OneDaySoon

OneDaySoon: Macho Arts

2011-06-12T19:51:00.000+08:00

OneDaySoon: Macho Arts

Macho Arts

2011-06-11T23:39:00.002+08:00

Cinemagraphs Curiosity

2011-06-11T23:35:00.002+08:00

Amazing Cinemagraph

2011-06-11T23:10:00.000+08:00

MMPC Chorale sings the National Anthem

2011-02-21T11:46:00.000+08:00

Did You See the Madz Video Below This Page?

2010-03-25T17:42:00.003+08:00

My MMPC Chorale is presently learning this wonderful piece, Minsan Lang Kitang Iibigin. If you happen to be on this page, do hit PLAY and hear this wonderful group sing this endearing love song.

At the end of the video, many other links to other Madz performances will appear. You may view each of them right here. Well, of course, you can also watch them on You Tube.

Thanks for dropping by. God bless you.

Hello! Welcome to OneDaySoon

2009-10-16T13:44:00.006+08:00

I just want to thank you for dropping by. Salamat po!

I am constantly updating my video for the day at the bottom of this page

so you can have something new to watch, after you have read my latest posts.

And just in case you may want to know…

I am also on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/MCLat?ref=profile

I also tweet:

http://twitter.com/latmario

and maintain two wordpress web logs, namely:

AnyDayNow http://latmario.wordpress.com/

EbcWordPress http://ebctaytay.wordpress.com/

and also have a Multiply account:

http://yutelat.multiply.com/

It will be my pleasure to have you come over once in a while,

and if you would care to drop me a line, please email me here:

yute99166@yahoo.com

…or comment me in any of the above sites.
Maraming salamat po!

Have a nice day.

Sa Yahweh Concert

2009-09-09T19:14:00.000+08:00

Come 20September2009, my choir will be presenting a concert "Sa Yahweh" in our home church, the Emmanuel Baptist Church (of Taytay).

We'll be singing English and Pilipino Gospel Songs; and as added wake-upper, we rehearsed some Pilipino folk songs.

If you can find the time to attend, your presence will be dearly appreciated.

See you.

Praise the Lord!

(Click the image to view up close.)

Be An Asset Tip No.3 "Isolate!"

2009-08-13T09:41:00.001+08:00

Isolation Exercise: Isolating the Mid-Section

(You should have read Tip No. 2 'Be conscious' for you to really understand this particular post.)

*Ok, this is not an AB Crunch Instruction. The image is just to attract you. :)) Seriously, this is Part 3 of my "Be An Asset Series" for choral singers. :)

Our purpose is to maximize and maintain the breadth of our (human) sounding board (to produce a free and ringing voice very conducive to choral singing) without stiffening in all other areas. For the inexperienced, when you expand your ribcage and attempt to hold it while you continue breathing and singing, you may find it hard to relax on some other areas as the chest, neck, face, scalp, arms, even legs. It may be very evident in the chest and neck, but if you become very sensitive to it, you may be surprised to find that even the scalp and facial muscles can be under undue stress. Facial tic, headache, during or after singing, anyone?

For the process to be all-natural, our body needs to be used to the routine. MHM! Muscles have memory. Yes, they do. So, our best shot is to train them. How? By employing the Muscle Isolation Technique. Upon mastery, the next time you stand up to sing, your body would automatically shift to 'singing mode' meaning every body part will synch to provide you, the singer, with the state of the art sounding board, so to speak.

In the gym or at the exercise corner in your home you learned to isolate certain muscle or body part from the rest of the body to maximize the full benefit of certain exercises. E. g. as you do arm curls with a dumbbell, you learned to keep your upper arm (bicep) glued to your sides, never allowing it to swing in front of your profile. That way your biceps really get worked out to the core. You may find every tiny string of muscle tingling with the stress. You do not let your arms 'cheat' so as to really benefit from the exercise. That's the point. Isolate.

So, let's try it. Stand or sit erect (do not sit back), keep your alignments as if you have a string attached at the center top of your head to the ceiling. Breathe in three large amounts of air without exhaling in between. As your lungs fill up, you may also feel your muscles grow taut and stiff; the chest, neck, upper arm, and facial muscles to mention some. Hopefully you also feel your back ribs while doing this routine. If you reached this point, you are doing fine. Now start to relax all the previously mentioned muscles while maintaining the wide midsection. Keep doing it until what is left un-relaxed is your ribcage and abdominals (I prefer to combine the two and call it midsection). Once you enter this point, REMEMBER the feeling. Relax everything afterwards.

Now, do it again but do so by springing back directly to the REMEMBERED feeling; i.e. a wide and taut midsection minus any contraction anywhere else. Now, 'open the masque' i.e. defy the gravity's pull from your facial muscles. Put a sparkle in your eyes and keep a pleasant countenance. There.

Remember that people will never notice what you just did. So don't worry that you would look like a cadet trainee on attention when you need to do it before singing. What they would see is a person exuding calm and confidence.

Keep that 'hollow' feeling in the midsection, never allowing the ribcage to sag through the entire length of the song; remember what I said about those 3rd and 4th images here. There is always the right way to sing. Keep growing in your singing knowledge. Till next time.

Be An Asset in the Choir Tip No. 2

2009-08-11T15:18:00.002+08:00

Be Conscious!

"Be Conscious?" you ask. Ok, ok, I say: never be self-conscious. But the title, besides being an eye catcher, also serves a purpose, believe me. If I caught your attention, it has served its purpose halfway.

Of course, to be self conscious is to perform poorly; so never be.

But I say, be conscious of a few things. And if you do, you can sound a lot better and sing a lot more precise and relieve yourself of unneeded anxiety in the process. So that's hitting several birds with one stone; not bad eh? Here goes. . .

♫ BE CONSCIOUS OF THE WHOLE CIRCUMFERENCE OF YOUR ABDOMINALS.

