Enter the Taylor GS Mini. I won’t bore you with its specs and details, which are all available on the internet anyway, so suffice it to say it’s the one guitar that fits all four of my criteria to a T. As Taylor itself puts it, it’s a “small guitar with a big sound” – and I can attest to that fact. It’s not as small as the Baby Taylor, but then again it doesn’t suffer from the same small sound. It’s small enough to make it easy to travel with, but it plays like a full-sized guitar and even sounds better than most guitars I’ve played.

I was introduced to the GS Mini by my best friend Tito, with whom I shared dreams of owning an Ovation since we were children. Having outgrown our lust for the Ovation, we had both gone on our separate searches for THE guitar. We both went through our respective slews of guitars, but we were never really satisfied with what we had. Finally Tito discovered the GS Mini, and somehow we both knew this was IT.

I was able to try one at RJ Guitars (the official Taylor distributor in the Philippines) in Makati, and it blew me away. It had a strong, complex sound, lots of overtones, and it projected so loudly that I swore it was louder than my full-sized Ibanez dreadnought (a fact that would later be confirmed). It didn’t sound like a small guitar, and it didn’t feel like it was one fret shorter than regular scale. It was, for all intents and purposes, a full-sized guitar. Minus the full size.

I think the best thing is the cost. While people who aren’t familiar with guitar prices would balk at the price tag, it actually represents a huge discount. You wouldn’t usually be able to buy a US-made solid-top guitar for less than $1,000; the GS Mini lists at half that amount. For the first time, it’s possible to own a Taylor for $500.

Long story short, I was able to purchase a GS Mini by selling off two guitars. Now I’m happy with my guitar, and I think this is the one I will grow old with. I’ve used it at church several times with great success. The optional magnetic pickup (called the ES Go) is kinda tricky to tweak, but after playing around with it for some time I think I finally found its best settings.

I’ve already told my wife that this is the last guitar I’ll ever buy, and fortunately, the GS Mini is making it easy to stick to my word. Quite simply, I haven’t looked at another guitar since getting this one.

Random Posts:

• Silence
• The next American Idol (well, maybe in ten years!)
• Tune town
• Be vigilant
• My Photo Galleries

                          

Unlike many other young female singers, Julianne writes her own songs and plays guitar for herself — and quite skillfully at that. She had always shown an interest in the guitar: back in the day it was a normal for me to pick up Kuya Philip’s guitars (a Yamaha and a Tama at the time) at their home and strum away, and Julianne, like any normal child, would come up and interrupt me by strumming or banging at the strings.

Julianne and me during her family's recent visit to Davao City.

I never actually saw her play guitar because by the time she picked up the instrument at around age nine I was already living in Davao. But it didn’t surprise me that years later she would become a singer/songwriter and become a rising star in the music industry; not only is it in her genes, she also has the determination and the willingness to work hard to achieve her dreams.

For some years I was a distant observer to Julianne’s rise to success, unable to watch any actual show because she performed mainly in Metro Manila and occasionally abroad. I had to make do with Youtube and what TV performances I could catch, as well as listen to her debut CD (Grateful) over and over again. In July last year, however, she visited Davao and played a small gig and I finally saw her live. This was repeated early this week when she and her brothers Christopher and Immanuel jammed at a small gathering of family and friends in downtown Davao.

I was blown away by her voice and guitar-playing chops. There were broken chords, split chords, inversions, and variations flying all around, but all tastefully done to support Julianne’s wonderful, deep, mellow, bell-like voice. Her hands and her voice worked magically together, weaving song after song into a fabric rich not just in poetry but in meaning.

But it wasn’t at all pensive and serious. Julianne had a way of presenting even mature issues in a lighthearted way both lyrically and musically. Her persona was exactly that of a Soul Child (the nickname the industry gave her): full of soul, but still a child at heart, the kind that Jesus said we all ought to be (Matthew 18:15). On stage, Julianne moved and grooved to her music, losing herself in her songs and inviting all of us to be lost in them as well.

