Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Summer running


Today marked my first month in Boston. And today was also the first day of summer.
My ear training professor mentioned it in class yesterday -- “Tomorrow is the first day of summer!” -- but I didn’t think much of it. Neither did I really believe my iPhone weather forecasts for the week, which ranged from 19 to 22 degrees from Sunday to Tuesday, and then leaped to 33 to 35 from Wednesday onwards. After all, in the Philippines, you don’t really have a “first day of tag-init” and a “first day of tag-ulan”, with forecasts screwy, and rain and heat alternating unpredictably all year round.
Today, though, I saw what it all meant, with yesterday’s lovely Baguio-in-the-1980s-esque cool suddenly giving way to today’s hellish Manila-just-before-I-left-last-May-esque heat. I wore shorts to school for the first time, lots of schoolmates came in sando tops, I actually sweated walking down the street, and I was back to the Manila mode of being sabik sa air con.
One good thing that came out of it, though, was a chance for my second outdoor run since arriving in Boston. My first run had been early on a cold, cloudy morning some weeks back, my sweat pretty much froze on my skin -- and I had stuck to the treadmill in the gym since then. But now, with Manila heat and the Boston sun typically setting past 8 PM, my run could pretty much be under Ateneo-before-Hangad-rehearsal conditions. And, I could actually go run by the Charles for the first time.
And so, leaving the house in a “Gay Men’s Domestic Violence Project” t-shirt that I had gotten for free from last week’s Pride (in retrospect, that t-shirt both a risk and an advertisement, depending on who it would attract, LOL), I ran down to Kendall Square, out to the north bank of the Charles near MIT, west to the Massachusetts Avenue bridge, across the river and back east along the Charles’ south bank esplanade. (I could have run all the way to Berklee, but decided to take the Esplanade instead to avoid the stoplights in the Berklee area.) 
It was glorious: the silhouettes of the Boston and Cambridge skylines across the river; the sky turning indigo and the river rippling orange in the sunset; little details like ducks swimming single file near the riverbank, moored sailboats, and lots of Bostonians sitting by the river enjoying the fading afternoon; and as I ran, the feel of not really knowing where you’re going, and just figuring it out as you go along, and getting semi-lost in this exciting new city, but then discovering all these sites on the way.    
Well, halfway through the Esplanade on the south bank, I realized some things about “getting semi-lost while running”; so for my next run, here are my notes to myself:
  1. As much as you enjoy wandering and getting lost and turning corners to discover something new -- remember that the energy you expended getting semi-lost is the same energy you’ll need getting back home. Because I forgot this, I pretty much walked all the way back. LOL.  
  2. Bring $20. It’s not heavy to carry. Or bring your subway card. You don’t need a bulky wallet for either. When your feet are killing you and your calves are cramping up, you’ll be SOOO happy.
  3. Study the map, even just a bit, before leaving the house. Even if I was led home by my direction sense (one of the few remaining manly things about me, haha), actually knowing how to get home saves you a lot of stress.
  4. And lastly -- get yourself an iPhone runner's strap (or whatever you call it). Take advantage of those "map your run" apps, those city maps when you start getting lost, and a camera that will let you capture all things you enjoyed about your run.
So now, with aching feet, great memories from the run, triumph that I actually made it back home despite myself, and gratitude for that life-saving drinking fountain halfway through the esplanade -- it’s time for me to work on my homework for Lyric Writing class tomorrow. 

Friday, June 8, 2012

There’s some wisdom in here somewhere


Okay, this entry will definitely be shorter than everything else so far. LOL. :p
Remember my conversation with the Songwriting department chair, that I talked about two blogs entries ago? (Yes, the really long blog entry, that one.)
I mentioned in that blog that, as part of my situationer to the department chair, I said that I was denied a scholarship, hence I really needed to make the most of my time in Berklee.
What I didn’t mention was that I had joked that maybe it was my age that had kept me from getting a scholarship, to which he had just chuckled; but later in the conversation, he absently said, “You know, if we have two students who apply for scholarship, and they have the same amount of talent, but one is ten years older than the other, then we’ll tend to favor the younger one, because he has more years of potential ahead of him...”
And I just figured I’d share this for the sake of everyone who’s putting off following their dreams and pursuing their passions for whatever reason. While I’ve no regrets about starting at Berklee at 34, this is also a pretty good reminder that opportunity isn’t a lengthy visitor.

My First Date with the Pops

By request of certain readers, and in consideration of increasing schoolwork, my blog posts will be shorter from now on. ...I hope. LOL.

