New keys to learning
Gather a bunch of artists in a music store, and before long, they start looking like kids in a toy store.
At the recent opening of Yamaha Music Philippines’ (YMPH) flagship boutique at Uptown Mall, the air crackled with energy from the sounds of various instruments being play-tested all at once. Standing in the middle of the room, all you could hear was a mishmash of strings, percussion and giddy chatter. But move closer to each musically inclined guest and you could start making out the notes.
In one corner, Myrene Academia of the rock groups Sandwich and Imago plucked at a glossy black bass guitar while looking at it admiringly. RJ Cruz of the pop-rock band The Juans went straight to the electric guitars. And who knew the Filipino Olympian and fencer Maxine Esteban was also a musician?
Kenaniah, the singer-songwriter behind the hit “Bahala Na,” sat at the grand piano. At the baby grand beside it, two young girls tickled the ivories side by side. And as it all happened, the Quartet Manila played swinging pop and jazz tunes, with Markki Stroem taking on the singing duties.
Former IV of Spades bandmates Unique Salonga and Zild Benitez were also there, chatting and sharing a laugh during their hunt for a nylon string guitar. But all too often they got distracted by the shiny new things along the way. Before long, they were having a blast, tapping merrily away on the finger drum pads.
And yes, not a few people got their hopes up. Was a reunion—together with other Spades members Blaster Silonga and Badjao de Castro—finally in the offing? Not quite. The two didn’t expect to bump into each other, actually. But they’re friends, they said, and are happy about it. For now, it is what it is. And they could only hope that their fans are just as happy for them.
First keyboard
Meanwhile, looking at everyone tinkering with instruments, The Juans vocalist, Carl Guevarra, couldn’t help but reminisce about his mother gifting him with an entry-level Yamaha PSR-210 keyboard. “She bought it secondhand from a neighbor. And that’s where I learned how to play,” he told Lifestyle.
“From there, I discovered that there are all sorts of pianos—digital, acoustic … It opened my eyes to the world of music,” he added. “Now, my dream is to have a baby grand. It’s not too big and would be nice to have at home.”
The keyboard is, indeed, a good gateway instrument. That’s why YMPH, as part of its commitment to promote music as a learning tool, donated 50 keyboards (YPT-270) to the Department of Education (DepEd), which will distribute them to public schools around the country.
And while these are basic models, they’re more than sufficient for beginners, YMPH president Koichiro Onoe said. “The keyboard is easy to play. For instance, you can immediately see which note is lower or higher. And it allows students to easily learn about harmony, melody and rhythm—the basic components of music,” he told Lifestyle.
“It’s better than a guitar, which can be challenging to hold for young students. So we believe the keyboard is an adequate instrument for educational purposes,” he explained.
DepEd Undersecretary Peter Corvera said the donation will go a long way in helping shape the “holistic development of learners, and even teachers.”
“Education isn’t just about academics,” he pointed out. “It’s also about enhancement of culture.”
Yamaha—founded in Hamamatsu, Japan, in 1887 as a piano and reed organ manufacturer—has long been a go-to brand for many artists and music professionals. But it also hopes to make music more accessible for everyone especially in a music-loving country like the Philippines.
“There are many people here who can play instruments, and some without being able to read notes. They can play just by ear,” Onoe said, adding that customers are free to try some of the instruments on display at the store. “From a music point of view, the Philippines is right up there.”
