Gitara Sa Kanto

During our student days in the 80s at Pasig Catholic College (PCC), the school had a strict policy of not letting anyone in without their student ID. A security guard was posted at the main gate's entrance and he made sure each student entering was wearing his ID before being allowed inside. If we did not have our ID with us, we were made to stay outside the gate until after the bell rang and everyone had gone up to their classrooms. Once classes started, all students outside the gate were herded into the principal's office to face the consequences. In addition to missing our first period, we would clean the office, wax the floor or run messaging errands for the principal. After completing our slave duties, we would be issued a Tardy and a Temporary ID slip then sent off to our next class. After a number of such type of violations, our parents would be notified and/or we could be suspended. In the (g)olden days before printed PVC badges and smart card readers became commo

Every morning during our student days at Pasig Catholic College (PCC), we would recite the Panatang Makabayan or "Patriotic Oath" after the flag ceremony. When we reached high  school, each one of us was required to lead the oath for the entire school. I think the way they picked the student was by section/class and students' last names in alphabetical  order, but you wouldn't really know or care, so your teacher will just tell you right at that minute that it's your turn. If you were tapped on the shoulder, you would be directed to go to the  Principal's office because that's where the microphone was. The oath itself was typed on a piece of paper and taped on the wall so you literally just had to read it. The Vice  Principal would even point to the line while you are reading it so you wouldn't get lost. However, just imagine a high school kid who had never led anything before and would then suddenly  hear his loud voice over the PA system for the firs

On days when I have time to think about it, I always ask the question, " Is it worth the hassle?". To create a classical guitar music video: 1. Select a piece - 30 minutes 2. Study it - 8 hours 3. Practice it -  40 hours 4. Record it 25 times or until you are satisfied - 16 hours 5. Edit the audio/video to pretty it up - 2 hours 6. Upload and share in social media - 1 hour Then wait for people's reactions.......one month later.... 400 views 3 dislikes 10 likes 1 share 4 comments Whereas if you post... 1. Stupid or brain-dead scenes of you making a fool of yourself - 99% effective 2. Other people's viral videos - stealing is easier and yet they call themselves content creators 3. Videos showing some flesh while dancing or playing a musical instrument - sex sells!!! 4. Pet videos - doesn't matter which animal 5. Reaction videos - why??? what for??? 6. Gaming videos - really??? 7. Travel blogs - by foreigners who know squat about the Philip

Why does my playing stink? It's the guitar, right? Right? Wrong. Playing well (or bad) is the result of many factors, but the guitar almost always gets blamed if the performance doesn't  go well. When the guitar is deemed "at-fault", it is used as an excuse to buy a new one to feed one's GAS (guitar acquisition syndrome).  That being said, someday I hope to be retired (or win the lottery, whichever comes first) and be able to afford the best guitar money can buy. I believe that a good guitar  enables better technique and musicianship. However, if you are one of those people who are buying a guitar for the first time or haven't picked up a guitar in a very long time, do not  buy a Ferrari if you'll only use it to commute to work. In short, the quality of guitar you choose to own should just be enough to serve your desired goals and skill level at every  stage of your guitar journey. By doing so, as you practice and improve your guitar skills, you will reco

Nung Grade 5 kami sa Pasig Catholic College, ang music teacher namin, si Tito Morales ang nagturo sa aming bumasa ng nota. Lagi niyang bitbit ang kanyang melodion at yun ang ginagamit niya para iparinig sa amin ang tono ng bawat nota. Hinihipan niya ang melodion habang tinutugtog ito kaya medyo laging kapos ang hininga niya pag nagsasalita. Isa sa mga exams namin ay kantahin ang mga nota na nakasulat sa manila paper at dinikit sa blackboard. Excited ako kasi parang natural lang sa ken ang magbasa at kumanta. Nung araw ng exam ay dala-dalawa kaming pinatayo at pinakanta sa harapan. Sa tingin ko ay ayos naman ang pagkakakanta ko ng piyesa. Kaso nung makaupo na kami, sinabi sa ken ni Mr. Morales na hindi raw ako kumanta at yung kasama ko lang daw ang narinig niya. Halos binagsak niya ako sa exam. Laking gulat ko kasi iba and inaasahan kong marinig sa kanya. Sa totoo lang, yung kasabay ko ang hindi nagbubuka masyado ng bibig o wala sa tono kung kumanta. Naisahan ako! Sa sobrang inis ko e n

Back when we were in 6th Grade at Pasig Catholic College (PCC), our Science teacher Ms. Lara used to lug around these loose blackboards from one classroom to another. Listed in them are the topics or pointers for our Science class that she had filtered from the reference books. We would spend most of the 45-minute period copying them in our notebooks and we were also expected to memorize them. Afterwards, she would conduct an oral exam where she would randomly call each one of us to answer her questions. If we could not provide the right answer, we were to remain standing. We were young kids and our inherent fear of not being able to answer the questions became self-fulfilling. By the end of the period, everyone was standing.  What I just described is the typical method of instruction that Filipinos undergo while in school. It is widely assumed that this impedes creativity and prevents kids from learning because they cannot question the data and/or challenge the status quo. W

A seasoned classical guitarist once told me that at a certain point in my guitar self-studies, I should stop referring to myself as a "classical guitar player" and start letting people know that I'm a "classical guitarist". It took me a while to comprehend it because the play on wordings are subtle and yet the implications are potentially huge. It's the difference between a DIY dad who can (read: barely knows how to) use power tools to fix a fence and a licensed contractor who can construct a house with the same power tools because he knows how it's done. In very simple terms, a classical guitar player is someone who plays music on a classical guitar. That music can be a mix of classical music or other types of genre (jazz, alternative, rock,etc.). On the other hand, a classical guitarist specializes in the classics and uses the classical guitar as a medium for expressing the music. Still don't get it or don't agree? You're not alone. Whi