As you breathe in very deeply, try to 'feel' the whole 360 degrees of your ribcage. If you cannot feel the back ribs as well as the front ribs, you have not breathed in as deep as you need to.

Try this: Drink in the air (as if drinking from a large glass)! Do this by taking at least three successive BIG inhales (that is, without exhaling in between inhales!!) until your lungs get filled to full capacity. Now we are feeling the back ribs aren't we? Very good, we're getting there.

And what do we do with it?

♫ Try to DO THAT BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO SING--(and I'm not done yet)--♫ AND TRY TO HOLD THAT FEELING THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE SONG.

I mean hold the ribcage outwards; right there, and never let it go up and down as you inhale and exhale naturally (see Josh and Charlotte above). Imagine a balloon inside a laundry hamper. The balloon is your lungs and the wide hamper is your ribcage. The balloon (your lungs) inflate and deflate while you breathe in and out naturally while the hamper (representing your ribcage) remains rigidly wide and roomy; that is, retaining its widest capacity; not 'pumping with' the lungs. (See images 3 and 4)I think you got it by now. If you can do it, half the battle has been won.

Why? The problem of a narrow air passage was hurdled; resulting to a freer breath flow. You will eventually find that with this process, you gain full control of your air flow, thereby avoiding 'off-pitches' and wobbles, and shortness of air. Why, because the ribcage, when unheld, drives out the air quickly as it deflates; I mean it squeezes the air out fast.

And you know what? Just like a balloon that 'shrieks' when you let go of its opening, your voice come out less controlled resulting to several singing problems as 'pitchy' singing, wobbles, and shortness of breath to mention a few.

". . . Relieve yourself of unneeded anxiety in the process" Did I say that? Yes, I did. When you focus on your breathing, your 360 degrees of ribcage, and the holding out of the said body part for the entirety of the song, your performance tensions get set aside. Get the picture? Your mind gets so busy focusing on these things there is little room if any, left for fear and self-consciousness.

So there. Hold it right there! I mean, expand the ribcage and hold it there. Yes, to the end of the song at hand. Be conscious of your back ribs, never let go. But before I go, remember to relax all the surrounding muscles and body parts from the chest up and the waist down. Because there is what I call...

The SETBACK: Quite understandably, it's weird to do it the first few times. It may feel so unnatural and you may stiffen in some areas like the chest, the neck, the shoulders, the arms, even the scalp and facial muscles. I tackle this issue ( learn the ISOLATION TECHNIQUE) on my next Singing Tip (No.3) so please proceed there right after reading this. Just in case you're reading this sooner than I post the next tip, just remember to relax everything else but the mid-section. Maybe that would help a bit. Till then.

Slogans/Thoughts to Remember:

1-PMP - Practice Makes Permanent (Training the body to naturally do the routine)

2-MHM - Muscles Have Memory (Well trained muscles develop useful reflexes to engage the task at hand.)

3-From the gym:" You grow (you improve) every time you push yourself to the limits." Your weak muscle fibers get sore but improves dramatically after it heals from the previous routine. You discover on your next visit to the gym that you can easily heft the 30-pound dumbbell that gave you such a hard time the last time you tried to use it. :)

Tip No. 3 - "Isolate"

Be an Asset in the Choir

2009-07-09T12:00:00.000+08:00

Performance Tip No 1 - VOCALIZATION

It has been standard practice; for it has been proven as an imperative part of the choral training. But sadly for some, this is something they'd rather skip--if they can have their own way.

Never undermine its benefits. It warms and prepares our vocal tracts for the work ahead. Synonymous to stretching the muscles before embarking on a strenuous workout at the gym. It not only eases our singing. It also protects us from vocal harm. We hear of singers growing one or two nodules in the throat-one of the consequences of undisciplined singing.

Going back to the analogy of weight training, a very eager trainee would rather go straight ahead to the workout without preparing the muscles by warming them up to make them flexible and adaptable. Muscle tear is a painful consequence. The same is true with singing. You repeatedly punish your vocal cords, you eventually reap your grim rewards.

The vocal cords, (very fragile) muscles in their own right, becomes adaptable to varying demands of singing, and the well prepared singer would find himself singing smoothly and with relative ease. A well warmed up throat and vocal tract becomes like a well lubricated machine; so able to go with the flow and cope up with the 'uphill climbs' and 'rough roads' of singing.

The un-warmed singer would find himself singing awkwardly, or hitting notes off-pitch, slurring upwards to hit high notes, and thus become a liability to the group, not to mention the punishment he inflicts on himself. Always remember to warm up!

A Singer's Goal: A chorister must be a team player. He walks, glides, hops, leaps, runs, and stops at the same moments with everybody else. And he becomes a reason why the choir is where it is. There should be no one who would be like an injured team mate who needs to play despite his injury, or a weakling who needs to be constantly spoon-fed and cared for by others. He should be able to develop his own skills by constant and disciplined training and not rely on his buddies to assist him all along.

When You Pray...

2009-04-24T16:59:00.000+08:00

When asked to pray, remember to focus on God; not on the people around you. Read more, please click link.
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/1677101/when_you_pray_.html

For the Geek and the Jock

2009-03-25T12:06:00.000+08:00

by Yanita

It may seem that sports jocks and intellectual types don’t mix, but there’s something that both can like in common. And that is online games. With online games made for the athlete and the straight-A student, these two personalities have something they both can agree on.

For the varsities and sports-minded, there are several sport games online. And it’s not just one sport we’re talking about here. We’re talking about all sports ever known in this green earth. You have tennis, golf, football, basketball, soccer and other more games to choose from. Sports games are something that athletes are sure to like as these games do not only simulate their favorite sport, they also provide somewhat the same kind of difficulty and gameplay. Although in the virtual world, these games still bring out the sportsman in every athlete.