Last Saturday night, I arrived home past 11 PM, still reeling from being part of the most glorious standing ovation ever.
I had come from Film Night with John Williams and the Boston Pops at Symphony Hall.
Nope, I didn’t get the ticket using the Boston Symphony Orchestra College Card I’ve said so much about on Facebook and in this blog. Rather, I bought the ticket last January. (For $52! Well, I did still have a salary back then, haha.)
What’s the big deal with the Boston Pops? Well, they’re my favorite orchestra. Riiiiight, hokaaayyy, some people might say (and have said, as a matter of fact). Just put it this way: among the many cassettes that Tatay played endlessly at home and in the car while I was growing up, the recordings of John Williams and the Boston Pops were among the very few I actually enjoyed. There was a Christmas album, albums of orchestral renditions of Broadway songs and standards (I actually learned most Broadway songs and standards from those albums), and of course, albums of John Williams’ film scores, including Star Wars, Superman, E.T., and Indiana Jones. Now that I think about it, I would go so far as to say that my love for arranging, and my first lessons in arranging, came from the Boston Pops, with their combinations of lines and timbres which deliver outcomes ranging from fun and playful to dramatic and deeply evocative.
Now for some strange reason, despite being a long-time fanboy, I didn’t realize until months after I decided to go to Berklee that I was actually moving to the home of the Boston Pops. When I did, I immediately checked the website for the shows scheduled near my move -- and there, finding Film Night with John Williams on the first weekend after the start of school, bought myself an orchestra section ticket without batting an eyelash.
I had expected that the show would simply be John Williams and the Boston Pops playing Williams’ film music -- apart from those I mentioned, add Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List, Jaws, and Harry Potter. But like so much else about my Boston experience so far, my night with the Pops turned out to exceed my expectations.
Symphony Hall itself was an experience. I emerged from the subway station right in front of Symphony Hall 30 minutes before showtime, and was able to wander the corridors outside the performance hall, with its exhibits of old musical instruments, portraits and bios of past conductors and musical directors, and even portraits of the members of the orchestra. I promised myself to come earlier the next time I came to see a performance, to experience Symphony Hall better.
Entering the performance hall, I looked upward to see a grand ceiling and classical-style statues perched high along the walls, above the second balcony. On the walls were huge light projections of the stars and stripes, in keeping with the Boston Pops’ theme for the season, “Visions of America.” But below all this grandeur, contrary to my expectation of a stiff venue for symphonic performances, were a slatted wooden floor, folding chairs, round tables, the hustle and bustle of waiters serving waiting audience members. The purist in me considered hating it; but to tell the truth, I loved the relaxed setup and the casual energy.
At exactly 8 PM, the lights went down, a door opened on stage right, and John Williams walked onstage and up to his conductor’s podium. Right then I realized just how awesome my position was that evening: I was in the same room as a genius who had composed some of the greatest and most best-known music of our time. (I would even go so far to liken him to a modern-day Beethoven -- after all, who hasn’t heard the theme from Star Wars?) And not only was I in the same room as this genius: I was also about to hear him conduct his music, by the same orchestra that had recorded this music in the first place, which I had grown up listening to. All my life I had watched conductors and orchestras performing someone else’s music -- but here was someone conducting his own music.  I was in awe.
John Williams raised and lowered his baton, and the show opened with the Olympic fanfare he wrote (for Atlanta, I believe). I enjoyed it -- the energy of the composition and the orchestra, particularly the Pops’ brilliant brass section -- but I was puzzled about what this piece was doing in film night. I opened the souvenir programs that were on each table in the venue, and to my surprise, there were very few Williams movie titles  in the repertoire for the evening: Tintin, Superman, War Horse, and The Reivers (the latter two of which I had never even heard). Apart from these were a whole section for the Olympics, a tribute to Fenway Park (Boston’s baseball stadium), a salute to the western featuring works by other composers (such as Dances With Wolves by John Barry), and a tribute to Bette Davis. I’ll admit I was a little disheartened, having expected a night of Williams film themes; but still, I kept an open mind, curious how the evening would go.
Sure enough, the evening did not disappoint. The music from War Horse and other films was fantastic; and for the other portions, the show made brilliant use of multimedia to heighten the sensory experience. There was a glorious montages of epic Olympic moments, and of the stunning Bette Davis; a live narration by Senator Alan Simpson of excerpts from William Faulkner’s novel The Reivers, as music from the movie The Reivers played, demonstrating the power of music to enhance, even tell, a story; and a video of scenes from Fenway Park’s 100 years, which the audience loved -- again, sparking my affection for this city that loves its symphony orchestra just as much as it loves its sports teams.
And as the show was drawing to a close, just before the last number in the program, John Williams spoke into the microphone to announce a “program change”: they were going to do a tribute to his collaborations with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. The audience’s excitement was tangible -- especially when the all-too-familiar double basses started to play their ominous notes, and scenes from Jaws started to flash on the huge screen above the orchestra. Jaws segued into Star Wars, to uproarious applause from the audience -- and this is where my tears started to flow, as images of Luke and Yoda and Darth Vader flashed on the screen, accompanied by such overwhelming music which I had heard countless times, but now played by this orchestra under the baton of this genius. Star Wars became Indiana Jones, and tears gave way to appetite for a very hot Harrison Ford; but tears started to flow again, even moreso than before, when up came the soaring strings, and Elliott, and Drew Barrymore, and flying bicycles, and the little alien who phoned home in one of the first movies I ever saw in a cinema. 
After that came the glorious standing ovation -- no hesitation, everyone instantly up off their seats, applauding wildly and crying “Bravo!”, from the orchestra section all the way up to second balcony. What a privilege to have been one of them. 
A couple more numbers -- a suite from Superman, and Sousa’s Stars and Stripes Forever, and I was on the bus home, thoughts about the evening tumbling into my iPhone’s Notepad, and the sounds of the evening still ringing in my ears.
What a great first date with the Pops. And as of this writing, thanks to my $2 College Card, I actually already saw another show -- Cole Porter night last Wednesday, which also featured songs by Irving Berlin, George Gerswhin, Jerome Kern and Richard Rodgers -- and have another date for Gospel Night this Saturday. And I was happy to learn that Mikee, a Boston-based Pinoy friend and fellow music-lover who joined me for Cole Porter night, is also a fan of the Boston Pops and would watch them more often if only he had company. After all, standing ovations are better shared.
Three dates with the Boston Pops in eight days; and for sure, more to come in the months ahead. Fanboy has never felt so alive. 

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Boston Week One


As I write this, I’m sitting on an iron bench on a grassy mound in Gore Street Park, a large tree-lined field encircled by a concrete path, just a short walk from our apartment. In the park with me are a family flying a kite, another family kicking around a soccer ball, and kids and teenagers on scooters and bicycles. With the sun out, a clear blue sky, cool air and a brisk breeze, it’s too much of a picture-perfect spring day to be indoors.

Just a while ago, I was walking up and down Cambridge St., the main road right behind our apartment, looking for an open coffee shop where I could write. Unfortunately, everything was closed, thanks to today’s Memorial Day holiday. I also tried waiting for the 69 bus to Harvard Square (Cambridge St. leads right to Harvard), where I supposed there would be a greater chance of finding an coffee shop. But the bus took forever (presumably also because of the Memorial Day holiday) so I headed to this park.

Months ago, I would have simply taken out my car, driven to my favorite Starbucks at Ortigas Home Depot, and done my writing there.

Earlier, just before I left the house to look for a coffee shop, I pulled a week’s worth of laundry out of the drier, folded it, and put it back into my drawers. From time to time, I would anxiously try on a freshly-laundered shirt; and at the end of putting everything away, I breathed a huge sigh of relief that my favorite clothes had survived my first attempt ever at operating a washing machine and drier.

Months ago, I would have just come home to a closet full of fresh clothes, all dried, pressed, and folded or hung.

