Nicanor "Nick" Olmos, born in Ballinger, Texas, moved with his family to California at the age of six. His early life was steeped in music and hard work; the family traveled across California as migrant farmworkers, and music was constantly present in their lives. His father played guitar, and though the rest of the family wasn’t formally trained, music became a shared family passion. Nick's fascination with music began when he was only three, inspired by his older brother’s singing before being drafted into the Navy. That moment stayed with him, particularly the song "Camino de Monterrey."

Despite his desire to learn guitar early on, his brothers initially refused to teach him, believing he was too young. He finally learned guitar at age six and later picked up the trumpet at twelve, quickly mastering it due to his strong ear for music. As a self-taught musician, Nick excelled in auditory learning and improvisation, often practicing daily to develop his musical abilities.

Nick was drafted into the Army and served as a trumpet player in the military band, where he received advanced music theory instruction. Though adjusting to the Army’s standardized trumpet technique was a challenge, he gained a strong foundation in musical structure and composition.

Returning to Bakersfield, he joined Mariachi Royal in 1965, led by Maralino Casillas and Jesús Cimental. His improvisational skills and deep repertoire allowed him to thrive in the working mariachi scene, which required musicians to play from memory and adapt on the fly to audience requests. He later performed in trios, including Los Panchitos and another group with his brothers, and co-founded Mariachi Los Olmos. This group reflected his desire to perform alongside his family and teach them the traditions of mariachi.

In parallel with performing, Nick worked as an instrument repair technician and guitar teacher at Coleman Music. There, he developed skills in fixing brass and woodwind instruments and eventually earned a teaching credential through part-time study. He also taught music in Bakersfield schools until his retirement at age 64, where he developed a mariachi curriculum for elementary students, focusing on fundamentals like scales and basic melodies. He also designed custom exercises and simplified arrangements to the students’ musical level.

Nick emphasizes the importance of motivation and practice, noting how music education must compete with modern distractions, unlike in his own childhood. He passed on his musical legacy to his children—his daughters Leticia and Alicia, and his son Nicholas (Nicky). Nicky showed perfect pitch at age two and eventually surpassed his father in both technical skill and sight-reading by age 12. The family formed various ensembles over the years, including Mariachi Tenampa and Mariachi Tapatío.

Though Mariachi Los Olmos eventually disbanded due to shifting family dynamics and personal workload, Nick continued to teach and compose. He wrote several original pieces, including “Siempre, Siempre,” and created a video presentation on the role of mariachi in classic Mexican cinema, which he credited as a major influence on his love for the genre. Today, Nick remains a passionate advocate for mariachi and traditional Mexican music, emphasizing its joy, storytelling power, and cultural significance across generations and borders.