Julianne will be releasing an EP (extended play) disc soon, and there are plans afoot to record a full-length album as follow up to her successful “Grateful” debut. There’s a lot more going on than I can write here, so head on down to her website for more of Julianne. Let me just leave you with this video of one of her most popular songs, Grateful:

Random Posts:

• Jamming in the dark
• Bro. Eddie’s reply to being called a ‘compromiser’
• A life lesson from guitars
• Conspiring against Mindanao
• Small guitar, big sound

                          

By Gerbs R. De Castro

(Notes: Gerbs R. de Castro, my next-door neighbor in my hometown of Tugatog, Malabon, has been a true-blue Truefaith fan since 1993. Such is his devotion to the band that he has taken it upon himself to be the administrator of the longest-running unofficial Truefaith forum. He is also the co-administrator of Truefaith’s official Facebook fan and group pages, which is where I got wind of his special ties with the band. As the year ends I am yielding this space to Gerbs, and I hope you all enjoy reading this as much as I did.)

The year 2009 ushered in a lot of ups and downs in the Philippine music industry, ranging from Martin Nievera and Gary Valenciano’s first-ever concert together to the untimely demise of Master Rapper Francis Magalona. As the year closes its curtains, one of the most durable Filipino bands will be parading its 13th album soon.

Despite their hectic holiday schedule nowadays, I got the opportunity to interview lead vocalist Med Marfil of Truefaith regarding their upcoming plans for 2010 and beyond.

GERBS: Truefaith has been in the music business for almost two decades, 18 years to be exact. What do you believe is the band’s sustaining power in this kind of an industry?

MED: Our sustaining power has got to be our unwavering love for music! There is not much we’d love to do that is on the same level as making music and performing live onstage. This desire to do the best musical creations is the driving force that makes us go on even during those times where our self-image as a band was on its lowest. We suffer from momentary periods of doubt like whether the idea of our relevance in the music scene props up and gets questioned by ourselves. But this unrelenting commitment to our craft is probably the best reason why we are still here. We love music! Music is our life!

I heard that the band lately has been parading a new lead guitarist. Could you provide us a background on the new excellent guitar player?

MED: Allan Elgar is our new guitar player; he came from bands like 7 Foot Jr. and (did a bit of time with) Mojofly. If the surname sounds familiar, that is because he is the older brother of Rivermaya guitarist, Mike. Truefaith has always been a band that is known to have been inspired greatly by the New Wave and 80s Pop genres so it is but fitting to have Allan on board. The first thing that I learned about his musical background is that he loves The Smiths and regards their guitar player Johnny Marr as a huge influence. I knew we had the right guy when we first rehearsed with him: he brought to the Truefaith songs a certain shimmer that we’ve always hoped for in a guitar player. Plus, he’s a nice fellow!

After being a part of a popular recording company since your inception, you have decided to shift gears and are presently under the Viva Records umbrella. How do you describe the adjustment as a whole?

MED: With the global music industry in a slump we thought it would be best if we went with a big powerhouse of a local company like Viva Records. After all, it is the local market that we aim to reach with our records. People have been very congenial and warm. Big Boss Vic del Rosario is a straight to the point and fair human being and I believe his qualities as a good leader are emulated by everyone in the company. We’re still on the level of getting to know key people in every department since we’re on the period of planning the new album LOVE PARADE’s marketing plan, but I’ve got a good feeling we’re going to like our stay in Viva.

Truefaith’s upcoming album will be out sometime next year after the Dream Journal 2007 release. When will it be released? Why did it take almost three years to produce a new one?

MED: LOVE PARADE — which actually has a subtitle: For the Life Brigade — will be released February 2010. Originally it was supposed to be out October of this year but we encountered problems with a certain individual who we tasked to be the producer; he bailed out after the recording of all the instruments and vocal tracks just when he was about to start his part with the album’s sound. Luckily for us, the very talented and understanding Jack Rufo salvaged the project for us.