Earlier still, while my laundry was in the dsrier, I had gone out to Marshall’s, a store known for discounts on brand name clothes, and rifled through a display of pillowcases, setting aside the $6.99s and $7.99s, and picking up the ones costing just $5.99. I also bought a yoga mat, choosing the $19.99 one over the $24.99 one.

Months ago, I would have been shopping for pillowcases in Rustans and a yoga mat at Nike, and disregarding the cheapest options in my suspicion about their quality, and picking out something mid-priced, at least.

And even earlier, while the washing machine was chugging with my laundry inside it, I popped my lunch into the microwave: a bowl of leftover spaghetti made by my housemate that was a much cheaper option than going out to eat. Come to think of it, it’s just as well that none of the neighborhood coffee shops were open: coffee and a sandwich would have set me back around $7, roughly the equivalent of a school day meal at the Berklee caf.

Months ago, I would have had no qualms about an impromptu Php300 lunch at Bizu or Cibo, or a Php400 dinner at Banana Leaf Curry House or Cyma.

Just over a week after my arrival in Boston, this is how my life is looking. And unless I suddenly stumble upon a million dollars, it looks like this is how it’s going to be for the next two year or so as well. Talk about a radical change from what I was so accustomed to mere months ago!

Am I complaining though? Not at all. This week has been incredible, exceeding all my expectations, setting all my misgivings at ease, and sending me surprise after surprise—so much so that I wouldn’t trade this life in Boston for anything in the world.

Here’s a handful of reasons why.

*  *  *

Isn’t it weird that coffee shops close on Memorial Day? Whoever heard of coffee shops in Manila closing on Araw ng Kagitingan? Well, here’s an interesting bit of trivia—those same coffee shops close at 6 PM on weekdays, and are closed the whole day on Sundays. (The exception is Starbucks, which is known to close “late”—10 PM.) Even the Prudential, one of the city’s bigger malls, closes at 6 PM on Sundays.

Yup, it’s strange. But this strangeness is one reason I’m loving Boston. It’s modern, busy, and intellectual; but unlike New York and Singapore and other big cities, it doesn’t alienate or dwarf or intimidate you, or demand that you walk faster, thanks to its charming quirks, its sense of humor, and its cool, easygoing vibe that help you settle in and feel right at home.

Old red brick buildings and churches exist alongside skyscrapers; modern shops are housed inside centuries-old once-markets; and wide avenues intersect with narrow cobblestone streets.

One day, it’s raining cats and dogs all over the city, beneath gray skies and a low-hanging fog; and the next, it’s bright and sunshiny, too warm for even a long-sleeved shirt.

Thankfully, there’s a dearth of fast food (I’ve only counted two McDonald’s since I got here, and haven’t even seen a Burger King); instead, there are a lot of neighborhood restaurants and pizza joints and cafés (the same ones that are closed today, haha). The exception is Dunkin Donuts—practically one on every corner, since it was born here. (So that’s why it’s called a Boston Creme…) 

The city’s subway system is far-reaching and reliable, but for sure it has its quirks. For example, cars on the subway’s green line screech to a halt before reaching the station, in the middle of a dark tunnel, while waiting for the cars ahead of it load and unload—leaving first-timers on the subway entertainingly agitated (“Why are we stopping? Why are we stopping?!?!”).

Pretty much everywhere I go, people respond to “thank you” with a “you’re welcome” (or more accurately, “y’ welcome”).

The city is crazy about their sports teams and stadiums; but just as proud of their Symphony Hall and Boston Symphony Orchestra (also known as the Boston Pops, depending on the time of year) and museums and art schools. Just a block away from the ball park is the city’s conservatory of music.

The city speaks so many languages and has so many different-colored faces that you’ll hardly feel like a foreigner in these streets. The people bike, and walk their dogs, and read on park benches, and work on their laptops on the riverbank, and jog along busy streets.

And this is what I’ve seen in my first week alone. I have yet to visit the museums, people-watch in the park, watch a baseball game (maybe even a basketball game, for the heck of it), run by the Charles, take a shot at sculling, and strike up an intellectual conversation in a bar. This city has so much to explore, so much to do, so many people to meet. At least for the next year, it’s a pretty good place to call home.

*  *  *

Thankfully, the reason I’m here in the first place—Berklee College of Music—is pretty damned awesome, and as far as I’ve seen, worth every cent. Last week was orientation week, and though classes haven’t started, I’ve already found so much to love.

I love the approach to music education. Classes are kept small, with only around 12 students per class. Students are required to take ensemble classes, singing or playing under a teacher’s guidance with other students of a similar instrumental (or vocal) skill level and preferred musical style. Students also get weekly one-on-one instruction on their instruments. And, the school evaluates students’ instrumental skills holistically, factoring in (if I’m not mistaken) note reading, interpretation, rhythm, and improvisation.

I love the school’s integration of technology. Everything is online, from class skeds to tuition dues to registration to computer support to academic references per department. Every student gets standardized hardware (a standard MacBook Pro, a MIDI controller, and an audio interface for recording)  and software.  And the school’s Learning Center gives regular technology tutorial sessions that anyone can sign up for, anytime.

I love the library, with its enormous selection of books, CDs, DVDs, and music scores (including pop, vocal, and Broadway scores).

I love the school’s support systems, with whole departments assigned to handle student activities, student wellness, student shows, student employment, and counseling and advising for international students.

During orientation week, I especially loved the orientation session on ear training, where a member of the ear training faculty explained Berklee’s approach to ear training (with its “movable do”, and individual names assigned to the entire chromatic scale)—and after briefly explaining a few techniques, actually had the entire freshman batch of over 200 people sight-singing a score together!

I am totally looking forward to my classes. For my first semester, I have ear training, arranging, harmony, ensemble, one-on-one piano instruction, lyric writing, and songwriting.

