Thomas Ramirez goes by TommyG now, and he’s been busy. The 13-year-old from Katy, Texas has spent this year ping-ponging between local country venues and New York City stages, picking up skills and making connections along the way.
It started simple enough. TommyG was that kid who always volunteered to sing at school assemblies and entered the talent shows. When COVID hit and everyone was stuck at home, he asked his teacher for extra singing lessons instead of just waiting it out.
His sister used to sing in the car all the time, which got him interested in the first place. His dad helps manage his career now. His singing teachers have been working with him on technique. It’s the usual support system, but it’s working.
After those early school performances, TommyG joined a local band that needed a singer. That led to gigs around Texas – a back-to-school event in Katy, the Bobby Reed Show in Brazoria, some Opry shows in Alvin where he does country covers. Nothing too flashy, just steady work performing for real audiences.
Last July he released “Good Life Lovin’,” his first original song. It’s about summer and hanging out with friends – pretty standard teen stuff, but he wrote it himself and got it on Spotify. The song runs about three and a half minutes and has that laid-back summer vibe you’d expect. “The inspiration behind Good Life Lovin’ was being able to experience the freedom of summer and be with the people that mean the most to you,” he explains.
Then came the bigger opportunities. The real turning point happened in June when TommyG auditioned for and got into the Joffrey Ballet School’s Musical Theater Summer Intensive in New York. Getting accepted wasn’t easy – this is one of the top dance institutions in the world, and their summer program draws applicants from everywhere.
The three-week intensive was divided into different Broadway shows each week. TommyG and the other students worked on material from “The Lion King,” “Wicked,” and “Hell’s Kitchen.” But this wasn’t just about learning songs and dances. The program included professional-level instruction in acting, audition techniques, and stage presence – the kind of training that usually costs serious effort.
Each day started with dance classes that musical theater demands. Then came vocal coaching, working on projection and character interpretation. Afternoons were dedicated to scene work and putting together the weekly showcases.
The instructors weren’t just local teachers either. Matthew Prescott and Maximilien Baud, the program’s artistic directors, brought in performers who’d actually worked on Broadway. These were people who knew what it took to make it in a New York theater, and they weren’t going easy on a bunch of teenagers.
Week two proved to be TommyG’s breakout moment. When they cast the “Lion King” showcase, he landed the lead role of Simba. This meant solo numbers, complex choreography, and carrying most of the dramatic weight of the performance. By all accounts, he delivered. The combination of his vocal range and stage presence impressed both instructors and fellow students.
The final week focused on “Wicked,” and the group showcase demonstrated how much everyone had absorbed. Three weeks of intensive training had noticeably improved TommyG’s movement, vocal control, and comfort level on stage. The Joffrey program had given him tools he couldn’t have picked up anywhere.
July brought the Kids Rock for Kids festival, also in New York. This nonprofit event brings together young musicians from around the world for a week of performances at various venues around the city.
The venues made this festival special. The Mercury Lounge in Manhattan has hosted everyone from indie bands to established acts breaking in new material. The Bitter End calls itself New York’s oldest rock club, and its walls have heard decades of music history. The Drom combines jazz and rock in a space designed for serious listening.
TommyG found himself sharing these stages with an international group of young musicians. Yoyoka, a drummer from Japan, brought technical skills that most adult players would envy. The Only Bay, a guitarist from New York, had the local scene experience. Maximo, a 14-year-old bassist from Chile, handled complex rhythms with ease. Aanika Pai from Gibraltar and Olivia Catalano from Long Island rounded out the group with their own styles and influences.
The performances weren’t just random jam sessions. Each venue required different approaches – The Mercury Lounge’s intimate setting demanded close audience connection, while The Drom’s layout allowed for more theatrical presentation. TommyG had to adapt his stage presence and vocal delivery for each space, skills he’d picked up during his Joffrey training.
“It was a fantastic experience,” Thomas says about performing at these venues. The acoustics were professional-grade, the audiences knew music, and he got to work with musicians he wouldn’t have met otherwise. More importantly, he held his own alongside players from different musical traditions and countries.
The contrast between his Texas country work and New York experiences highlights TommyG’s range. Back home, he’s still doing those Opry performances in Alvin, tackling standards like Vince Gill’s “Liza Jane,” Zac Brown’s “Chicken Fried,” and Chris Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey.” Different style from his original material and Broadway training, but it keeps him working and helps him understand different musical approaches.
The combination of Broadway training and international performance experience has given TommyG tools that most young musicians don’t get until much later, if at all. The Joffrey program taught him professional standards and techniques, while Kids Rock for Kids showed him how to apply those skills in real performance situations with unfamiliar musicians.
TommyG has been building his resume methodically – local gigs, original material, professional training, networking with other young musicians. At 13, he’s already performed in front of paying audiences in multiple states. Whether it leads to something bigger remains to be seen, but he’s certainly laying the groundwork properly.
Catch the latest from TommyG over at: https://www.instagram.com/tommyg_ra