Moving from one record company to another did require some time and a whole lot of negotiating so that is the reason why it took three years for this new project/album to be realized.

Could you provide the fans out there with information about the forthcoming album? What is the album title and why was it named as such? What makes “Love Parade for the Life Brigade” similar or different from your past albums? Who are the guest artists who contributed to the album?

MED: LOVE PARADE is definitely a very vibrant and fun album! I thought of the title after having thought of how life is really just one big parade. The way to go through it is to enjoy every step even if it sometimes hurts. We all end up at the same point so you might as well savor every moment; cherish everything! Our fans should expect a lot of “colors” in the music as well as colors on the album art- think of the movie UP (which is my favorite movie of the year!).

The album sounds dynamic and fresh even though we mined our new wave and 80s pop chops on this one. We’ve also been listening to some new stuff from indie bands abroad that had dance-y and synth pop styles. To add more vigor and cuttin-edge spunk to our approach we asked some of our favorite artists to help us out: Armi Millare of Up Dharma Down sings on Yun Lang the carrier single; Carlos Magno of Out of Body Special and Luke Mejares sing on Strangeflower while Ryan Armamento of Corporate Lo-Fi raps on it; amazing saxophonist Dix Lucero plays wonderfully on Kaya Mo Yan!

Still, the album is very Truefaith and the themes here truly inspire: Love, Faith, relationships, the good times, Hope!

What are the potential tracks in the album to watch out for? Around when will they be heard on the airwaves?

MED: ‘Yun Lang’ is the carrier single. A new wave-y, dance-your-socks-off number with no less than the very talented Armi Millare of Up Dharma Down on guest vocals. Kaya Mo Yan is an inspirational number which sounds like O.M.D. The sax part by Dix Lucero should bring on that very 80s feel. ‘Awitin’ is like vintage Truefaith for 2010! ‘Pangako’ is a pop rock tune that lingers. Our best bet for a teleserye is ‘Lihim.’ If you’re looking for something like a Fra Lippo Lippi or China Crisis song, then tracks like ‘Mountain Wind’ and ‘Tonight’ would be to your liking. ‘Strangeflower’ sounds like a confluence of styles from new artists like Passion Pitt and Empire of the Sun with classics like Earth Wind and Fire and ABBA!

Anyways the whole album is brilliant! I am very sure old and new Truefaith fans will love LOVE PARADE! That is most certain!

For the avid fans stationed abroad, what international cities would you guys be most likely visiting next year?

MED: 2010 we shall be going to Canada then go down to the U.S.A. We will also visit Australia and Europe. And possibly the Middle East! So we’re hoping all plans push through. It will be a busy traveling year! See you all!

Are there any future plans of collaborating with local and international artists?

MED: Collaborations with foreign artists would just might happen next year. We can’t tell everything.

Any message you would want to impart to your fans as we close this interview?

The author (left) and Med… spreading the Faith!!!

MED: Thank you everyone for all your support all these years! To all those who have been with us since ‘Perfect,’ we so appreciate all the love! To those who have just recently been converted to our fold, welcome to our world! We hope that you could tell all your friends and loved ones about us and the music we do. We wish you would remain our friends for a long time.

To all our friends in Mindanao, we shall come back to your key towns and cities to promote our album. We love playing there! Love Parade has many songs about faith and of course, love, and we hope that the songs will inspire everyone there to always hope that peace will flourish in our country.

The Love Parade is on! Happy Holidays and a Great 2010 to all! Cheers! Bless ya!