And I love being part of a fantastically diverse student body. In my peer advising group (i.e., the group you’re assigned to for orientation and support for your first sem), there are people from the USA, Russia, Brazil, Chile, Korea, Argentina, Japan, Indonesia, Greece, and Cyprus; and beyond my peer advising group, I’ve met people from Italy, France, Peru, India, Australia, Canada, China, Spain, Uruguay, Germany, Slovenia and Nepal. And diversity not only comes from the “international-ness” of student body, but also their backgrounds. One fellow student from Russia has Bachelors and Masters degrees in robotics engineering, and a degree in music theory, and plays alto saxophone. Another has Bachelors and Masters degrees in music therapy, used to practice music therapy, and now wants to study songwriting “to do something for herself”. Another was with the US Navy; and yet another sings in her church’s gospel choir and aims to perfect “And I Am Telling You” from Dreamgirls during her stay at Berklee. I look forward to experiencing musical diversity as well, as I interact more and more with my fellow students in musical scenarios.

But wait, there’s more!  Just when you thought everything I’ll be learning from formal schooling and my fellow students is hella amazing, there’s loads to experience and learn outside of school as well.

For one, there’s the Boston Symphony Orchestra College Card. A “scavenger hunt” game during orientation week had freshmen going to different non-academic departments around school to collect stamps from these departments to qualify for a raffle. It was this game that brought me to the Student Activities Center; but unlike most freshmen who just asked for their stamps, I took a while to look around the SAC. And I’m glad I did, because that’s where I saw a sign advertising “Boston Symphony Orchestra College Cards, $2”—and was amazed to know that with this card, for only $2 each season, you could watch as many performances of the Boston Symphony Orchestra or Boston Pops Orchestra as you liked. Naturally, I bought one, and am itching to use it.

For another, Berklee students get free admission to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts—home to the works of some big name artists including Monet, Rembrandt and Degas—and the Boston Institute of Contemporary Art. Pretty damned exciting for a museum lover like me.

And lastly, Berklee is part of Boston’s ProArts Consortium, along with The Boston Architectural College, The Boston Conservatory, Emerson College, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston—which means that Berklee students can cross-enroll for classes at any of these other colleges, like drawing and painting at one of the visual art schools. I don’t know if I’ll actually cross-enroll, but how exciting to know that such a possibility exists!

*  *  *

To tell the truth, I applied for Berklee not really knowing what to major in, and more importantly, what to do after Berklee.

My big fabulous mega-dream was to write a Broadway hit (or at least be musical director for a Broadway, or even off-Broadway, production); or write an Oscar-winning film score.

My not-mega-but-still-a-dream-dream, toned down to better resemble what I’ve been doing all along with Hangad and hence presumably more realistic, had me becoming an inspirational singer-songwriter like Berklee alumna Corrinne May.

My practical option was to return to the Philippines and become a professional songwriter, maybe for singers or jingles.

And my safety net was to return to my old comfortable corporate life in the Philippines, with Hangad in the evenings and on weekends, but this time with more confidence and capability in music performance, writing, and production.

(Just in case you’re wondering, as some friends have: “Why not major in Music Business? You’ll have an advantage, having spent 12 years doing corporate work.”  My answer has invariably been: “Nah. I’m through with measured my success by how much money I can make—especially how much money I can make for other people.” And this is probably also why I'm not too thrilled about the safety net option.)

So none of these options really called out to me—some seemed too far-fetched, some seemed too time-consuming, some made me wonder about fulfillment. At the time I applied for Berklee, all I knew was that I wanted to learn more about music and have more of it in my life; hence I simply told myself, just go to Berklee and figure out the specifics when you get there. (In retrospect, this lack of vision for my musical future might have been a point against me in my scholarship applications.)  

However, a few weeks before leaving for Boston, a new option started to surface: Music Therapy. I had previously glossed over this option, thinking it would be such a joke if I tried out for it, considering my impatience with repetitive, problematic friends; and factoring in my general critical, demanding nature (misunderstood by most as nastiness and bitchiness).

But this time, I started to consider Music Therapy seriously. After all, the most fulfilling part of working with my ISAs and BCs during my last stint in P&G was seeing these individuals improve beyond their limitations and exceed their own expectations. After all, it would integrate the thinking, discipline, professionalism and people skills I had gained throughout my corporate experience. After all, during my retreat at the Cenacle in early May, I recalled, rekindled and recommitted to my college “man for others” idealism. And after all, I realized that my greatest fulfillment from all these years of making music has not been from completing an arrangement, playing the piano, singing a solo, getting a standing ovation, receiving commission, or seeing my name on a published score or recording—but in being told by listeners that my music helped them pray, saw them through tough times, gave them hope, or inspired them. Not music for music’s sake, that is, but music that touches others.

“Music Therapy is the major suited to people who are interested in using music to improve the quality of other people’s lives,” said a school official talking about different majors during orientation. It struck a chord. Thinking about it, isn’t that exactly what I was talking about when I wrote the lyric, “Through this song, let me rest the weary, soothe the restless, cause the blind to see; through this song, let me stir the hardened, heal the wounded, lead the lost to Thee”—but potentially with more system and science, once integrated with the formal Music Therapy?

With this, and all my recent realizations, pursuing Music Therapy seems to be a logical option. And the more I think about it, the more it also becomes the most solid vision of my future self: complete Music Therapy at Berklee, maybe practice in the US for a while to gain experience, and then move back to the Philippines where Music Therapy hasn’t really been established as a field, and more importantly, where I’m needed more.

Reality check: I’ve heard that Music Therapy is one of Berklee’s most demanding, most study-intensive, most serious majors. It involves heavy reading, lots of terminology, and internships in institutions for children with mental disabilities, individuals with psychological and physical conditions, juvenile delinquents, the aged, and more. I read on the website that the application process is quite long and rigorous, with a minimum grade requirement for Intro to Music Therapy (yes, you have to take the class even before you become a Music Therapy major), and a required audition, interview, and essay. But if you know me well, you’ll know that all this work and rigor actually appeals to me—even calls to me.

Realistically, though, it will take some time before I am able to finalize and formalize this decision. It won’t be until the Fall semester that I can take the Intro class, and I won’t be until I complete that when I am able to formally enter Music Therapy. In the meantime though, I’m planning to talk to the department chair about the program (and maybe get some help discerning, while I’m at it); talk to as many Music Therapy majors as I can, and read as many books on it; and find volunteer work in Berklee that would resemble Music Therapy work, to determine if this is just blind idealism, or the way to go for me. Who knows, this might just be a passing thing—I might just find along the way that writing Broadway or becoming the next Corrinne May is the path for me after all.

