Federico Ramos Escalera
and his Method for Learning the Piano
Federico Ramos Escalera (1857-1927):
Musicologist, pianist, music teacher, and composer
From the book, Puerto Rico Musical, by Néstor Murray-Irizarry.
Federico Ramos Escalera was born in Arecibo on April 14, 1857, and died in Ponce on August 23, 1927. He was the son of Barbara Escalera and Juan Inés Ramos, who was a silversmith and music teacher. He was also the founder of the first orchestra in the heroic town of Capitán Correa, which was under his personal direction for 37 years. Federico received his musical instruction from his older brother, Adolfo Heraclio, who also excelled in the musical arts, having been awarded in Rome for a renowned piano study. Federico was under his direction until the age of 22, having studied in an unusual if diligent manner. Federico was especially skilled as a composer, it should be noted that by the age of 11 he had already composed marches, waltzes, and other pieces of a similar nature even before he had become familiar with the principles of the musical arts. He composed around 150 works.
In 1893, maestro Ramos, while living and teaching music in Guayama, created a method for learning to play piano. According to the newspaper La Correspondencia de Puerto Rico (May 1, 1893, p. 3):
He is writing a piano method based on
musical meter and notation. The work
will be divided into five parts and will be
accessible to children who are beginning
to learn music. It is the first work of its
kind to be published in Puerto Rico.
Click for Federico Ramos Escalera’s handwritten notes (in Spanish) on his method for learning to play piano.
