25 + 1 Creativity Tips

Right now, I am teaching my fourth year high school students about creativity. Mostly I teach them about my personal experiences about creativity that is why I share it to them very spontaneously. Sometimes I get books to help me teach creativity to them. This is why from one book, from one source I got some tips in how to heighten your creativity.

This book shared its tips about being creative. Some examples of the 26 tips cover visiting inspirational places, practice “what-if-ing”, listening to classical music and doing things spontaneously. Other tips are admiring someone that is creative, being self confident, not watching television all the time and writing songs/poems.

I shared to my students 25 tips but originally in the book, there are 26 tips. And because the 26th tip for me, might be misunderstood I did not share it to my class.

The 26th tip was about having a rebellious streak.

Creativity for me is a very important lesson to teach but it is also very dangerous especially for young kids to get. This is because in order to have the consistent supply of being creative and having new ideas and concepts, it also means that one should always have new experiences and new experiences can mean different things to different people. It can be harmless such as trying out a new ice cream flavour as well as it can be scary as it can be meant that one should try out drugs.

It is double edged sword teaching about creativity and as a teacher I do not want my students to misinterpret me.

That is why, I could not share them the 26th tip, “having a rebellious streak” because, they could accept it as going against authority such as their parents and teachers. That is a very terrifying thought. And such an idea should not be planted in their minds for now.

But if I were to tell them about what it does mean to have a rebellious streak without making it dangerous, it could mean that instead of girls always sporting long hair why not try having a boy cut or with the boys, always wearing the guy colours like blue or green, why not try pink on for a change.

So again, as a teacher you always want the students to understood you properly and not get the wrong lessons. I just hope that in teaching them creativity I achieved that with them.

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Masteral of Fine Arts pt. 2

Another requirement in order to get in to the Masteral of Fine Arts is that you will be asked to propose a Master of Fine arts degree program of study in the UPCFA graduate program. Here, you will state in 500 words the objectives and outlines of your major field of study and the details of your program.

This means before you enter the masters, you already have a plan of action what you are going to do when you graduate because you are going to make a curriculum.

These three requirements alone are going to be tough. And as what my friend Intoy Corpin III remarked, “Di lang basta-basta” (This is not something easy or one should take lightly).

The thing is, the Masteral of Fine Arts is something serious. And the program wants the best of the best to enrol on their course. That is why it should be hard and tough to get in.

And it even becomes tougher because they are planning to increase tuition from 500 pesos per unit to 1,500 pesos per unit. Not counting your stay in Manila if you come from Cebu or from the other regions, you would need P100,000 to finish the course in two to three years. We are not even counting your expenses of your thesis, art materials and all.

So if you truly want to get into the Masters program, you better start early, start planning about it. Start being serious about your art by painting, joining art exhibits and art groups this early.

The good thing about it is that as I read the application form, they do not ask about your age which means they are open to both the young and old. They do not care how old you are; just as long as you pass the other requirements and you are set to go.

By the way, the answer on why there is no Masters program for the Fine Arts in Cebu is that a Masters program would need three graduates of the Masters to be able to teach here in Cebu. As of now, I think we just have one.

That’s it .Good luck.

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How to be Insensitive

There was a time while I was riding a taxi that I had this realization. I am not making this up to shock you. This was weird but this is true. This is how the story goes.

So as I said, there was a time while I was riding a taxi going to work that I experienced such a realization. With its radio and air conditioner on full blast, the taxi stopped on the highway and beside the highway were shanties with dogs and people going their way. I did not mean to do it but I was just looking outside and I just stopped and started to look at dog poo. Yes, I was looking at dog poo, staring through the glass at it about two to three minutes and I really did not know why.

Then it hit me, because my whole senses did not experience the whole thing because of the radio and air conditioning blocking the other senses, dog poo seemed “un-yucky”…I perceived it akin to the blue colored gooey toys kids now like to play with. Dog poo was just like that, with only the eyes having to experience it, dog poo was just like that – normal like a gooey toy. It was not ugly and you just accepted it, not wanting to clean it or what.

It was weird but it was true.

Then if you think about it more, riding cars or taxis, going to the malls with their radio, glass walls and air conditioner is a nice way to distance yourself from what is outside, to block you from feeling, to make you insensitive to the dog poo, to the issues and problems going on outside.

It is an effective and enjoyable way to learn how to be insensitive, because you do not feel guilt over it because you are having fun. Cool, huh?

Thinking about it more, it reminded me of my good friend Maumau Galinato’s winning artwork for the Joya Awards way back. Sorry that I forgot the title of the artwork but the painting depicted a rainy night with kids begging on the street to people in their air conditioned cars. Maumau Galinato’s message on this artwork was to let us see the differences between the haves and the have-nots. It was a sensitive painting from a sensitive man. Cool artwork.