Eyes open, chin up, and fingers crossed as my future materializes.

*  *  *

I was warned more than once before leaving the Philippines that rooming with people I had never met before would be a challenge—especially since my “room” would be the living room of the two-bedroom apartment, separated by a divider from the dining-room-turned-common-area.  Could I handle shared housework, shared food, shared bathroom, shared dues, simply getting along, limited privacy?

The good news is—if my first week here was so amazing, it’s a lot because of my housemates, Jett, Saunder and Sherwin.

I met Jett years back when she helped record an album for Hangad as one of JesCom’s sound engineers. She graduated from Ateneo with a degree in AB Psychology in 2005, and graduated last month from Berklee with a degree in Music Production and Engineering—Summa Cum Laude, no less. In February 2011 when I flew to Boston to audition, she showed me around the school, got me a piano practice room, and took me to lunch at the Berklee cafeteria. Months ago, she offered to pass on her space at the apartment to me, since she was graduating and moving to Colorado for work at the same time I was coming to Berklee. In the one week we’ve shared the living-room-turned-bedroom, she’s been as generous, good-natured, and down-to-earth as ever, lending me her key, explaining how to get discounts and deals in this expensive city, offering to record my arrangements, and even patiently coaching me until 2 AM for the test-out (exam for exemption in a subject) for Introduction to Music Technology. As happy as I am for her with her upcoming work at the Aspen Music Festival (with the likes of Renee Fleming and Chris Botti!), I’ll hate to see her go.

Saunder, a tenor for the Philippine Madrigal Singers, a veteran choral conductor at 23, and a prolific songwriter, composer, and arranger, messaged me on Facebook months back to say he was entering Berklee in spring 2012, the same semester as me. I eventually moved my entry to Berklee to the next semester, and because he started ahead he was still extremely helpful (I would even say, eager) in answering mundane questions I had about moving: what to do with my credit card, my mobile phone line, my bank account, my tuition payment, and my luggage. When I arrived at the apartment at 3:25 AM (three hours later than expected, thanks to crazy flight delays in Chicago), he had a bowl of pasta waiting for me; the next morning, he took me around the shopping center across the street from the apartment, where he helped me get a T-Mobile SIM and showed me where best to buy what; and on the first morning of freshman orientation, he might have well been my dad on the first day of school, accompanying me on the train and dropping me off at the orientation venue. And at the apartment in the evenings, I am just amazed by how much music is a part of his life, as he arranges in a wide range of styles, swoons over performances on Facebook and YouTube, and does lip trills in the shower. And I love that, like me, he’s a big fan of showtunes, and idolizes Alan Menken.

Sherwin, a baritone for the Philippine Madrigal Singers and an advocate for nation-building and social change via communication, transferred from UP Diliman where he was taking Broadcast Communication, to Emerson College in Boston to finish with a degree in Marketing Communication. Common friends had been telling me about him while I was still in Manila, using words such as magaling and mabait; nevertheless, I was unprepared for the person I was about to meet the night I arrived. On one hand, he’s deadpan, sarcastic, and has a knack for impressions (I can’t wait to hear his impression of me); on the other, he’s idealistic, a lover of debate, and a self-professed fighter (simply being a non-music major, non-note reader and non-instrumentalist who earned a seat with the Madz speaks volumes about his fighting spirit). Oh, and he’s into musical theater too.

Over the week I’ve been here, these new friends and I have sat around the dining table until 2 AM sharing stories and craziness and laughs; rehearsed music and jammed together; eaten out together; and picnicked by Charles River. It feels like I’ve been around them for much longer than a week; and with Jett, I’m thankful I got to spend some time with her before she leaves for Colorado; and for Saunder and Sherwin, I’m definitely looking forward to the months ahead.

*  *  *

And what of the people back home—Inay, Tatay, Jo-Ed and family, Kenneth, Hangad, and friends from P&G?  Does it seem like I’m having so much fun here in Boston that I’ve forgotten all about them? Not at all—especially with how things have changed over the past decade or so.

The last time I was in a long-distance relationship, in 1999, things were radically different. Sure, Manila and Cebu aren’t that far apart—but consider that Globe’s text service was screwed up, few people had email, YM didn’t exist (ICQ would emerge in a few years), there was no such thing as unlimited calling on either cellphone or landline, and Cebu Pacific had yet to introduce budget fares (the only options were PAL and GrandAir). Back then, we had to get by on Aboitiz Express (now known as 2GO) for weekly handwritten letters, and two-hour calls on Sundays that sent our landline bills at home soaring.

But now, in 2012, a handful of social media sites help me stay abreast of what’s happening with my family and friends, and lets me share pretty much everything that happens to me with them, in real time. More than that, it turns out that getting an iPhone was one of the best decisions I made before leaving the Philippines. When I bought my iPhone online, my only thought was, I want to have a powerful phone when I get to the US. But now that I’m here, and I know about iMessage, FaceTime, WhatsApp and Viber (thanks to Kenneth and Brian, who introduced me to these functionalities and apps!), and mobile surfing is waaay better than it ever was on my last Nokia, I would recommend investing in an iPhone to anyone.

I’m able to text my parents through Viber; Hangad and P&G friends are on Facebook, Plurk, and WhatsApp; and Kenneth and I are constantly iMessaging and FaceTiming. In fact, through FaceTime, I’ve been able to show Kenneth bits of the Berklee campus, and he’s been able to join conversations with me and my crazy housemates too, almost as if he were also sitting with us around the table.

Some critics might say that social media and technology have made relationships less personal; whatever they say, I’m still a fan.

*  *  *

My first year in high school was a struggle for me. Year after year in grade school, I had been among my section’s top students, a star writer and artist, and one of the teacher’s favorites; but entering the honor’s class in high school, I was suddenly grouped with everyone else who had been their sections’ top students, star writers and artists, and teachers’ favorites. In short, all of a sudden, I wasn’t that special.

