We recently connected with Miguel Rivera and have shared our conversation below.
Miguel, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
My father and his brother were surgeons, my mother and one of her sisters were nurses, The house I grew up in had a clinic and a hospital. Since I can remember helping those in need was modeled and practiced as part of my upbringing. I knew from an early age that helping people was going to be one of my purposes in this life.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
In 1974 I started my professional career as a Musician, recording and touring all over the United States. In 1980 I was invited by native American elders to participate and learn some of their ceremonies
I started teaching drumming at probation camps run by LAUSD in the early nineties. At the same starter mentoring at risk youth through participation in Native ceremonies, with the goal of creating Rites of Passage.
I have also, in collaboration with other Artists and leaders led retreats that address the level of antagonism and stress prevalent in our culture today.
I also have been working with other marginalized segments: Armed forces veterans, people in recovery and the formerly incarcerated, using art and ceremony to address the trauma carried inside.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
1-Curiosityn and interest will open many doors. 2-Find a good teacher/teachers.
3-Creating community through participation.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
My parents were a tremendous influence on me. They were fiercely dedicated to bring healing to other human beings. I did not follow in their exact steps but their commitment has inspired me to find my own way of doing it.
And I know that has saved many lives over the years.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sole.house/lived-experiences/miguel-rivera
- Other: In collaboration with Micheline Berry, Michelle Wu and Tony Patrick, I have collaborated in a series of podcasts sponsored by For Freedoms. These are intended help listeners sort out some of the difficult and complex issues affecting the collective. Suicide, substance abuse, Cultural polemics.
