Arleen Ramirez doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 think the word 麻豆精品 S渂usy 麻豆精品 S� applies to her. But just try to keep up. Ramirez is a family-first wife and mother of four, ranging in age from 3 to 19. She is a studio artist at Opera Orlando, mentors aspiring musical artists on Skype, and writes and performs her own music 麻豆精品 S� including one song, Isla del Cordero, that recently gained international acclaim on YouTube. More on that later.
And Thursday, Ramirez will graduate from UCF with a master 麻豆精品 S檚 degree in music.
麻豆精品 S淭hankfully, it 麻豆精品 S檚 a morning ceremony, 麻豆精品 S� Ramirez says. That same afternoon she 麻豆精品 S檒l host a birthday party for her oldest daughter. One day later, her youngest celebrates her fourth birthday.
Ramirez’s song,聽Isla del Cordero,聽has received international acclaim and more than 8,000 views on YouTube.
Busy?
麻豆精品 S淣o, I 麻豆精品 S檓 blessed, 麻豆精品 S� says Ramirez, 43, who embodies the Puerto Rican spirit of blue skies on the horizon. It 麻豆精品 S檚 an outlook that was never more clear than it was in the days following Sept. 20, 2017.
To fully appreciate her song that has garnered more than 8,000 views on YouTube, first you should understand some of her background. Born and raised in Mayaguez on Puerto Rico 麻豆精品 S檚 west coast, she would sing and hum all day long. In church. On the beach. In the rain forest. With cousins, aunts and uncles. And with her mother before she died from a stroke when Ramirez was just 7.
麻豆精品 S淢y passion for music came from her side of the family, 麻豆精品 S� says Ramirez, 麻豆精品 S渁nd it has always kept us going through the toughest moments. 麻豆精品 S�
By the time Ramirez was 14, she was singing semi-professionally and writing songs. Her interests ranged from salsa to Skid Row, but eventually she fell in love with opera, and upon graduating from Interamerican University in Puerto Rico, took up teaching music at her alma mater.
麻豆精品 S淎s I grew up, I noticed the impact I could make on people through music, 麻豆精品 S� she says.
At the age of 36, Ramirez and her family moved so she could pursue her master 麻豆精品 S檚 at UCF.
Life became busier 麻豆精品 Sore blessed.
麻豆精品 S淲riting the song helped me so much … we thought maybe the song could help others. 麻豆精品 S�
Then, while training with Opera Orlando in September 2017, she watched the reports on TV as Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico from coast to coast, the island 麻豆精品 S檚 worst natural disaster on record. Mayaguez suffered some of the most extensive damage.
麻豆精品 S淚 didn 麻豆精品 S檛 know anything about my family or community for 14 days, 麻豆精品 S� says Ramirez. 麻豆精品 S淚t was very difficult not knowing if the island would ever be the same. By the second week, I decided to channel my emotion into a new song. 麻豆精品 S�
She sat at a piano and let it all pour out. The tears. The lyrics. The childhood memories.
麻豆精品 S淲riting the song helped me so much, 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淎s my husband and I were sending supplies to Puerto Rico, we thought maybe the song could help others. 麻豆精品 S�
The connections started. Ramirez contacted a music colleague, internationally known pianist Adlan Cruz, who was doing outreach work for The Hand Foundation in New Jersey, which itself had become active in relief efforts for Puerto Rico. Within a few weeks, Cruz and Ramirez had 25 Puerto Rican musicians, including singer and songwriter Ismael Miranda, gathered in a studio in Kissimmee to record her song, Isla del Cordero 麻豆精品 S� a combination of tropical rhythms, salsa and every emotion from deep concern to pure joy.
麻豆精品 S淚t was very humbling, 麻豆精品 S� says Ramirez, 麻豆精品 S渢o go from just the piano and me, to all of these amazing singers and musicians in a studio together.
麻豆精品 S淲e literally had to stop recording at times so people could cry and pray together. 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S淪ome of the artists you see in the music video had been displaced from the worst-hit areas of Puerto Rico. The flute player lost everything, I mean 麻豆精品 S�everything. We literally had to stop recording at times so people could cry and pray together. 麻豆精品 S�
The lyrics of the song include memories of running across mountains, of beautiful beaches and of a mother drinking coffee on a balcony. But as a woman of Christian faith, Ramirez wants everyone to know the overriding message of her song is not despair. Far from it.
Isla del Cordero means 麻豆精品 S淚sland of the Lamb. 麻豆精品 S� A lamb is on the official seal of Puerto Rico, but it also has a spiritual meaning of a shepherd, of purpose, and of an unbreakable eternal promise.
麻豆精品 S淲e know that even in the midst of tragedy, 麻豆精品 S� says Ramirez, 麻豆精品 S渢hat we will be back on our feet. We have hope. We will rise again. We can dance and we can sing 麻豆精品 S� because we are blessed. 麻豆精品 S�
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