Deciding to go to Berklee, I had had to steel myself to go through that all over again. In the companies I joined, I was known as the music guy; even in Hangad, I was one of the few pianists and arrangers. But in Berklee, everyone would be a music guy, and I would be just another pianist and arranger. Add to that all the pressure I placed on myself, thanks to the mindset ingrained in me by 12 years in the corporate world, most particularly my last five years as a Proctoid: you just have to believe you’re awesome; you have to show you’re better than everyone else; otherwise, you’re weak, and you’re eaten up.

I wondered: was I ready?

Just imagine how it felt on my first day, when I overheard new schoolmates exchanging notes about who their favorite musicians were—and I didn’t know any of the names they were mentioning.

Or when I told a fellow student that I didn’t know what a certain musical term meant, and he would casually respond, “That’s easy, man, it’s a secondary dominant leading to bla bla bla with a bla bla bla tension.”

Or when I found out that some fellow students already held degrees in music theory, or classical composition, or had studied their instruments for years.

Or when I walked along the corridor with piano practice rooms on each side, and heard Rachmaninoff from one and insane jazz improv from another—and wondered what people passing my door would think, hearing some pathetic renditions of showtunes.

Or when I sat in one of those piano practice rooms, agonizing and inching measure by measure through a set of sight-reading exercises given to us for our piano placement exams—and from the next practice room, another pianist just breezed through each exercise, playing them as perfectly as if she had been practicing them forever.

Or when I waited for my turn at the piano placement audition, and heard those before me play stuff that might well have come out of a Bill Evans or Dave Brubeck record—and was just thankful that I was the last in line, so no one would have to hear my sorry attempt at blues improvisation.

Or even at home, when I was learning a vocal piece with my Madz and the Ateneo Chamber Singers housemates, plus a friend of ours who has been singing classical choral pieces for over a decade—and for once, being the slowest learner (and as always, being the one whose voice doesn’t blend).

With all this, and my core belief that I should be awesome, I was stressing out about my ensemble rating (i.e., an instrumental proficiency rating for each student, anywhere from 1 to 8, that is used to group students of similarly skill levels for ensemble classes), and my ability to test out (i.e., get exempted) from some music subjects. Would my ego be able to take it when I find out I’m not really that good?

All this, until right before my piano audition on day three of orientation, when a voice came and whispered to me: You’re not here for people to tell you you’re awesome. You’re here to learn to be awesome.

Followed by: You’re not here to be better than everyone else. You’re here to learn from everyone else.

And lastly: That’s why you came to Berklee in the first place, right? To LEARN.

These three whispers quickly changed my mindset. Not pressure and competitiveness, but openness and eagerness. This new mindset actually enabled me to tell my piano auditioners up front: “My background as a pianist is mostly accompanying a choir, and my favorite style is musical theater. I’ve never had extensive formal instruction in piano. I can hardly play jazz. But I do want to learn how to play jazz, and that’s one thing I’m looking forward to coming to Berklee.”

This new mindset helped me swallow my pride when I realized I didn’t know what in the world I was doing during the Traditional Harmony test out, and hand my unfinished paper to the exam proctor, say with a smile, “I’ve decided not to test out of Traditional Harmony,” and walk out.

And this new mindset helped me be totally okay with my audition landing me in Piano 2 (thanks to my weak jazz improv and sight-reading), and my Entering Student Proficiency Assessment exam results placing me in Harmony 2 (since I didn’t know my jazz chords), Ear Training 2 (since I had problems with minor scales), and Arranging 1 (since I’m clueless about notating drums). Definitely, there is a lot to learn, and I’m okay with that; that’s why I’m here. And while I’m not the best at what I do, and might never be—by God, by the time I leave here, I will be one of the most improved.

I’m not here to be told I’m awesome; I’m here to learn to be awesome.

I’m not here to be better than everyone else; I’m here to learn from everyone else.

The Proctoid is dead.  

*  *  *

Oh, fine. The Proctoid in me isn’t really dead. Not all of him, anyway.

Though it might not be evident with some Proctoids (sorry guys, hehe), there’s more to a P&Ger than simply proving his awesomeness, and trying to outshine everyone else. There’s a reason for P&G’s being one of the world’s most admired corporations, and the five years I spent there were certainly not for naught—not when I walk into this new adventure with the proactiveness, thoroughness, questioning mindset, argumentation, confidence to deal with people, and passion for learning that I got from P&G.

I already talked about how my fulfilling work with ISAs and BCs might just steer me towards Music Therapy; and mentioned that I took time to talk to the people in every office I went to for the orientation “scavenger hunt”, thereby finding goodies (like the Boston Symphony Orchestra card, as well as the discovery of free yoga classes in school thrice a week) and also starting to build my Berklee network.

Beyond that, I didn’t wait for the Student Employment session on day three of orientation week; as early as day one of orientation week, I went to the student employment office, asked about the process, and was submitted my application days before everybody else.

I saved $1,600 by getting my laptop fee waived (by showing that I already had a similar machine, except with a smaller monitor)—an option that you’ll know about only if you ask. (Thanks to Saunder for telling me it was possible—although his laptop met the exact specs, so I wasn’t totally confident at first.)

During a game at the library orientation, I won a $25 gift certificate from a CD shop just by thinking ahead and being quick with the online card catalog.  

When choosing electives at registration, an academic advisor told me there weren’t any classes that fulfilled both of two conditions that I had in mind for classes I wanted to take, and that I had to choose only one or the other of my conditions. I answered back (diplomatically, that is), “Yes, there are such classes; see, I checked them on the online class catalog and here they are.”

And I was able to get into these two very electives, Songwriting and Lyric Writing, though their slots were already filled up. From my unpleasant encounter with the academic advisor, I rushed to the Writing department on the other side of campus to ask the department head to let me into the classes. According to a somewhat rude East Asian girl at the department’s reception desk, the department head was known to refuse such requests.  But I talked to him anyway (“He’s busy,” they said; “I’ll wait,” I said, and I did for five minutes). Finally with the depatment head, I breathlessly related how I had given up my comfortable corporate life and come to Berklee in fulfillment of a dream many years running; how I pretty much learned to write songs and notate music on my own (and showed him a sample of a score I made), and said I really want to learn more; how I didn’t get a scholarship and hence needed to make every credit count; and how these two classes were the only two that would be credited to both Songwriting or Music Therapy, my remaining choices for a major. “I feel for you and I see your passion,” he told me, after listening smilingly to my entire story—and with that, he not only enrolled me into the two classes, but also waived the Harmony 2 prerequisite for Songwriting (I’m also taking Harmony 2 this sem), AND invited me to come by once a week, to talk about songwriting, and let him hear whatever songs I was working on. I was so happy that I could have hugged him then and there.

