmony workshop. Our school also has an online store that sells books and miscellaneous accessories that musicians could find helpful for aiding in personal education and/or performance. As a vocal coach, I help my students find their voice, while also giving them tips and drills to maintain their voice and potentially expand on their range. As a guitar coach, I teach at the foundational level. I show students the basics of scaling, chord progression, and proper body mechanics as far as posture and positioning. For both voice and guitar, I stress the importance of listening. I feel that as a musician, listening is just as, if not more important, than projecting. It’s a great feeling when a student shows genuine interest, makes progress, and gains confidence in themselves.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Support your friends directly or indirectly. I help run a music school. To support me (and the school) directly, one can sign up for a lesson, buy a gift card and give it to one of their friends so they can sign up for a lesson, make a purchase from our online store, and go to a show where one of the teachers are performing. For indirect support, one can follow me, the school, and our other teachers on social media, and interact with our posts in order to boost the algorithms for the various social media platforms that we’re on. Another way to support us indirectly is to just tell various friends about our school. I have friends that are musicians and entrepreneurs that I support both directly and indirectly. I want them to succeed, and I’d like to think that they would want the same for me.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My goal/mission is to inspire. As a teacher, I encourage my students to record themselves in all levels of their journey, so that they have physical evidence that progress is being made. Their enthusiasm only grows when they hear for themselves the results that their work has shown. As a performer/singer/songwriter, I tell stories. I take great joy, knowing that my songs or performances have inspired people in some way. In one performance, I sang an original song called “Idle Symphony”. One random person told me afterwards that it inspired them to start performing again (that person did stand-up comedy). In another performance, I sang a cover of “Love, Reign O’er Me” by The Who, and it inspired them to start voice lessons. The simple fact that I make people feel tells me that my form of artistic expression is worth something to some people.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/thepaulramirez
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paul_of_the_bannermen/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Pauldoesmusic/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thepaulramirez/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thepaulramirezmusicchannel
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@somuchpaul