So back to my topic, so again if you want to be insensitive, have fun doing it, and feel no guilt, ride a taxi and go straight to the mall. Cool.

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Learning How to See Art

Aside from teaching my students the skill of drawing, there is also another thing I
want them to learn. And this is the skill of learning how to appreciate and see art.

Such skill is important especially when they grow up and their social lives force them to start visiting art exhibits and buying art. So when that time comes they will not be ignorant when it comes to art.

Appreciating art, teaching them what is beautiful and all–can be taught. They don’t need to master it, they don’t need to become very serious art critics about it but at least they learn the basics to use later on. And if they want to pursue such studies, they can read books about it and also take humanities courses in college.

To be very simple about it, appreciating art is just easy. It is all about describing what you see, interpreting it and judging if you like the piece of art work in front of you or not.

Describing art would involve obviously the giving of a description of the art work. Stating what colour it is, what shape and texture as well the medium used. In appreciating art this is the first thing to do.

Then next to describing art is interpreting the work. Interpreting usually involves learning how to look at the symbols used. Though the artist has its own interpretation of its work, critics and audience can also see something in the art work that the artist might not see or planned to show.

To be really good at interpreting, audiences also need to know the history of the artwork and the artists. That, though, may take time and we can just let the critic do that type of work. Knowing the history of the artist and the work is essential to truly understanding and knowing the language of art.

Describing an artwork and interpreting it are connected so much so that if the description is lacking, the interpretation will also be lacking. I had one student who did this to me, it was as if she was trying to escape the lesson. The lesson was about learning how to draw their hands and she did not do it well. I gave her a small grade because it lacked effort on her part.

She tried to defend herself by interpreting that she was drawing a farmer’s hands that is why her drawing looked dirty and hard.

Aside from not following instructions because she was supposed to draw her own hands, she also drew a smiley tattoo on the drawing, which, if I’m not mistaken, was supposed to make her work cute. But the thing is, farmer’s hands do not look cute, their hands have the wrinkles and creases borne out of struggle. So her interpretation was wrong because the description of the drawing and the interpretation did not connect. She was just trying to make excuses.

Then the last part of appreciating art is judging it. This usually depends on the audience tolerance on a lot of topics. That is why learning how to see art is also learning about yourself. If you examine an artwork and decide that you do not like it, this will reflect on your own views about life and all. If the message of the work offends you then the audience will have to ask themselves why they are offended.

So in a way the most important thing about appreciating art is that you get to know something about yourself in the process.

Well, that’s it for now.

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Learning How to Draw and Becoming an Artist

It was while I was just sitting around school, that a fourth year student (her name is Irina Gabasa, I think she is a junior champion golfer) approached me this question, “Sir, because all of us are learning how to draw, do you want us all to be artists?”

So far, this was one of the good questions that I got from a high school student. So good that I have given it a name in tribute to the student who asked it, I named it the “Irina Gabasa question”. It is a very challenging question and I am very glad a student asked me this. Again it is a very challenging question which I also have a good answer to.

Though I gave my student an answer, it was very short at that time so I like to share to you my answer and explain it much further.

This was my answer, I answered my student with a “no”. This is because learning how to draw and becoming an artist are two different things.

Learning how to draw, is just that, a skill or a talent. You can master it, you can even make it a hobby but you would not be called an artist for it. You are just good at drawing.

Learning how to draw is important to being an artist but it is just the first step to being an artist.
And this is what I want to teach my students, the skill of drawing. Because learning a new skill especially like drawing is very important. With your drawing skill, you can use it to make other projects for your class.

Then it is also can be another admirable characteristic for you. A lot of people admire people who can draw, so in a way it is plus points.

Teaching them how to draw is also good for them because they don’t need to go and spend more money to join art workshops during summer or weekends. They can just learn it in high school, so this is good for them. It saves them money and time.

So, that’s it. I just want to teach students how to draw, and because they are fourth years I do not even expect them to take courses related to art like architecture, advertising or interior designing. Especially since they come from rich families, usually their parents want them to take business courses. That is fine by me as long as they learn something from my art classes. All is well and good.

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Why the Mindworks should be on September pt. 1

I have been talking lately about leading the Fine Arts in this blog and doing that reminded me of a lot of our past ideas. One of these ideas was about how the Fine Arts Student Organization (FASO) should handle the activity they call the Mindworks.

The Mindworks, with the Jose T. Joya Awards, are the major activities of the Fine Arts Student Organization. The Mindworks, as a show that presents performance art, is one of the creative shows FASO has ever produced. The show is very much unique in the Cebuano art scene.

