Music tripping in Mindanao

DAVAO — They don’t call Mindanao the Land of Promise only because of its pristine waters teeming with marine life (hello, Pearl Farm!). It’s also because, much like its natural resources, Mindanao brims with homegrown talent waiting to be tapped.

Joey Ayala and Grace Nono met the muse in Mindanao, and were never the same again. So are the people whose lives they touched, thanks to their music.

Aspiring musicians behind the bands that went up the NCCC Mall stage in the recent Nescafé Soundskool regional eliminations may lay no claim to fame as yet. But their stirring vocals, guitar riffs and pounding percussions show they have what it takes. Give it a little polish, just the right exposure and coaching, and they could just be Mindanao’s future source of pride.

They may not measure up to the likes of Callalily (which performed during the elimination rounds) and Nescafé Soundskool’s first winning band, Hilera, yet. But who knows how far they can go once they get the training and exposure they need?

Let’s get to know the three finalists from Mindanao:

You could call C-Shifter from the Davao Doctors College The Singing Cousins. Its members — vocalist Nikita Vecino, guitarist Lorenzo Gabriel Vergara, keyboardist Marilee Manlupig, drummer Jan Miguel Vergara and bassist Patrick Louie Santos — are bound together not just by music but by blood. This makes it easier for them to jam any time they want and express their passion for music not only through singing but in songwriting as well.

The common bloodline makes singing more than just a matter of self-expression. It’s also a case for family pride.

“Our goal is to share our family’s talents to more Filipinos,” spokesperson Marilee says.

Now that they’ve made the cut in the regional finals, C-Shifters will not just be singing in family gatherings. They will perform before mixed crowds beyond the comfort of their ancestral home.

It’s something new, something different. Marilee sums up their mixed feelings: “We are happy we made it to the finals but we are also nervous.”

C-Shifters’ fellow finalist, Keyk, has a different story. Vocalist Joseph Parcon, bassist Ivan Krishmer Padilla, guitarist Ronie Utlang, guitarist Israel Guangco and drummer Michael Rulite are no strangers to a new band’s birth pains.

Their baptism of fire happened in a town fiesta in Davao del Norte.

Relates Joseph: “The organizers promised to shoulder our food and transportation expenses but we still spent our own money. The crowd didn’t like the songs we played. From then on, we learned to be prepared and research about the songs and kinds of music our varied audiences like.”

Not that Keyk is lacking in ear candy. The band named after a dessert we can’t resist, describes its sound as “very energetic and groovy.”

And their goal in wanting to win is noble.

“We want to help our school — St. Mary’s College, Tagum (Davao del Norte) — since it lacks facilities we need in learning,” says Joseph.

Couple that with the chance to sharpen their musical skills some more and you have a great reason to aim for the top.

Like Keyk, Teachers Stand Together from Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan gets its inspiration from the academe. But this time, it’s the teachers they want to honor. Thus, their polysyllabic band name.

Members Paulo Dumagat (vocals), Dov Vallar Lead (guitar), Van Durano (rhythm guitar), Gerard Anthony Du (drums) and Norway Gabucan (bass) carry disparate musical influences (e.g. Urban Dub, P.O.T., Pinikpikan, John Mayer, Andrew WK). But all agree there’s something amazing about teachers (don’t we all?).

“We really love the way teachers handle each student,” says Paulo.

They will add more names to their list of most-admired teachers if they make it to the grand finals and get a new set of mentors as one of their prizes. But the members’ best teachers, in the end, are themselves.

For one, they learned something good can come out of the most gloomy situations when they performed in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon.

“It was our first time to play there and we didn’t have enough money,” recalls Paulo. “So we hitched our way from Cagayan de Oro all the way to Bukidnon. The crowd was small and the instruments quite substandard, but we had fun. We partied until morning afterwards.”

Talk about the magic of pleasant surprises; the fun of happy endings. These stories — and the lessons they bring — are aplenty in this search for the next Eraserheads or Parokya ni Edgar.

These stories will go on, as bands practice furiously for the grand finals on Nov. 15 at the ULTRA. At stake are a mentorship program in Boracay under the biggest names in music, P250,000 cash prize and a record label deal from Sony BMG.

Win or lose, however, the finalists from Mindanao are already getting the perks they deserve for giving their best and nothing less.

Keyk’s Joseph Parcon says, “Being part of the competition boosted our confidence.”

Adds Teachers Stand Together’s Paulo Dumagat, “We learned how to capture the audience through the music we play.”

The bands are enjoying the journey while looking forward to the destination. And the best part of it is, they’re learning along the way.