For loads of Truefaith information, please do join Truefaith’s Facebook fan and group pages as well as at www.truefaith.tk. God bless and spread the Faith !!! – GerbsRandom Posts:

• Beach rap
• Libeling
• Michigan
• Hofner progress
• Good gig pic

                          

I am, however, the last person to say that mastery of the English language is a gauge of one’s intelligence. I have known many great people who speak mainly Tagalog and who would be laughed out of a room if they attempted to speak in English. But their greatness is not diminished by that; if anything, they are respected in their respective fields because they refuse to let language be a barrier in their pursuit of their dreams. One such person I worked for many years ago would ask me to translate his speeches for him, and he read them aloud during his public appearances.

And it’s not as if the English language has not borrowed from Filipino. Most of us know that “boondocks” comes from the Tagalog “bundok,” although the English meaning of “rough, remote, or isolated country” is a bit of an extrapolation from the original “mountain” (and is actually closer to the Visayan term “bukid” which does in fact carry with it the meaning of being remote and isolated). Wikipedia lists a few other English words that are of Tagalog origin:

abaca – a species of banana native to the Philippines. The plant is of major economical importance, being harvested for its fibre, called Manila hemp.

capiz – decoration material, made of mother-of-pearl shells that have the same name.

cogon – type of grass, used for thatching, from the Tagalog word kugon.

cooties – from the common Austronesian and Tagalog kuto which literally means “head lice.”

manila (hemp) – a type of fiber obtained from the leaves of the abacá (Musa textilis), a relative of the banana.

ylang-ylang – type of flower known for its fragrance.

yo-yo – the toy

But whether we like it or not, it is us Pinoys who have borrowed more words from the Americans, and often it is in the way we misuse the language that we stand out. Like I said, I am the last person to insist that we fall in line with the Americans, but many times I cringe at how we mangle their language. An example is the phrase I just used in the previous sentence, “fall in line,” which does not mean to stand in line or to queue up as we use it but “to conform with others.” Here are some more common mistakes:

Hardly — The word means “scarcely” or even “no” or “not,” but is often mistake for “hard,” as in, “The province was hardly hit by the typhoon.”

Barking at the wrong tree — Why would a dog bark at a tree? The correct phrase is “barking up the wrong tree” and means to pursue a mistaken or misguided line of thought or course of action.

His husband? — This one’s understandable. Philippine languages do not have specific words that refer to gender; the word for husband and wife, for example, is “asawa,” and brother and sister is “kapatid.” But we should be careful to use the right pronoun for the correct noun.

Asking for an apology — This is used so frequently that I grate at it, and it even has a Tagalog and Visayan counterpart that carries the same mistake. What one asks for is forgiveness, not an apology; if you ask for an apology, you’re the one who’s aggrieved.

Random Posts:

• More tricks
• Period of Peace
• Gone loopy
• Jammeeting
• Barefooting

                          

JamBayan is a word I’d coined some years ago and been using for some time now, mainly as the title of a series of intimate (read: small) concerts my band held in 2005-2006. “Jam” is a musical term that means improvising with other musicians, but for my blog I’ve had to think of a way to make it more general. So I’ve turned it into an acronym and subtitled it Just Another Mindanao Blog. I hope you’ll support it the way you’ve supported Third World. It’s actually the same thing, only better.

Random Posts:

• Command responsibility
• Julia
• Take your pick
• Barefoot in Lapu-Lapu City
• Q&A

                          

But can you imagine what their acoustic guitars are going through?

One of the things I find amazing in the acoustic guitar is that a set of light strings actually applies about 180 pounds of pressure on the structure. That means I who weigh 160 pounds (give or take a few) can actually stand on the headstock of an unstrung guitar and the instrument would hold me up!

In fact, for a guitar to produce a sound it has to have that kind of pressure on it; if not for the pressure, a guitar would just be a hunk of wood, steel, and plastic.

And that’s kind of what life is all about, right? We all dream of living without pressure, without stress, without problems, but in reality these are the very things that allow us to be who we are. We are daily tested, and it is in how we respond to these tests that we see what stuff we’re made of. It is also in problems that we see how great God is. Jesus said: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (Acts 14:22).

