Award-winning educator Ramon Rivera, recognized by both the Alliance for California Traditional Arts and the Mellon Foundation Fellowship, is passionate about advancing music education that reflects cultural diversity. In partnership with pBone Music, he champions accessible instruments like the pInstrument series and creates pathways for teachers to integrate Hispanic and South American repertoire into contemporary band curricula, fostering deeper community engagement.
When a student walks into a music room, they aren’t just bringing their backpack and instrument - they’re carrying their identity, their culture, and the music they’ve known since birth. For Latin American students, this often means rhythms, melodies, and songs from Puerto Rico, Cuba, Mexico, Colombia, and beyond. Including these sounds in our classrooms isn’t just music education - it’s hospitality.
Ramón Rivera, mariachi musician, educator, and presenter at this year’s Modern Band Summit, has been urging teachers nationwide to think beyond the recorder or “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” His approach is simple but powerful: representation matters.
Representation Through Repertoire
Rivera reminds us that music classrooms have long been centered on European tradition: Mozart, Beethoven, chorales. These works are valuable, but if your school is in Brooklyn, where many students are Puerto Rican, or Miami, where Cuban and Colombian families thrive, why not reflect those cultures in your repertoire?
“Teach from Mozart to mariachi and everything in between,” Rivera says. “If you’re not choosing music that represents your community, you’re not doing enough research.”
That representation doesn’t have to be complicated. Rivera has created accessible eight-bar songs - short, recognizable melodies that students already know from hearing them at home, on TV, or at celebrations. Think of “La Bamba,” Celia Cruz’s La Vida es un Carnaval, Luis Fonsi’s Despacito, or Carlos Santana’s Oye Como Va. Each can be played with just a couple of ukulele chords, a simple brass line, or even Boomwhackers.
For many students, those melodies are more than music - they are a warm welcome, a recognition of who they are.
From Music History to Hospitality
Rivera urges teachers to see this work as more than repertoire building: it’s about creating belonging. “It’s hospitality in the schoolroom,” he explains. For international students, or those straddling two cultures, school can feel isolating. Recognizing their culture in class - even through a short melody - becomes an act of inclusion.
Adding cultural context deepens that impact. Rivera encourages educators to display country flags, share short artist bios, and highlight living legends like Vicente Fernández, Gloria Estefan, and Celia Cruz. Students notice who is on the wall. When they see musicians who look like them alongside Mozart and Beethoven, they feel seen.
Practical Steps for Teachers
Rivera offers practical, ready-to-use strategies:
- Start simple. Use accessible eight-bar melodies tied to popular songs. These can be learned quickly, giving beginners immediate success.
- Use existing resources. Many elementary classrooms already have ukulele sets. Pair them with pBuzz or pTrumpet for simple brass integration.
- Make it visual. Display flags, instruments, and artist quotes. Representation on the walls builds community as much as repertoire.
- Connect history with sound. A song like Oye Como Va isn’t just Santana - it’s also Tito Puente and the Cuban cha-cha. Teaching the story behind the song helps students value their heritage.
- Honor Heritage Months. September 15-October 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month, a perfect time to launch these lessons. Ready-to-use resources are available through pBone Music.
Beyond Music - Building Community
For Rivera, the bottom line is clear: without relationship, there’s no learning. Students thrive in classrooms where their culture is celebrated. Including Latin American music not only engages them musically but also transforms the band room into a safe haven, a place where hospitality is as important as harmony.
“Everybody loves Latin music,” Rivera reminds us. “Music is music. A G in Mexico is still a G. Why not teach it?”
Watch the full Interview with Ramon Ramirez:
Mary Galime
Mary Galime is the Director of US/Canada Marketing for Denis Wick Products. In her free time, Mary is a freelance trumpet player, teaches private lessons, and enjoys time with her family and gardening.
