Percussion passion propels Harlandale High School senior into elite Marine Band

SAN ANTONIO — A high school senior is marching into the future—snare drum in hand and Marine blues on the horizon.

Dominic Ramirez, a passionate percussionist and graduating senior at Harlandale High School, has enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and earned a spot in the highly competitive Marine Band—an elite unit known for its musical excellence and rigorous audition process.

“Official last day,” Ramirez said on his final afternoon of high school Wednesday. “I’ll see [my teachers] at graduation, but this is the last time I’ll be in their classroom.”

His musical journey began in middle school, where he first picked up drumsticks.

“I love music. I love music so much,” Ramirez said. “Ever since middle school when they gave me the option to play drums, I was so excited! I’ve always liked drumming.”

Ramirez said his interest in music sparked at home, inspired by family members who casually played drums.

“My family, they were never crazy good at it, but they would have drum sets and I would hear them in the other room,” he said. “I would always be like, ‘I wanna be like that!’”

As his love for percussion grew, so did his skills—eventually catching the attention of a military recruiter at Harlandale, who introduced him to the idea of enlisting.

“Sgt. Garcia got me interested in enlisting right away,” Ramirez said.

That interest led to an audition held on Harlandale’s campus—one that would change his life. The audition lasted about an hour, with the recruiter Staff Sergeant Joshua Wagner traveling to San Antonio to hear him perform in person. Ramirez was hired on the spot.

“I didn’t think I was going to be able to make it,” Ramirez recalled. “But he gave me the music, I started practicing and I realized I could really try this out!”

Clay Kuglen, Ramirez’s percussion director at Harlandale, was by his side every step of the way.

“From that point on, from February until now, we were doing weekly lessons, biweekly lessons—working on snare drum, marimba, drum set,” Kuglen said. “It was a heartfelt moment because it made me realize, oh no, little birdie is flying off. But what a big step!”

Kuglen listened from his office during the audition, ear pressed to the door.

“Sure enough, I hear a knock and he said, ‘I made it!’” Kuglen said. “It was just—tears. It was a big moment.”

The Marine Band is one of the most selective in the country. Recruiters travel across the U.S., choosing only top-tier talent after strenuous evaluations.

“All the recruiters have to go around and listen and then pick and choose—‘OK, you’re good enough,’ or, ‘Sorry, try again,’” Kuglen explained. “Understanding the hard work he put in for the audition and also how competitive it is, it just made it all the more substantial.”

Ramirez’s performance, dedication and humility stood out.

“Such an easy kid to teach because he’s just very receptive and always wanting more. ‘Give me more! Give me more! Give me more!’” Kuglen said. “A student like him comes once in a blue moon.”

After basic and weapons training this summer in San Diego—his first time visiting California—Ramirez will begin his formal musical education at the Marine Corps School of Music.

“After basic training and weapons training, they’ll send me over to the school where there will be a whole bunch of percussionists,” Ramirez explained. “We’ll learn about music theory and more about music in general.”

He’s already enrolled and eager to grow.

“Now I’m enrolled into the School of Music for the Marines,” he said. “The Marine Band, you hear about them—they’re super high up there! I mean, our program’s pretty good here [at Harlandale], too.”

Ramirez says a big motivator for joining the military was the opportunity to further his education and gain lifelong skills.

“This was going to help me in my future the most—like with free college,” he said. “That’s a big role in why I’m joining the Marines.”

And while he admits there were nerves about enlisting, the presence of close friends helped.

“I was scared at first,” he said. “But I have friends who are going with me, too.”

He’s also motivated by the reaction of family members, who’ve expressed pride and excitement for what lies ahead.

“I’ll go to family reunions and they’ll come and hug me and they’re like, ‘I’m so happy for you! I’m so proud of you!’”

Now, Ramirez sets his sights on a dream performance.

“My favorite part about band is putting the drums, percussion together, hearing it for the first time, then putting it with the band together and seeing how everything just lines up,” he said. “I want to become a better musician. I want to meet people all over the world. I want to play all over the world.”

His ultimate goal?

“To perform in front of a DCI crowd,” he said, referring to Drum Corps International—an elite stage for marching musicians worldwide.

For Dominic Ramirez, the final school bell isn’t a goodbye. It’s an overture.