So if you feel like you can’t stand the pressure, look at your guitar. It’s constantly under pressure – and if it’s an old one it may even show in how it looks – but because of that pressure it’s able to make beautiful music.Random Posts:

• Celebrate Laya
• Take your pick
• Tune town
• Dream come true
• Dadai

                          

I grew up watching Sesame Street, but I haven’t been able to watch the show since college. I was thus surprised to read a few days ago that the street has been given a cleanup and is now spic and span — a departure from the early days when the set had a realistic bite to it. Some of the buildings were run down and had a grimy texture, Luis’ fixit shop was low-end, and a few not too well-kept garbage cans (one of which housed Oscar the Grouch) stood in front of the iconic 123 Sesame Street apartment building. The producers have apparently updated the look and made the street more charming, but I myself feel nostalgic for the old days when Sesame Street looked and felt like the street in Malabon where I grew up.

Indeed, that was one of Sesame Street’s charms for me: it didn’t show a perfect American world where everyone was rich. Instead, it showed a real neighborhood, with real people (and muppets) who worked, studied, played, and struggled through life like Filipinos did. Even the song “Who Are The People In Your Neighborhood?” paid respect to the working class, singing the praises of mail deliverers, carpenters, plumbers, and farmers. Only in specials did they ever sing about Martina Navratilova or Ralph Nader or Barbara Walters.

Speaking of singing, it’s the music that really stands out in Sesame Street for me. From the opening song (“Sunny day, sweeping up clouds away…”) to the instrumental closing credits, each piece is well thought out and is a standout composition by itself. The popular ones  of course get the most attention (like the aforementioned neighborhood song, “Sing,” etc.), but the more obscure songs can give Top 40 songs a run for their money. Among my favorites are the poignant “The Lower Case N” and the sleazy sounding “Would You Like To Buy An O.” The latter is also among my baby daughter’s favorites and she can sing it with the same conspiring tone as Lefty the criminal-type muppet.

And speaking of criminals, I think it’s safe to say that they’ve all been removed or rehabilitated in order not to give bad ideas to children. Even Cookie Monster, whose love for cookies has since been described as an addiction, has been redone to love food other than the baked goodies; for him, cookies are just an option but he’d rather have healthful food. I am ambivalent about this: on the one hand, the muppets must be good role models to the children; on the other hand, I have always appreciated the realness of the characters, practically all of whom have some weakness of some kind that other characters help address or complement. I mean, nerdy but smart Bert wouldn’t be half as interesting if there wasn’t a cool but sometimes clueless Ernie to act as spoiler, and vice versa.

I’m not sure I’d love the new Sesame Street as much as the old, so I’ve made sure to snap up DVDs of the show whenever I find them. I now have a small collection, and my baby daughter simply loves the show to death. She can sing along with the classics like the aforementioned Buy An O, the two girls with the two dolls, and even the Martian Beauty. I know she’s getting as much fun and learning from Sesame Street as I did, and I sure am enjoying myself watching those old shows once again.

Random Posts:

• Looking up
• Good gig!
• Beach rap
• Barefoot in Lapu-Lapu City
• Capturing light

                          

I studied in a school that didn’t exactly place a premium on English, writing, and the arts. What my school was strong in was math and science, but as I was never much of a scientist and mathematician, I naturally lagged behind my classmates. I craved literature, the arts, and other such “useless” subjects, but they were never really taught that well. I would have languished in that state had it not been for Sesame Street, which began airing in the Philippines in the early 70s.

I loved the show from Day One, and I enjoyed all the characters — human or otherwise — that made up the Sesame Street universe. Grover, Big Bird, The Count, Cookie Monster, Ernie, Bert, Kermit, and all the muppets became my friends, and the humans became neighbors who taught me how to read, write, spell, and yes, even count (ah-ah-ah-ah!!!). The episodes were repeated ad nauseam over the next years (and decades), but I didn’ t mind. I was having so much fun learning that I would watch them over and over and over and over again.

