Gerard Salonga stays connected with loved ones

MANILA, Philippines - Musical director and conductor Gerard Salonga has undoubtedly made a name for himself, away from the shadow of his sister, Lea Salonga.

Although equally talented as Lea, Gerard, however, did not tread the singing and acting paths, but has proven his expertise in the music field.

Armed with a degree from Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he graduated summa cum laude, Gerard is one of the most sought-after musical directors, arrangers and conductors in the country.

The 2005 Aliw awardee for Best Musical Director was destined to carve his own niche in music since he started playing the piano when he was only five. Gerard has worked with some of the big names in the local entertainment scene that include Martin Nievera, Regine Velasquez, Ogie Alcasid, Lani Misalucha, Gary Valenciano and, of course, Lea.

Gerard’s talent did not go unnoticed in the international music circuit. Last December, he was tapped to conduct the year-end concert of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra at the Hong Kong Cultural Center Concert Hall. It was the second time for him to wield the baton for the 110-piece orchestra, following Lea’s performance with the group in February last year.

In last December’s concert, Gerard also got to work with Taiwanese-American singer-songwriter and actor Lee-Hom Wang, who starred in Ang Lee’s Lust, Caution. Like Gerard, Lee-Hom is a Berklee alumnus.

In May, Gerard will get to conduct the Hong Kong Philharmonic again for the concert of French singer-actress Vanessa Paradis for Le French May, the largest French arts festival in Asia. Vanessa is the girlfriend of Johnny Depp to whom he has kids.

The Hong Kong Philharmonic recommended Gerard to Vanessa, who approved of his participation as conductor and arranger in her concert. Gerard’s demo and new arrangement of Vanessa’s 1988 hit, Joe Le Taxi, got him the nod of the French performer.

All these accomplishments have made Gerard one of the busiest young musicians today. But to think that work and music is where Gerard’s life starts and ends is to have a stunted view of the multi-faceted guy. Gerard considers being able to perform his Herculean task in his family an even formidable achievement. He is able to manage his time well as a husband to violinist DJ Francisco- Salonga, father to their toddler Antonio, a son to his Mommy Ligaya and Dad Feliciano, and a brother to Lea.

In the flurry of activities Gerard is able to connect with everyone he considers dear and important through the wonders of Internet and he says he’s got so much to thank PLDT WeRoam for it. Being on the road a lot, access to the web may sometimes be tricky but WeRoam has solved this challenge for Gerard.

“There’s no excuse for not being able to attend to pressing needs at work or get in touch with your loved ones with PLDT WeRoam. It is just one plug away. It is one amazing technology,” Gerard enthuses. “I am always able to check what’s happening on the other end when I’m attending to something else. It has taken away considerable concern out of my system and it has been great. The coverage is very good, as good as my PLDT MyDSL connection when I am at home working.”

Powered by PLDT, WeRoam offers the widest coverage for both wired and wireless landline subscribers who want to surf, e-mail, chat, research, download or update their profiles and blogs. Just plug the WeRoam Mobile data card into your laptop and you’re connected to the web.

PLDT WeRoam offers speeds of up to 2Mbps. You also have the flexibility of paying only for the minutes you use with the pay-per-surf option without any reloading needed. For heavy Net users, there’s also WeRoam plan P799 which offers free 60 hours a month. You only pay P10 for every 30 minutes in excess of the free hours. WeRoam is convenient since it can be charged to your monthly PLDT landline bill.

PLDT WeRoam is available from partner PC shops such as Accent Micro, Complink and Villman. For details, log on to www.myworldmydsl.com or call 171.