Richard Jimenez touches hearts with talent and tenacity

By IMANI JENKINS
Contributing Writer

As the spring semester comes to an end and seniors look forward to graduating, what better way to end it off on a good note than taking a look at one of Saint Rose’s most promising students, Richard Jimenez. From the Bronx to Albany in a short amount of time with endless amounts of dedication, anyone can see that after sitting down with him, Richard is a truly gifted cellist who has the whole world ahead of him.

At just 22 years old, never did Jimenez initially think that playing the cello, let alone having all these doors open to him was what it turned out to be: truly amazing.

He started playing the cello at 14 years old and from there, his love for it skyrocketed.

“I knew I wanted to make playing the cello into a career when I was 17, after I heard the Elgar Cello concerto by my idol and I had my first solo,” said Jimenez.

Despite what some might think, being a cellist wasn’t Jimenez’s first go-to as a kid. It was probably the last thing he would’ve mentioned when asked what he wanted to be when he grew up. But as he got older, he thought to put his interest in something little did he know, he’d be amazing at. When asked what he wanted to be growing up, Jimenez briefly talked about the possibility of being in the NFL, but how it got cut short due to lack of interest.

“I wanted to be in the NFL, but I didn’t like it enough to make it into a career,” said Jimenez.

Transitioning from high school to college was a big step for Jimenez, choosing Saint Rose was no trouble at all and, little did he know, he’d be right where he belonged. While discussing his transition, Jimenez mentioned the words told to him by someone very important in his life that made him choose his future in a heartbeat.

“I met Dr. Bebe at my audition and he told me that I had a gift and that if I came to Saint Rose, he would maximize my potential.” said Jimenez.

Coming to college is a big step for anyone, but for Jimenez it was especially big due to the fact that he didn’t know what he’d be getting himself into, and didn’t know for sure that studying music was what he wanted to do. Looking back at himself now when he was younger, never did he think things would turn out as great as they have, especially with all the hard work.

“Nothing that I expected it to be now, I thought it would be a lot more relaxed and it was the exact opposite,” said Jimenez.

Jimenez explained what his transition was like from high school to college.

“Well I was studying music and my life kind of altered into me becoming a better cellist and musician which was difficult for me at first because I realized how behind I was and I had to make a decision to either quit or work harder than everyone else,” said Jimenez.

Even through everything, the sleepless nights, the pandemic, Jimenez has managed to pull through it all as have pretty much everyone here. When asked about the role the pandemic has played in his playing, performances, and more, Jimenez touched on the benefits rather than the downfalls the pandemic has done for him in more ways than one.

“The world felt like it was at a pause so it allowed me to have much more time to practice and sharpen my technique and prepare for future concerts. In terms of concerts, it was hard to get any in so the best way to replicate concerts was to perform for friends through FaceTime, to share the beauty of music to anyone that was willing to listen,” said Jimenez.

When you love something, it starts to feel more like a passion and less like a job or a regular 9 to 5. With Jimenez, anyone can tell this is truly his passion and he conveys that through his answers. It became clear that his main focus is to just touch the hearts of anyone that’ll listen.

“To be able to convey what my heart feels and speak a universal language that can bring people together in harmony,” said Jimenez.

Touching back on his dreams and admirations, Jimenez didn’t think this is where his would be headed. When he was asked about the possibility of what he would’ve been doing if he wasn’t playing the cello, he managed to incorporate his love for others which is something he seems to value in his playing as well.

“I almost studied business at Pace, so marketing. I say this because marketing would’ve allowed me to use some of my best traits of being a people person and connecting with others which is something I love doing.” said Jimenez

Graduating, still finding time to play, and student teaching is a lot for one person and in the middle of a pandemic. However, Jimenez always looks at the bright side regardless of the situation.

“There really weren’t any challenges, if anything it made my playing flourish. This happened because I had more time to practice and I was a part of programs at the Eastman School of Music and the Cleveland Institute of Music, “ said Jimenez. “I was able to work with the assistant principal cellist of Rochester Philharmonic and the Cleveland Symphony. Having this experience, combined with working with world renowned teachers Alan Harris and Dr. Melissa Kraut, my playing exploded and I sound like an entirely new cellist. Weirdly enough, the pandemic opened up many doors for me that I will always appreciate.”

Jimenez explained how student teaching and graduating during a time like this became a blessing in disguise.

“Well for starters, proud for being resilient enough to keep working hard during a worldwide pandemic. Second, to see my growth in four years has me more excited to see what my future holds for me. Graduating is only the beginning,” said Jimenez. “Interesting because learning to teach virtually and in person has given me a new appreciation for how difficult the profession is. With that being said, I found out I love teaching 100 times more than I thought and I look forward to teaching the musicians of tomorrow. It seems like I’ve made a significant impact on the students I’ve worked with during student teaching and I hope to continue to do that in the future.”

Even though he’ll no longer be a student at Saint Rose in just a few weeks, Jimenez still had a few words to say about some of the music classes being cut from the music program.

“Honestly, I feel like it’s absolutely disgusting because it seems like the school has treated the music program as something that is extracurricular and music is much bigger than that. It brings people together and allows others to express themselves as well as allowing for the imagination to sore. Taking away an individual’s creativity is taking away someone’s uniqueness,” said Jimenez.

In terms of after college and even into his personal life a little bit, Jimenez has a few goals he’s set for himself. Jimenez said he is preparing for graduate school auditions, teaching in the upstate New York area.

He said, “To become the best musician, cellist, teacher, person that I can be in life.”

Jimenez considers his friends to be more like family, and spoke about his group of close friends that he met at Saint Rose.

“We all lived on Lima’s first floor together. We got placed there randomly,” said Jinenez. “My first impression of them was they were a lot funnier than I expected them to be, especially Eric.”

Friends of Jimenez had no problem sharing nothing but love and gratitude for him.

“Rich helped me find a new found love for my music just by watching him practice. He works very hard, and it pays off,” said Mario Corradi III, one of Jimenez’s friends and peers at Saint Rose.

Eric Szillus, another one of Jimenez’s friends and roommates, also offered compliments about Jimenez.

“Rich is an extremely hard working individual. I think the people that come in contact with him walk away learning something new, and are better people for it. He’s also very talented,” said Szillus.

Another roommate, Justin Runge, had similar remarks.

“Richard Anibal Jimenez is one of the kindest, most talented gentlemen I have had the pleasure of knowing. He is an amazing roommate and it always makes my day to walk in and see his smile, it’s a smile money couldn’t buy. His friendship is a treasure,” said Runge.

Just because he’s graduating, doesn’t mean people won’t be touched by his music, voice, or heart while he’s playing at huge concert halls in the near future.

As Jimenez would say, quoting Bob Marley: “The greatness of a man is not how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.”