Today we’d like to introduce you to Pepe Hidalgo Ramos.
Pepe, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started playing on ‘pots and pans’ when I was eight years old, I built my own drum kit with toys I had laying around. Right before turning nine, my mom saw that I was obsessed with music so she got me my first real drum set. She’s a sound engineer, plays guitar and has always supported me in doing what I really love. In high school I was already playing with multiple bands, performing in bars, highs schools and college festivals and taking a lot of drum lessons.
For a couple of years, I quit playing because I got really into BMX and I wanted to be a professional biker, but I quickly realized that my mom wouldn’t let me quit drums so I decided then I would focus all my energy into drumming. I graduated high school and went to study Composition at the best jazz school in Santiago, Chile (where I’m from). I realize that I wasn’t performing a lot and that’s what I really wanted to do so I dropped out and I prepared to audition to go to Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. After a year of preparation, I auditioned and got in with a scholarship. I spent four amazing years there where I learned A LOT and met the best musicians I know.
After graduating I moved to NYC where I also spent around four years performing with many artists including Magic Man (Columbia Records), French Horn Rebellion (YouTooCanWoo), and my rock band Stone Giant as well with many other artists such as Stella Santana, Gordi, Pronoun, Pink Flamingo Rhythm Revue just to name a few. After those amazing years in the big apple, I decided to move to a different place looking for a fresh start, and LA seemed the opposite of NYC haha so I moved here in March of this year, and it’s been the best year so far!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I wish! but no, life is never a smooth road. I lost my dad while in high school and it was very difficult for me, and still is, but I think at the same time it made me stronger. The musician lifestyle always has up and downs, you have to be able to enjoy the ups but be smart and prepared for the downs. I think my first two years in New York where the worsts, I was eating just rice and tuna, not kidding. But I’m very grateful and happy to say that my experience in LA has been the opposite since day one, there’s so much work here!
Can you give our readers some background on your music?
I grew up listening to a lot of rock music thanks to my mom, but with my friends we would listen to everything, from Miles Davis to Meshuggah. I pretty much only play contemporary music these days, so anything that’s Pop, Rock, R&B, Folk, Americana, Hip hop, etc. My main projects in the past have been Alter Ego (Metal Progressive), La Pepa Experience (Rock), Stone Giant (Heavy Rock), and my most recent one Xucrut which is a hip-hop trio with live instruments feat. my fellow Berklee Alumni’s Rodolfo Otero & Carmine Mattia.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Well, my mom who have been my biggest supporter since day one, also my girlfriend, she has helped me in my worst moments, and most important all the artists, bands and musicians that I’ve played with and has support me all these years.
Image Credit:
Carlos Alvarado Jr.
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