For the those looking for intellectual and mental challenge, there are lots of strategy games and puzzle games online. These games challenge the mental acuity and the logical aptitude of people with intellectual leanings. From memory games, to real time strategy games, there are plenty of games that can give the mind a good sweat and twist. Aside from those, you can also play board games online. Whether it’s the classics, like chess, scrabble or backgammon, or the new original board games, there are plenty of choices for board game lovers.

And these games are not bad in the graphics and sound department either. Though your console games are definitely better, but for online games, their quality is comparable. Gone are the days where you get pixelated or polygonic figures and animation. Nowadays, even small online games feature smooth lines, animation and shading. Actually, you’ll be quite impressed on how well these games look like and play.

And the best thing about these games is that most of them are free. You can play free online sports games and board online games without paying for anything. You can play these games as much and as often as you want. And that’s not all; the games offered in online gaming sites does not just offer sports and strategy games, you can also find other types of games such as adventure games, shooting games and racing games. You have a wide selection of different games to choose from.

Whether you’re looking to play board games or your favorite sport free games that will help you do just that are available in the internet. Though jocks and nerds are poles apart, they come together in finding a game that will interest each through online games.

If you want to play strategy games and sports games online, just click on the links. You can also find adventure games in our site.

MY PALAWAN WEEK-Day 2-Medical Mission

2009-01-29T18:12:00.000+08:00

Our second day in Palawan was the Free Clinic Day for the Quezon children. Dr. Fernando Galvez, "Kuya Nanding" to me his brod-in-law and to his church mates, diagnosed a lot of kids and adolescents in the neighborhood and gave them free medicines and vitamins.

Meds we brought from Manila were sorted by the group and laid out on a table. Church volunteers manned the registration and the weighing of babies. My sister, Belinda (his wife) and Brenda, my other sister sat beside him as his secretaries, one at a time; and the rest of our companions from Manila, young adults all, manned the sorting and finding of the prescribed medicine and vitamin bottles. In the adjacent building, the church, Dinky and JM handled the Bible teaching of the many kids waiting in line.

Several local church people on the other hand, managed the kitchen and prepared the food for our group. The folks were so kind to cook all our meals day after day. Quite embarrassing actually, but Pastor Jezer, my brod-in-law and this church's minister said it had been planned and organized in advance by the church so we had nothing to worry about. True enough, the folks were so hospitable they even prepared local snacks in between meals. Now and then, people would drop by to bring local delicacies for us to enjoy. We love you, Quezonfolk; such generosity and hospitality.

When the day was over, the tireless Doc was able to treat unnumbered kids. There were 100 names enlisted for the day's clinic but we found out that every name was accompanied by more or less 5 siblings or relatives, all needing medical attention. But Doc and his "medical secretaries" managed the outpour of patients; many of which came from distant barangays (barrios/towns). It is safe to say that the actual number of patients quadrupled. But our energetic doctor remained cheerful even as we ate our evening dinner; and so was everyone else. Partly because, we were also talking about our Tabon Caves tour scheduled for the next day.

Actually, there is another Free Clinic Day come Saturday. But the concern is that due to the early heavy turnout of patients, medications might not suffice.

On the other hand, I had the great time of my life spent playing and bonding with my sister's kids, Ruthie & Marc who I sorely missed since they moved over there last April 2008. Ruthie had bounced back to her bubbly and happy personality. And Marc is something else. From a crybaby, he became a happy and playful kid; and he easily mixes with newcomers. But what I have been longing to do is to play with my Bebe Ruthie who I deeply missed.

(All images courtesy of Bethel Faye)

MY PALAWAN WEEK- Arrival (14 January 2009)

2009-01-29T18:01:00.000+08:00

What a week! Read about it here.

Oh Dear Choir!

2009-01-07T18:56:00.000+08:00

"Underdevelopments"

The previous year's 4th quarter developments (or whatever you may want to call it) in the choir put me in a reality-check of sorts. I realized that my Adults choir is terribly out of shape after many singers opted out of the Christmas choral events.

Covenant Signing

Prior to this, I merged my Youth and Adults choirs for the Christmas season. I even printed a poster covenant to let people sign in. Sad part is: a considerable number of trained singers have "resigned" halfway through. Then I realized that I am left with mostly newbies in the singing ministry.

Christmas Events

And to cut a sad story short, when a shopping mall invited us to grace their Christmas events, I had to shrug my shoulders and not accept the invite. My consolation is that my Kids Choir was also invited and for the second time around, they sang Carols at this mall.

Re-Auditions Coming Up

I have decided to re-audition everybody so that 1: I could examine every new singer and design a plan for them to be equipped with the best training I can give them; and 2: so that I can monitor my regular singers and see where each of them stand. But how do I-pray tell me-reject people who cannot really sing but want to really be a part of this group. I know you have quick witted remarks in your heads, but I say it's easier said than done.

Sense of Accountability

I also saw that I need to address the lack of dedication among them. And the growing lack of enthusiasm in the ministry they are in. What made me really think was when those who aren't well-trained exhibit the lack of sense of accountability. Well, there are those who behaved well; they kept a set of the Christmas pieces which they bring home to review. Sadly, about 75% were happy-go-lucky types. I failed to notice earlier that they have not heeded my instruction to get their own individual set of copies.

The Price Paid

Too late for me when I noticed that they search for copies as we rehearse week after week. It's my fault, I grew very relaxed when it comes to behavior. "Laging nasa huli ang pagsisisi." (Regrets always comes at the end), so goes a famous Filipino saying.

Resolution?

I don't believe in New Year's Resolutions. I'd rather not, for many resolutions do not succeed. But this is my resolve-refurbish this choir. We'll see what we can do.

Cartoon on top courtesy of http://www.reverendfun.com/

EBC Christmas Banquet/Concert/Party

2008-12-28T19:01:00.000+08:00

The early afternoon was marked by busyness; everyone was doing his/her own thing as all prepare for the evening. Men and women doing the kitchen, kids chorus rehearsing for the early part in the program, and a musical Korean (Koh) family rehearsing in the sanctuary.

