Rita Simó
Founder
People's Music School
Chicago, IL USA
“Being petrified is part of everything, but you don't stop doing it. You're scared to death, but you keep on going. If you fail, then you try it another way.”
Videos
By Roadtrip NationRita Simó
Milestones
My road in life has been direct.
She was born in a nice town in the Dominican Republic, but it was still a third-world country.
When she first saw a piano, she was immediately drawn to it; her family realized she had a natural talent.
As one of the great Dominican talents, she was often forced to perform for dictator Rafael Trujillo and his "cronies," which she hated.
However, she says that for as terrible of a man as Trujillo was, he always encouraged his people to develop their talents.
For example, Rita's music education began when she won a national contest and was sent to New York to study at Juilliard.
She quickly learned that in the U.S., if you wanted to learn music, you had to pay; in contrast, her Dominican music classes had always been free.
Her life's goal suddenly became apparent: she wanted to teach free music classes for American children.
Says that the only person who's going to call something a "failure" is you; most "failures" are simply stepping stones to your next adventure.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Career
Founder
I help students discover their self-worth through their love of music.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Education
Music
Helping People
Interviewed By
Nashville - Chicago
Continuing in Nashville, the Southern Route team interviews Keith Stegall, singer/songwriter/producer. In Chicago, the Central route team interviews Rita Simo, founder of People's Music School and Jim Derogatis, pop music critic for the Chicago Sun-Times.