I don’t mind saying that I learned English through Sesame Street, and I’d like the makers of the show to know that they succeeded in their mission in me and many others of my generation. We’re too many to count, so let’s just say with The Count, “Millions! Millions of people who learned while having fun! Ah-ah-ah-ah!!!”Random Posts:

• Stereotyping Mindanao
• String section
• Photography for the Facebook generation
• Variax

                          

As a musician, I am constantly amazed at how full and, well, noisy today’s music is. It’s a barrage on the senses, note after note and chord after chord of non-stop sound, from intro to stanza to stanza to chorus to ad lib to chorus to stanza to chorus to chorus to ending (that’s the formula for most songs these days, give or take a stanza or two). Even the new “acoustic” music, so called because it uses acoustic guitars and such instruments, can be a dense mix of wang-chung (to borrow from the 80s band, which claimed that its name was the sound a guitar made) chug-chug-chugging along to the drone of the vocalist either whispering to a mic or screaming to high heavens.

It’s probably a sign of my age that I miss the days when musicians relied on real songwriting to move their ideas along. I was talking to my wife one morning about this, and I told her – and she wholeheartedly agreed – that even the Beatles, widely seen as a noisy rock band, actually relied on hooks and other musical tools to catch the ears of their listeners. Their music relied as much on what they did not play as on what they did. They were of the same mind as Les Paul, the musical genius who designed the guitar that bears his name, who said, “I learned a long time ago that one note can go a long way if it’s the right one, and it will probably whip the guy with 20 notes.” Or the poet John Keats, who said, “Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard are sweeter.” Or the classical pianist Artur Schnabel: “The notes I handle no better than many pianists. But the pauses between the notes – ah, that is where the art resides.”

Speaking of quotes, here are a few of my favorites from famous people, not all of them musicians:

“I often think in music, live my daydreams in music, and see my life in terms of music. I get most joy in life out of music.” – Albert Einstein, physicist

“The guitar is a small orchestra. It is polyphonic. Every string is a different color, a different voice.” Andres Segovia, father of the modern classical guitar

“It’s easy to play any musical instrument: all you have to do is touch the right key at the right time and the instrument will play itself.” – Johann Sebastian Bach

“Lean your body forward slightly to support the guitar against your chest, for the poetry of the music should resound in your heart.” – Andres Segovia

“The piano is a monster that screams when you touch its teeth.” – Andres Segovia

“There was this big skiffle craze happening for a while in England… Everybody was in a skiffle group… All you needed was an acoustic guitar, a washboard with thimbles for percussion, and a tea-chest- you know, the ones they used to ship tea from India – and you just put a broom handle on it and a bit of string, and you had a bass… you only needed two chords; Jing-jinga-jing jing-jinga-jing jing-jinga-jing jing-jinga-jing. And I think that’s basically where I’ve always been at. I’m just a skiffler, you know. Now I do posh skiffle, that’s all it is.“ – George Harrison

“God has a way of telling you when to change your strings.” – Dave van Ronk

“My best songs come from making a lot of mistakes and playing a lot of garbage.” – Eric JohnsonRandom Posts:

• Beach rap
• The source code: A matter of trust?
• My Mindanao
• Good gig pic
• ICFJ condemns the massacre

                          

So where US papers are facing a kind of dead end, Pinoy papers can find great opportunities if they go online immediately. With almost three-fourths of Americans using the internet, many of them are set in their ways and many websites and web personalities are already established. In the Philippines, the field is still fresh and full of possibilities, and there is no reason to think the internet will not, sooner or later, become the major source of information and entertainment for Filipinos. There is as yet no profitable model for news websites, but it will be found soon, and we had better be already present on the internet well before that happens.Random Posts:

• Cheap strings for cheapskates
• It’s here!
• Guitar chaos
• Barefooting
• HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!