We were given the cue to get ready, so I concluded SonBeams (kids)Choir's rehearsal with a prayer, and the Salmo (adults) Chorale grabbed the last few minutes to warm up. After Pee Wee prayed, we headed to the sanctuary.

A few moments later, the program started, with a very special cello and piano duet with Joanna Seungmin Oh and Juvy . A prayer was said by Philip, then, a strings group, composed of Carina, Corinne, and Michael Woojai did a medley of Christmas and some classical piece accompanied by Ms. Joanna Seungmin on the piano. Everyone was gladly surprised to know Corinne has learned to play the violin.

Then the SonBeams sang their repertoire. See the previous post, "EBC SonBeams Sang at SM City" for the song titles.

Pastor Roi delivered the meaningful Christmas message, "Christmas, A Time for Family to Be Together," Luke 2:16. Very timely, for there were several OFW fathers and a mother who flew home to be with their loved ones this yuletide season.

Afterwards, Peter Heeton Koh, Frank Woojin, and Michael Woojai (father and sons) sang "O Holy Night" together, accompanied by Joanna Seungmin Oh, Peter's wife on the grand piano. We were glad they shared that special evening with us; an endearing family. They had some Korean youngsters with them too.

The Salmo Chorale then took the stage and sang the following traditional English and Filipino carols:

Lo! How A Rose E'er Blooming

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Kumukutikutitap! ("Twinkly" is the most that I can to translate)

Noche Buena (Christmas Eve)-usually centered on the Christmas Eve Feast

Pasko Na Naman (It's Christmas! [Once Again!])

The night's program segued to the Christmas Party. Janeil and Jael led the people through various parlor games, exchanging gifts, et. al. and then, the Christmas Banquet.

It was a long 'Christmas Day' at the church but was a very happy one indeed. Surely, everyone had a grand and blessed time.

A very Merry Christmas to you, Emmanuel Baptist Church!

Photos courtesy of Che Santillan

Quezon, Nueva Ecija, et al.

2008-12-23T00:52:00.000+08:00

I keep seeing you all dropping by. Thanks for visiting my blog. Whoever you are, I appreciate your visits. New York, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Mexico, and from all around. Thank you, people! A Blessed Christmas to you all! :)

EBC SonBeams Sang Carols at SM City

2008-12-18T19:00:00.000+08:00

It was almost 7PM and we were running late for our engagement at the SM City mall which invited my Kids & Adults choirs to sing Christmas carols. Only the EBC SonBeams (Kids choir) obliged for the Salmo Chorale had other plans. But as we arrived, the technical crew are cramming some last minute changes.

The stage was already set but my contact person, Atche, who is also a church mate, advised the backstage team to clear the floor area in front of the stage because my kids would have some choreo in their performances and it looks like the stage for its size cannot be very safe for kids to move themselves around as they do their singing and choreos. So, the floor would do. Anyway, the stage will still be our backdrop. The place was quite abuzz with all the goings-on; after all, we were in a food court.

The place has few diners when we entered. But we brought a crowd with us and the place became semi-filled with people. As I gave instructions to kids, I felt they were so ready and eager to begin. So on my cue, everyone stood on his/her spot. The kids were amazing.

The mini concert went smoothly without any technical glitch.

The repertoire consisted of six songs. I planned the order for the mood to slowly pick up as concert progresses. I began with two calm songs to prepare the audience. My niece, Jaira Mae sang the solo part on the second song. The third number is upbeat and picked up the pace, and here's where the choreo started. The fourth song temporary mellowed the pace, but sign language remained part of the performance. The fifth, is the Carols medley part of the program and we concluded with a very trendy and upbeat song with a very apt title. Here they are.

The Story of Gloria
The Miracle
Go, Tell It
The Christmas Tree Medley
The Christmas Carol Medley
Super Duper Christmas

The first five titles were selections from "Visions of Christmas" by Jeff Slaughter and the finale was taken from the Christmas Cantata with the same title, Super Duper Christmas.

And we did two sets that night. We were just given a 15-minute break for kids to take some rest and a sip of bottled water. Then a pizza treat for the kids courtesy of the mall as they concluded the final set.

Come Sunday, we will be presenting it all again in the church. The adults choir, EBC Salmo Chorale will be rendering about five songs as well. It will be a big night; and everything will begin with the Christmas Banquet. Then, we will also be having our church Christmas program after the musical presentations.

But of course, the highlight of it all will be the Birthday Celebrator Himself, our Lord Jesus. The world may have its focus on everything else and forget the "birthday 'Boy' " but we should be careful to remember Him for He is the only Celebrator who, instead of receiving presents, gave all that we could ever need. Even the gift of eternal life. Praise the Lord.

A Blessed Christmas, everyone!

(Photos courtesy of Nadine Cruz and Bethel Faye Galvez)

SonBeams to SM City

2008-12-11T21:14:00.000+08:00

The EBC SonBeams Choir will be serenading SM City Foodcourt this December. Last year, they sang with the EBC Salmo Chorale in the same mall, but in The Event Center. Then after the Cantata, they serenaded the stores until about 10 PM. They were very happy as they went home with a lot of treats from all the stores they delighted.

They have been excitedly rehearsing for the upcoming engagement, bless them. Salmo could have sang again too, but due to some reasons (one, the original plan was for them to serenade homes instead; and two, many singers have other plans for the Yuletide season, so quite a number of them won't be able to join this year's Choral Christmas events). Sigh.

*The image was taken last year in the church, as they sang carols in the Vesper Service.

Shifting Winds

2008-11-26T10:59:00.000+08:00

"Become a student of change. It is the only thing that will remain constant." - Anthony J. D'Angelo

Changes. Ah, so much has been written about it. Nothing is permanent but change. When you change, you grow. When you refuse to, you die. It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.