So maybe I’m not as much of a nobody as I thought I would be when I started out on this whole adventure. Sure, I might not be the most awesome musician. Sure, people don’t know (or care) about Hangad, Ateneo de Manila, 4A, Procter and Gamble, Boracay, or any other labels I could once easily attach to myself. Sure, around campus, I’ll probably be the short, stocky gay guy with the funny hairline and the funnier English. But where one might see handicap, I see thrill, as I start over, establishing myself from scratch in a gigantic new milieu, without whatever labels were so easy to attach to myself before, but purely on the merits I have developed over the years—my own proactiveness, thoroughness, questioning mindset, argumentation, confidence to deal with people, and passion for learning. What. A. Thrill.

*  *  *

This writeup has gone on much longer than I planned. Thanks for reading until the end. All I wanted to say is what I said at the start (and I supposed you get it by now): this week has been incredible, exceeding all my expectations and setting all my misgivings at ease—so much so that I wouldn’t trade this life in Boston for anything in the world. 

Monday, May 21, 2012

The past five months


How the past five months have flown!

As I start writing this, I’m somewhere above the Pacific Ocean on my 11-hour flight from Tokyo to Chicago. It’s a welcome rest from the whirlwind that stretched from January up to last night’s Hangad party (which left me with only 2.5 hours of sleep before my flight). When the year began, I announced to my friends at work: I’m down to my last twenty weekly meetings with my agencies. At the time, twenty weeks seemed like a long time. How wrong I was: those twenty weeks, and the four weeks after it leading up to this trip, were filled with events and experiences I was determined to blog about as they unfolded, but unfortunately, had no time to.

Good thing this trip has allowed me to sift through the months’ events, record the best of them, and—just before taking on an already-long-and-steadily-still-growing list of things to do once I arrive in Boston—distill them into the three biggest things these past months have taught.

* * *

The first is detachment.

It started in January, when I sold my condominium unit. James and I had lived in the building since he moved to Manila in 2003; we bought this particular unit in the building June 2008, taking advantage of P&G’s housing loan benefit; James moved out in April 2010, some time after our breakup, leaving me with a condo that was too big for me; and by late 2010, I put the condo up for sale—initially hoping to buy another unit, but later realizing I should go to Berklee. For a whole year, my broker was unable to sell it; only when I e-mailed my personal network in late 2011 did I find a buyer, one of my previous bosses. (Good for me, since I saved on broker commission.)

The paperwork and payments went smoothly enough; it was the physical moving out that cut to the core. Though James and I were no longer together, I couldn’t help but recall that this was still the dream home we had envisioned for ourselves—walls lined with CDs and DVDs, knickknacks from our travels scattered all around, and a room for me to display my Lego collection—and it was horrible to see it all being dismantled and boxed, right before my eyes. This dream home had taken years to build, and moments to take apart. And as I went through every shelf, cabinet, and box, classifying items as “bring to Antipolo”, “place in storage”, and “donate or throw out”, I would remember the back-story behind each item—and practical as I am, sentimentality would make it difficult to let go of several items, and at times resentment towards James would even build up (“He should be here!” “We were supposed to move out of this house together, not like this!”). And finally, as I unpacked the half of my stuff that didn’t go into storage in Antipolo, I looked around me and saw my personal living space cut to one-eighth of what it used to be and my privacy eliminated, and—since the house was built at a time when Antipolo air was as cool as Tagaytay—bid farewell to air conditioning.

More detachment came in mid-April, when I left P&G. I returned my car, my mobile phone, my mobile Internet, my laptop, my gas cards, my company credit card, and even my company ID. I lost the 100 shares of P&G stock that had been awarded to me during the fiscal year when I performed exceptionally well. I relinquished power over an organization of over a thousand people. I lost the ability to proudly say, “I work for one of the world’s biggest and best companies.” And whereas each of my previous resignations had actually led to better pastures, this time, I was joining the ranks of the unsalaried and unemployed.

I was house-less, carless, jobless, salary-less, powerless; living off savings and the kindness of my parents who let me have my own room back and gave me use of a car.

But, I realized very shortly after the blow to the ego wore off, it wasn’t actually that bad. In fact, during my retreat at the Cenacle at the start of May, I saw how awesome it was to be so detached. Having given up all these security blankets and reassurances of worth and identity—and more importantly, having coming to terms with having done so—I could now be anything I wanted, rebuild and reshape my life however I wanted. I thought to myself at the retreat: Berklee will be an awesome experience; but merely being in this pre-Berklee state of starting from scratch, with no baggage or shackles, and with only boundless possibility spread wide before you, is just as awesome.

* * *

Second is focusing on what truly matters—or, more accurately, who really matters.

I told Inay over breakfast a few days ago: all this saying goodbye these past months has been like practicing to die. In a good way, that is, because it puts things in perspective: if you had only a few days left on earth, how would you spend them?  And, especially as departure date drew closer, I found that I wasn’t spending the days online, or shopping, or working out, or even blogging or doing advance reading for Berklee. Rather, I was spending the days with people I love, cherishing their company, being thankful for their presence in my life, and telling them so.

Hence, the family weekend in Tagaytay, the lunch with cousins and aunts and uncles, the coffee with Jo-Ed, the lunches and dinners with former colleagues, and every spare moment spent (or in some cases, more like stolen) with Kenneth.

But of all this spending time with those who mattered, none mattered more than spending time with my parents.

I had been living away from home since 2003, when James moved to Manila and we moved in together—or if you count the months I was assigned to Cebu for work, since mid-2001. From then until the start of 2012, I didn’t see my parents a lot. I barely visited the house in Antipolo, and instead, we would meet up in restaurants (near my area at that) for family lunches (usually to celebrate someone’s birthday) or after Hangad events (which averaged four times a year). Also, I barely called, texted or emailed just for the heck of it. When I did call, text, or email, it was because I wanted to share something good that happened to me, but never a simple “how are you guys doing?”; and when Inay would write or text simply to ask how I was, I would usually answer hours later—if at all.

