Today we’d like to introduce you to Ramon Lomas.
Ramon, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I truly believe that I was born to play guitar. I am filled with passion when it comes to composing and performing many types of music, from classic acoustic to my favorite progressive instrumental rock. I was born in San Diego and my family is originally from Baja California, Mexico. I write my own music and it usually starts when I hear a random melody in my head that inspires me to create a full composition with that melody. It can originate from an emotion, an event or simply inspired by some of my favorite musicians. The first time that I saw my dad and brother play the guitar, I was very young. My brother taught me my first songs on the acoustic guitar when I was eight years old. It was like second nature to me and my dad immediately bought me my own acoustic guitar and supported me in every way possible to keep going. It was a very unforgettable and happy time for me. I have not stopped playing since and it continues to be my favorite activity. At age nine, I had the opportunity to play in front of my 3rd grade class and it was very encouraging to see my peers applaud and throw quarters at me. At age 13, I received my first electric guitar as a Christmas gift from my brother, which later led me to join my first band in High School, which was hard rock/metal. I also joined the Chula Vista High School Mariachi band and other projects to maximize my opportunities to play guitar. It was in my early 20’s that I decided to become a professional musician and here I am. I have also participated in numerous rock bands as the lead guitarist and backup vocals but eventually, all these disintegrated.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
One of the continuous challenges for me was keeping a band together and focused on a mutual purpose, so I decided to work alone and find my own style and continue to grow. I was influenced early on by classic Rock and Metal and found appreciation for Latin styles and my interest for jazz followed. I was nowhere near being able to read or play music at a real jazz level since I mostly play by ear and could not afford to go to music school or pay for private music lessons and was discouraged so I pursued rock. Classic rock soon became too straightforward for me and I quickly outgrew the evil sounding vocals of heavy metal, but I loved the speed and technicality of the guitar in metal genres. That is how I became more interested in Instrumental progressive Rock. This became a blank canvas that allowed me to incorporate all of my influences without having to pick one over another by fusing different elements into the same song, therefore creating instrumental progressive music and allowing me the freedom to incorporate various styles in one composition. I consequently spent most of my 20’s developing my own style by combining many of my favorite musical genres.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I create original instrumental guitar music where melody replaces any type of vocals. I like to express emotions and create progressions just like vocalists do with the peaks and valleys of singing. I balance technicality such as sweep picking, two handed tapping and shredding with catchy melodies. I compose all of the instruments by using a drum program and I record my own bass, rhythm and lead guitars. Something that sets me apart is that I incorporate many other instruments electronically such as violin, piano and some choir voices that would usually not be heard in a classic rock or metal song. In my first album, “UNBOUND”, I was exploring different styles and my songs have Latin, jazz and rock influence.
I am currently working on my next album, “DUALITY”, which has music that is more true to what I love and is more challenging due to the intricacy and technical requirements. This album hits home because it expresses the human dilemmas that we all face such as the polarity of light and darkness, which many of us struggle with while discovering who we truly are and who we choose to be. I am known for my ability to play by ear and adapt to any collaboration while maintaining my style. My instrument of choice is a seven string electric guitar that gives me and extra bass string to create richer cords and bass lines. I am very proud of my original music and for staying focused on being a solo musician, as well as being able to perform live.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Follow your passion and don’t get discouraged by other’s opinions due to the lack of financial ability. Stay true to your craft and inspire others to feel and honor their genuine self. Do what you can with what you have now and focus on helping others through the gifts that you have and get in touch with what matters to them… Great things take patience and Music is a lifelong journey. It is not about the end result but about expressing, growing, enjoying the journey, and appreciating all of the people that you meet along the way. Focus on living a simple, joyful and balanced life.
Contact Info:
- Email: ramonlomas13@gmail.com
- Website: http://www.ramonlomasmusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ramonlomasmusic/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ramonlomasmusic/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs5kGdzAXdDztPqpB7eQxAA
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/ramon-lomas-654903284
- Other: https://ramonlomas.bandcamp.com
Image Credits:
Mark Torres Michael James Slattery Radford Allen Gregg Watts