Wise folks shared all these wisdom and we were indoctrinated enough. But why is it that every time change looms on our dashboards our tendency is to hit the breaks? Sad fact is, even if we had pumped them brakes, the bleak horizon continues to travel towards us and inevitably envelope us like a massive column of sandstorm.

We shun change. We don't look forward to it, at least for most of us.

And what seems to be most undesired is the change of heart. Signs of it rearing its ugly head may slowly fade in. Yet more often than not, it comes without any notice. Sending gloomy chill upon the scenery, it causes throbs and twinges to the bones.

Being the social beings that we are, whenever the idea of separating from someone enters our mind, we are helplessly gripped with the cold blanket of sadness. Inside, we feel like some part of our being is being yanked away from us; we freeze and wince in pain in spite of the effort to conceal it.

It is hard to accept that a friend or a loved one will hardly be on call the next time you need them because this person is moving on to a new place. But the feeling is heavier should you find you have been mutually drifting on the opposite directions for some time.

Well, there are times you can feel the poignant shifting of the wind. The familiar lull is with you at the moment and you know what that means. Things are about to change. And you may be losing something dear or someone treasured.

That's life. Deal with it. But in the end, who knows who or what you might be finding. If that would be of any consolation.

"When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on." -Franklin D. Roosevelt

the photo above this post "atlantic_splash_1" which I personally call "A Sad Man's Profile" is courtesy of dreimendoza;

http://dreimendoza.multiply.com/photos/album/21/Splash_at_Atlantic_Ocean

Creative ZEN

2008-11-24T10:36:00.000+08:00

I came to admire this player. It comes with a CD ROM that installs the Creative Centrale on my computer. Transferring and organizing files are a breeze, as simple as drag and drop. . .

Please read the rest at my anydaynow. Just click the title to proceed.

Environment-Friendly Cars of the Future

2008-11-18T18:11:00.000+08:00

Love cars? Concerned with the environment? Now you can love your car and drive guilt-free. Please click the title to read the post. :)

The S-M-A-R-T Singer Is/ Is A

2008-10-11T11:35:00.000+08:00

Please click the title to read the post.

The Advantages of Singing in the Choir

2008-10-07T13:08:00.000+08:00

Click the title.

How Not to Give Your Choir Director a Career Headache

2008-09-17T17:02:00.000+08:00

The Philippine Madrigal Singers
The best chorale you will ever experience; ever.

So you want to join the choir? Know what? The Bible verse which says,"…many are called, but few are chosen" certainly applies to this ministry. Through the years people have come and gone; joined but eventually left. I am thinking they have realized it is not fun nor cool at all, or maybe the ministry is not really for them. Conversely however, a handful have thought otherwise. So before you hop in, consider the following things and see if you are one most likely to enjoy and linger through the years. And yes, spare the man who sweat it out to bring the group to greater heights the heartaches and disappointments of having to make do with the listlessness and halfhearted participation of anyone looking out for all the wrong things in the choir ministry.

1. First of all, before joining the choir, do some self-appraisal. Are you genuinely interested to be a full-time chorale singer? Can you allot that particular time every week for the rehearsals? I mean, what if the regular rehearsal falls on a Saturday afternoon where many off-choir events occur simultaneously. Are you willing to let go of your regular Saturday afternoon gimmicks with friends or family, or at least shorten or reschedule it to make it to the practices regularly? Note: many parties occur on Saturdays. If you cannot answer these affirmatively, then reconsider. Don't give your choir director tough time and expect him to be patient with your tardiness and absences. Join only if you have considered these things. 'Gotta have time.

2. Can you sing really? Surprisingly, there are a many "tone-deaf" choir members. Personally, I am not closing the door to these persons, but they have to realize that they have to have a lot more dedication than the others if they desire to be a part of any chorale ever. If he has, like some, less time for the choir, then it is better for him not to join and spare the man a lot of crosses to bear. The sad fact is, singing in the choir is not for everybody. Ask a brutally frank friend if you have what it takes. Or have the director give a subjective analysis via an audition perhaps.

3. Make singing your lifestyle. Do not confine your singing in the choir room. Sing through the week. But please choose music conducive to your choral career. Also, bring home the music piece and do self-study. If you brought home some pieces, by all means be sure you study it so there will be less time to spend in learning them. Continue correcting your faulty singing habits. Review terms you encountered for the first time, e.g., Vertical Vowels, Diaphragmatic Singing, Chest Voice, Head Voice, Nonsense syllables and the like. Develop your musical vocabulary. Ask him about things you vaguely understood. You will notice that the more you dwell on these things, the clearer they are driven home.

4. Come to rehearsal ready to practice. Several people come to practice to socialize; with a mindset of "hanging out" with friends. After the opening prayer, drop any conversation and give the leader your undivided attention. The last time everyone did it, the rehearsal wrapped up quickly. And everyone was happy. Then, you socialize.

5. Be ready to submit yourself to your mentor. No student is above his teacher. Otherwise, form a group of your own and be the teacher. Every choir leader has some unique technique he has acquired. Be open to his suggestions and tips for he has surely burned enough brow to learn his craft. If you have more brilliant wisdom in your head concerning certain "choir" matters (this happens), deal with it later out of respect for his leadership. You are certainly not in there to undermine his capabilities in front of his other students. Share it with him (or correct him ,if you must) one-on-one.

6. Show him you are accumulating his singing techniques. Before attempting to sing, consider his past lectures pertaining to vocal production and techniques. Make him feel that you are truly learning his methods. Do not start the singing like you forgot all the 'singing doctrines' in his many 'homilies'. Pause for a while and as you breathe in, review those routines in the mind. Show him he is not wasting his time with you.