Sure, there were special moments, such as trips to Baguio for Tatay’s birthday, Boracay for most new years, Singapore and Hong Kong for their wedding anniversary, and Vietnam as a thank you treat from me, as well as a move from to encourage them to travel more. Plus, I also talked about them non-stop to my friends, with huge love and pride and affection.

Still, despite these special moments and the love with which I spoke of them, up to today, I invariably think to myself when I recall that I also hardly visited, called, texted, or emailed: What the fuck was I thinking?  And, shame on you, asshole. I literally cannot believe I was capable of that kind of behavior. What the fuck was I thinking?  As best as I can remember, part of me relished being the more independent, street-smart son, who as always needed less “parental supervision”. Part of me didn’t want to bother my parents (Inay’s tendency to fuss when her sons were sick became an especially convenient excuse for me never to tell her when I was sick). Part of me thought, they know I love them, I tell them often, I don’t need to be constantly in touch. And most shamefully, part of me was too busy with climbing the corporate ladder, reaping success after success, and even writing songs and working on concerts and albums for Hangad. Inay liked to repeat the words matters of consequence from The Little Prince as I grew up, and it might actually have been a warning to me. But whatever it is, I think to myself: shame on you, you asshole—especially because, even while you were being a distant, irresponsible son, your parents were intently observing your career rise, listening to all of your angsting and shifting, watching each of your concerts, welcoming you back into your room, and agreeing to pay for your Berklee education.

So, alongside detachment, the best thing about the past few months has been making up for lost time with the Inay and Tatay who have been unwaveringly faithful all these years, my behavior notwithstanding. I took them to movies and restaurants they would not otherwise have seen or eaten at; I volunteered to drive everywhere we went (and not only because Tatay drives only half as fast as I do); we chatted at the breakfast table and dinner table; and in what I call “my last act as a salaried person”—which was yet another plea for them to travel more, since Vietnam didn’t do the trick—I brought them to Angkor and Bangkok. My initial it’s-all-just-in-my-mind silliness about moving into a space one-eighth the size of my condo, and my insecurity about living with my parents at 34 years old were extremely short-lived, and quickly overtaken by the generous supply of kisses good morning and good night, and thank yous, and I love yous, from the time I moved back to Antipolo in early February, up to yesterday morning when my parents (along with Jo-Ed and Ken) saw me off at NAIA.

And I like to think it wasn’t atonement—not entirely, at least—but rather, a deliberate, intense, and tangible demonstration of the love and admiration which I took for granted all along as “something they knew anyway”. And now, though I will miss them tremendously while I’m at Berklee, I have loads of memories and words and snapshots from the last five months—as well as a reawakened bond with these two amazing people who have shaped me into who I am today—to see me through.

* * *

And third was the overwhelming supply of love and gratitude that flowed my way for five months.

“You have touched two thousand lives,” said one of my In-Store Ambassador team leaders, before hundreds of other team leaders, at the quarterly meeting with them when my boss announced I was leaving. At the same meeting, another team leader pressed a rolled piece of notebook paper into my hands as she hugged me and whispered a tearful “thank you”. I opened the paper when I got home to find a translucent green rosary, its threads between beads slightly browned from use—her personal rosary, I assume, and the only thing of hers she could find to give to me when my boss made the announcement. Throughout my twelve years in the corporate world, this statement and this rosary from a team leader are my most cherished recognition, and my most cherished reward.

At last March’s monthly meeting with my 100 Olay Beauty Consultants—which, that month, happened to be my birthday—the team surprised me with balloons and a cake and a huge bouquet of flowers. And at next month’s meeting, shortly after the announcement of my resignation, they played a video full of thank you and I’ve learned so much and good luck and God bless, and sang “I Will Be Here.”

As I resigned from P&G in April and sent out the customary goodbye letter to colleagues and friends at work, emails came rushing back, congratulating me, wishing me well in this new phase, wishing me luck and blessings as I follow my dream, and thanking me for the inspiration I gave them to follow their own dreams, and asking for prayers that they too might one day be able to do the same.

During my retreat last May, letters collected by Kenneth from Hangad and family members thanked me for my friendship, humor, listening ear, encouragement, passion, and so many other things beyond choral direction and new songs—and told me how much I would miss me, and await my coming home.

And at last night’s Hangad concert, members of different choirs were called on stage to sing “One Thing I Ask”, one of the first songs I wrote, and definitely the most inspired. The number was a tribute I had no idea about, and it left me sobbing, so much so that I was unable to properly accompany the next song. The same song found me sobbing as embarrassingly during my last concert with the Ateneo College Ministry Group before college graduation in 1999, because I recalled how much the Group had meant to me; but this time, it was not so much the moving on and missing Hangad, but the edifying realization that my work had touched so many lives.

All this mattered so much to me, being one who sometimes feels misunderstood and perceived merely as bitchy and cranky (“I’m not bitchy! I just set high expectations of myself, and expect the same from everyone else around me”), and who sometimes feels valued only for my music or entertainment value (“If I weren’t a musician, or if I weren’t so catty, would you still like me?”)—and who really just wants to do what he can to make the best of himself, and give what he can to make his mark on as many people as he can.

* * *

As I wrap this up, I’m about to go to sleep at what will be my home in Cambridge, just north of Boston and a few subway stops from Berklee, for at least the next year. Since leaving Antipolo for NAIA, I have spent over 35 hours in transit, several hours of getting to know my housemates, several hours doing errands, a couple of hours on FaceTime and Yahoo Messenger with Inay, Tatay, Kenneth and Jo-Ed, and too few hours asleep. When I wake up a few hours from now, my orientation at Berklee begins.

Tomorrow, Berklee begins. How amazing is it to be at the moment you only dreamed of, and never imagined you would actually ever be at, for the past eight years? And how exciting is it thinking about where I’ll be eight more years down the line? Aah, Universe; I’ll be sure to reopen this blog entry, and have a blast rereading it then.