7. He is your coach, and you are his player. The choir is a team. He calls the shots and you synch with everybody to hit your goals together. Everyone is in a way subservient to his "whims" as he beats (your backs?) through the song. He hastens, you run, he slows down, you float with him. You dance with the music (his). Afterwards, you can slap his shoulder if you must.

Vertical Vowels

2008-09-10T14:40:00.000+08:00

click the title to read the article.

little girl love

2008-09-06T15:23:00.000+08:00

click the title to read the article.

DGX-505

2008-08-27T22:42:00.000+08:00

A very good friend of mine Aerol (a fresh grad of Aeronautical Engineering), before going to an out-of-town vacation of sorts, left his Yamaha Portable Grand DGX-505 in my care. He will be gone for about two weeks, so he figured it is good if it is handed over to me than let it gather mold in a corner of his room. And wow! It was a real treat. Everyday I look forward to playing it. It has magnificent sound, alone or with a portable speaker. I sure would be very glad to own one for my own room. I think it would cost about USD1700 (about PHP75,000). Will I ever own one? Who knows. I might (with fingers crossed and eyes rolled up to heaven). Who would have thought I could buy me a Honda motorbike.

I had several chances of using it in our church; on several fellowships, worship services and on one big occasion, when we presented the concert Sing! It was an awesome addition to all the instruments. It provided professional sound to our presentation. A guest, when I chanced upon him after the event said that he thought we were indeed using pre-recorded music as we sang and played other live instruments but later realized that we weren't, as he saw me playing on the musicians' corner of the stage. I loved it. State-of -the -art!

This definitely is No.1 in my Wish List, with a Mac laptop and my own house occupying the 2nd and 3rd slots respectively. Will someone please initiate a fund-raising? :)

Aerol, you can go out-of-town all you like and consign your portable grand with me. I got it covered. :)

My Music Career Part 2

2008-08-25T20:09:00.000+08:00

Our church, being very near the seminary where our church workers originated, became the training ground for budding choral directors. It became an extension of the seminary's auditorium. Many music cantatas presented in the seminary gets a repeat performance in our place. We have been exposed to many concerts both in the church and in the said institution. I didn't realize that one day, I will be handling a choir of my own; in my church.

Being forever musically-curious, I gathered by instincts how to use a choral piece to teach people to sing their particular parts. As a teen, we got to sing on youth rallies and music competitions. Somehow we manage to bring home some trophies. Nothing serious though, as if we were just having some good times. Our church, being a young church had transient young pastors who eventually built their own churches in their homelands/provinces. Choral directors, just the same, came and went.

From observing, I guess I gathered teaching tips I used later as I formed my very first group. I called the attention of the church kids and formed a kids choir and we studied the Psalty's Christmas Calamity, a mini Children's Cantata. The book has a section on production notes which I painstakingly studied and incorporated in this musical. The presentation was well prepared and it earned raves among the people in the church; and it paved the way to many other succeeding children's musicals. On the side, young people would fill the gaps by providing musical numbers in our worship services. Well, some things come naturally to us, Pinoys. Music wise, we are a natural.

Time sure passes quickly. You know, the very singers at that very first cantata have grown up and have families of their own. Some of their children are my high school choir singers today. I have the second generation singers. But the original singers, sadly have been replaced by new members in the adults choir. I am yet to see the day when singers would not retire but would go on singing until they grow old in this ministry. I guess they say one is enough, (me being that one). They have focused their energies to raising their kids. Hopefully, some day, they would find themselves singing again in the ministry where they started.

One day, the incumbent pastor, Pastor Arnold Badaguas talked to me and convinced me to handle the choir for good. With some reservations, I accepted the challenge. And may I tell you, the journey was not so smooth after all. But I managed to get my hand on worthy materials to study the art of singing ( in the choir); how to handle vocal problems, how to relax the body and to keep singing freely.

That is not to mention some individuals who shared their wisdom on the subject. Choral directors nowadays are a 'lucky' bunch, what with all the highway of information flooding the internet. Just hope they will subscribe to the worthy ones; you know, not all these 'singing experts' are really in the know. But as I have observed, there are many who could really help out.

There were many pitfalls and stumbling blocks along the way; some of which nearly defeated me into quitting. But taken as a whole, everything contributed to my present stature as a mature choir director. I would rather not elaborate on some ugly facets of my ministry. It comes with the territory. I never guessed how much hurt I could possibly experience in the midst of all the Christian virtues flowing from the pulpit.

Politics was not absent in my stint; and I guess in many others'. I got harassed and backbitten and hurt countless times from some directions. What hurt me the most were the instances when those attacks would come from the most unlikely sources. Suffice it to say that I do not need to mention any of it. They were all in the past. I moved on, he he he. After all, I remained. Standing after all the battles, no offense taken, albeit scarred, thank God.

Some time soon, I will try to share some teaching techniques I have gathered along the way. Modesty aside, I am not your usual choir director. I am quite of a 'sound engineer'. I do not let people sing 'naturally', as in sing the way they like to.

I painstakingly coach the singers to sing a certain way- the classy way. I disdain horizontal sound so much I would deal with it extensively on any rehearsal time. People tend to sing lazily or haphazardly.

If you would just let them sing their way, your choir will sound amateurish and glaring. I am not successful all the time, because people tend to revert back to their faulty singing styles. So I had to be very patient and remind them to sing from the diaphragm, and observe their body parts whether they are doing good or are doing a sloppy job.

At this point of my career, I am quite unpressured by the task. I have learned to use a software to make my own minus ones, which I use extensively; sometimes even during the congregational singing.

I will be sharing with you some pics of our choirs. I will just figure out a way to transfer them from some of my files to here.

My Music Career Part 1

2008-08-25T20:02:00.000+08:00

As I have said, I have been a choir director for more than two decades already. Over the years I have gained some expertise on the field of choral direction. To think that I did not have any formal training in whatever aspect of this career I found myself in. Let me tell you how I happened to be here.

I remember as a child I was always mesmerized by the church organist in the church where we attend the Sunday worship services. I would sit there and anticipate the singing part of the worship. Then with eagle's eyes (I suspect), I would watch the lady organist as she walks over to the Hammond organ and do her thing. Incidentally, this woman is a very attractive woman (lovely, plus X-factor). She was very nice to look at, and added to my interest. I am not kidding, if I were to compare her to any local movie star, she looked like Phoemela Barranda of TV Patrol, Entertainment newscaster. In fact, a bit better looking.

But I realized nowadays, as I look in hindsight, she was just playing simply, I mean, playing simple four-note arrangements from a church hymnal. But just the same, I can still recall the aesthetics of those sounds that were deeply embedded in my subconscious.

Beyond our means, we never acquired any musical instrument in our home/s. But when I was about ten, my parents opened our home to be a mission house church, or a daughter church as is called nowadays. The sending church provided a manually-pedaled organ where the organists must continually pedal using both feet to produce sound. And then I realized that I can play oido (play by ear).

I would simply review the song in my head, and then try to find the right melody on the keys. As I did, I could hear, in my head a second note travelling with the one I am imagining. I guessed this must be the way the organist play different notes simultaneously. Through trial and error, I managed to play two notes at the same time, one on each hand.

You will never guess what happened. I have a very persistent mother who would always push me to do things beyond my true capacity. Because there was no one to play the instrument, my mother would coerce me to play during the worship service. I refused quite vehemently, but the mom had a way with me. I cannot escape her determination to make me play.

At times, everything would fall into place. I found out later that all I can play was a set of chords in the key of C, nothing else. Thus I play all songs in that key. There are times the small congregation cannot reach the range of the key. Nowadays, amused I remember the young pastor as he tried to sing through the high-pitched songs. Luckily, he can really sing, so he can improvise and make everything appear alright.

Through the years, I nourished that desire to really play the piano. I guess that somehow, several years later, and several houses later (we transferred to seven houses in all through my entire life), and thus, several churches later, our church pastor, the Rev. Genovevo Lubaton (in our final church where we have been attending since 1978, what do you know, it's been thirty years!) noticed I have some raw musical talent.

His daughter Jasmin, who was a year or two years my junior, gave me free piano lessons during weekends. There slowly, I finally got my hands on true music theory, thanks to the good pastor and his daughter; and my church, who gave my piano tutor transportation allowance to attend to me. For about five months I was guided by this young lady until it had to end as they migrated to the States (of America), and guess what, I was left with the responsibility of providing music for the church.

Left with my third grade John Thompson book, I tried to study by myself the rest of the book. Upon finishing it, I got a hand-me-down fourth grade piano book which I painstakingly self-studied.

I played during worship, and prayer meetings, and other church fellowships. I was thankful every time a transient Seminary student would stay with the church and help me out in the handling of our church's music. They were many; and I sincerely thank them all. Today, thank God, our church has at least four pianists, including myself.

My choral stint is another story altogether which would eat a good amount of bytes. Maybe you guessed by now that I have been a willing victim to the repeated cycles where I get to be shoved on a job I hesitantly accepted.

People have a knack of giving me huge responsibilities I never knew I could afford to carry; many thanks to the grace of the Lord. I guess it's my destiny. So I guess you have to be back to read all about it. Regards.

Inay

2008-08-21T09:45:00.000+08:00

Fyi: Inay is one of the many ways to call your mom in the Philippines. Some other terms are Nanay, Nana, Ina, Mamang, and many others in every other 100++ dialects in the land; Mommy and Mama are also commonplace in cities and urban areas.

I still recall Inay in her youth. She is a very strong woman. In many family crises we have undergone, she always had a way of keeping her family above the waters. My father used to be the strong man in the family during his children's formative years. He worked in a stable company and gave us good primary education. But when Martial Law was declared, he lost his job and ended up doing odd jobs just to fend for his family. That is when Inay unleashed her powers, so to speak.

She did all kinds of jobs to keep her family afloat during the dry spell of the seventies. She bought and sell in the local market, she sewed whatever she can lay her hands on (she was a dressmaker), she made buko salad which she sells in the city and many other odd but honest ways to feed her children. But in fairness toTatay (Father), he helped a lot in the background; did his things and managed to do the same for his family. He went to be with the Lord eight years ago.

Inay today is partly disabled. Half-blind due to cataract, she has been disoriented for years and is starting to show symptoms of Alzheimer's. With all my siblings gone, tending to each his own family, I was unceremoniously left to care for her.

She is quite a handful, being the obstinate woman that she is. But she is slowly adapting to her situation. She is learning to listen to my instructions, when I tell to turn left or right, she tries but almost always, falters. Sometimes I can't help but be amused when I am giving her directions as she walks around the house. I would tell her to "turn left" and she would continue walking forward after turning a teeny weenie left. When I stop her and tell her to "turn left", she would be quite irked and say "isn't this left?", raising her left arm but mistakenly pointing it on her front. Thus, she continues to move forward. I can't help but think this is because she isn't used to taking instructions; she had a long time doing the giving of "orders".

But even today, she is a delight to some ladies in the neighborhood. I occasionally bring her to a nearby sari-sari store to chat with the store owner who endearingly calls her "Mommy." She needs go out and mix, I guess, to revitalize her sharpness. She remains the crowd favorite and the "life of the party" in our surroundings. She has a way with words, and she can still exchange smart dialogues with younger ladies beside her. But in church, fewer and fewer people notice her. Maybe because she lost her congeniality. She became laid back and silent in the church. But in occasions, she manages to answer back as the pastor speaks, and still have a strong hand in clapping through the "welcome song". Once in a while, she remarks aloud, "Amen!" Several years back, she has been a very popular woman in women's inter-church fellowships and rallies which she regularly attends. She can join every parlor game and never fails to bring home something for her feats. One time, she brought home a sash which has a caption "Miss Friendship" on it:. She wins in most games and shines in role play skits.

I am thankful that this lady store owner momentarily takes the time to chat with her and give her back rubs which she truly enjoys. After about two hours, she will be accompanied home in time for her afternoon glass of milk. And she goes back to her precious radio which delights her twenty-four-seven.

I am not complaining. It has been long due; the time to serve her. She had a full life lived. On this her mellowing days, I am her constant companion. Although we seldom talk during the day, I try to initiate conversations to let her feel that I always remain beside her. And she always requests to be given back rubs and massage. She can still take her bath alone though. I think that she will never allow herself to be totally dependent. And she finally learned to take things slowly. After many falls and bumps, I think she finally admitted that her heydays are over. She walks and moves more discreetly so as to avoid crashing on things in the house. She was used to fast paced lifestyle, when she was still able. There was a time she cannot admit, (without verbalizing) that she can't move as quickly as before. She drops and spills things, she bumps on doors and walls, and forgets where she last put her radio. Slowly though, she adjusted. Nowadays, her moves are calculated and slow but sadly she remains disoriented so she calls me many times during the day.

Once in a while she would call in the middle of the night and demands breakfast thinking it is already daytime. She sleeps a lot and everytime she awakes, she asks for a glass of milk. There were times we argue about the time. She always thinks it's breakfast time. Imagine, as I am about to sleep late, and I would hear her slowly walk in her room towards the door. When asked where she is heading, she would say, "prepare me a glassof milk", and asking me what day it is.

2008-08-18T09:01:00.000+08:00

onedaysoon

What's with the name-you may ask. To tell you the truth, it dawned on me moments after I decided to launch this blog. In our church, our theme for the month is Prophecy, a.k.a. eschatology.

Eschatology- Gk eschatos n. body of teachings about last or final things, as death, resurrection, judgment, the millenium, etc.

Our pastor talked lengthily on the subject, and it engaged my mind all day long. So there, how I came up with the name onedaysoon, as in 'one day soon.'

You might be tempted to ask, "is it really soon? What made him say so? What are the signs? Does the Bible give hints or whatever that it is really at hand? At this day and age? Come on, so many church men have faltered in this area many times already. And they suffered disgrace and humiliation as the predicted day came and passed; bringing doubts to the faithful and more so the unconverted.

I will not try to preach here; I will leave that to my pastor. Not today at least, I cannot promise I won't ever. Ha ha ha. Sometimes I can't help it. Well, all I can say is (Oh no, here goes...), as I have summed up through all these years of listening to different preachers and as per my personal Bible study (believe it or not), the event is imminent. Meaning, it will transpire at any moment any day now.

Maybe next month, while you are traveling on an out-of-town weekend, the cloud suddenly roll away like a theater curtain and you guessed what is happening. Gasping, you say, "Oh no, not today."

Or maybe in three days time, as you are about to take a mid-term exam and without having the time to review for it. And you heaved a deep sigh of relief.

Kidding aside, the 'dreaded' day will surely come. As sure as the sun coming up in the morning, the great day will arrive. It maybe tomorrow, it maybe today; morning as you eat your breakfast, or as you are sound asleep at night. Who knows. No one. Evangelists should have learned their lessons by now. And you know what? He (Jesus) will come "as a thief in the night." Imagine a thief's frame of mind as he plans his 'mission'.

The big question is, are you ready for His appearing? What gives you the idea, if ever, that He is bringing you good news on that day? Will it be a day of rejoicing for you? Or will it be, as I said, that "dreaded day?" Actually, it's your call, believe it or not.

A song said, "The day is coming, and it won't be long. I'll fly away to my home." With all humility I say, the song is very true for me. I hope it will be the same for you too, my friend.

On my next post, I will also write on my other reasons for coining this blog's name. Maybe tomorrow, or the next day. Regards.

wow, my very first

2008-08-17T18:05:00.000+08:00

Hello there! This is my first blog; and I can't wait to write about many things. But for now, let me bore you with the details about me. He he he.

I am a choir director for twenty-five years now. My very first singers already have grandkids. Right now, I handle two choirs in my home church (Emmanuel Baptist Church); the EBC SALMO Chorale, an adult choir; and EBC Heirs, a high-school choir.

I could say that I am satisfied with where I finally concentrated my talents. I used to be very scatter-brained. Totally confused in finding my true calling, I worked in the past as Architectural draftsman ( I had three years of BS Architecture), tested my artistry in animations (working as 'In-betweener'), I even submitted and had several romance book cover designs printed on a local publishing house (where i painted scenes of romantic theme); and my other passion, mural paintings where my clients were usually churches and schools. I did not finish my college, maybe that is why I kept on looking for something which I really did not find. Until I really focused on choir conducting.

There were many ups and downs in my choir life. There were many instances where I was tempted to give up altogether and find another (again) job. But with the Lord's blessings and guidance, here I remain. I met so many people in my stint. People come and go. Quite sad (me being here while people mill around life and pursue their dreams after their stint in the choir), but at the same time, exciting as I see new faces grow and mature in this ministry. Besides, I am constantly reminded by the Lord to keep on.

Somebody gave me a software for creating minus ones for my choir; and I absolutely enjoyed it and the choir has been using my created minus ones Sunday after Sunday. By this program, our church pianists are less burdened with studying accompaniments. But of course, they still play a lot during our worship services.
I also play the piano. I love the piano. I am still yet to buy myself one. I used to have a keyboard but it has a short life span. Got rid of it. But my church has a baby grand which I adore. Whenever I am in the church, it is my special corner. I can play all day without getting tired--I mean without losing enthusiasm. If only I can bring it home-lol.

Well, I will continue to bore you in my next post. Expect more of me. Ok, I will only mention what you would probably care to read. Mabuhay!

P.S. Asap I will post pictures of my Choirs as if you requested them. :-)