The Mindworks is supposed to be held during the first semester, while the Joya awards during the second semester. But in present time, the Mindworks and the Joya Awards have both been placed at the second semester, which for me is not a good idea.

Now, why is this not a good idea? Why should the Mindworks be on September and not on December or January?

First of all, the Mindworks as a major activity should not be stacked up together with the Joya Awards because doing so will fill up the schedule of the second semester. By putting the Mindworks in the first semester, it will loosen up the schedule thus, giving priority to every activity.

Now, present FASO members may question if this can be done, because there is still the acquaintance party, cook- out, and the intramurals to organize. Of course, this can be done, if again the officers start preparing and planning for their activity by March, or the moment they were sworn to office.

Officers should plan the Mindworks early especially since it is a major activity. As early as March, they should already be planning the Mindworks together with the summer art workshop. But if they just plan the Mindworks as late as August or September, then they are about to fail.

The Mindworks, like every activity of an organization, depends on the organizing capabilities of its officers. If the officers did not do their home work, do not know what it is getting in to, do not know how to plan, do not how to anticipate, do not know how to delegate, then, it looks like we elected the wrong officers here.

Again, let’s emphasize on the major activity label that is given here for the Mindworks. If this activity is indeed important, then it also needs longer preparation. In order to make it work, you need months, not just a couple of days, for its preparation.

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Leading the Fine Arts pt. 2

The one thing I learned about the Fine Arts organization, especially about its leadership, is that the new batch of officers do not continue the good things their predecessors did.

Most of them always try to change things for the sake of changing so as to have something new. Most of these leaders also change things so as to have a legacy. So that when young fine arts students start knowing the past, their names will always be mentioned.

The thing is, if a leader is that good, he will always be remembered. That goes for the bad leaders too, if they have done the organization harm, they will also be remembered for that. So leaders should stop thinking about their legacy at present time. If your leadership is good, then let the future decide if you will be remembered or not. Focus on how you lead the organization now and stop thinking about your legacy.

So by not continuing the good things on what their predecessors did, they fail to continue the development. Things have to start all over again. One example of this was about the Mindworks activity being on September and now is being held at December or January. September is first semester and December is already second semester.

Though as far as know, it started being held at December because the officers organizing the event encountered problems and had to move the activity to December instead of September. So it was not moved because of the legacy thing.

Those new officers who did not understand the organizing mistakes of the past, did not understand the essence of things, and continued to go on doing Mindworks on the second semester.

So the moving of the Mindworks to January is just one example that I would like to point out because there is a reason why the Mindworks was placed on the first semester. It was one of the good things past leaders did for the organization and has not been continued now.

That is why again the young leaders need to know the past, the reason, the essence of why things were made or did that way because if they don’t, they would not even care and would just do activities as an obligation, not because of passion.

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Leading the Fine Arts

While in college, I got the chance to lead our Fine Arts organization, and I consider that experience as one of the highlights of my life, no matter what happens in the future. I think being the Chairman of the Fine Arts org was my first crack at having a big role in leadership, and I am proud, with the help of my fellow officers, that we did a good job at it.

Now, as I think back on why we were successful, I would like to share these points and hope some young fine arts student is reading this.

First of all, no matter how good you are, leading the fine arts is no one-man or one-woman show. That is why, when we became officers, it was really our batch 94 that was leading the organization that time, and not just the chairman, vice-chairman, secretary or other officers.

This means that batches starting at first year should already be learning how things work in the fine arts organization, they should already be trying to undo the mistakes of the past and continue what works for the organization. So that when the time comes that they will be seniors or juniors, they should already have a lot of know-how on how to lead the organization.

Leadership is not like what actors/athletes-turned-politicians do now, that they first try to win the position and then start learning what to do after they win it. That is stupid, and not a good example for young leaders now.

As for my batch, as freshmen, we already started learning the ropes of the organization, we got our fine arts history lessons from the higher years back then.

I think my good friends James Siador and Rainville Gemperoa got it from the likes of Donald Sabandeja, Rex, Maning and even Sir Karl. I think Tianos Makabenta got most of the stories from her sister Fil, and then as for me, it was Jethro Estimo who told me a lot of Fine arts stories. Though I also asked a lot of former chairpersons like Lily Uy, Ricky on how they did it during their respective terms.

Tianos Makabenta and I got the most stories out of UP football greats like Sked Besa and Dado Montano, as we were both groomed to lead the UP FASO United Football team.

I think that is always the role of the seniors, to share the history of the organization. And the role of the lower years is to know more of the history of their organizations.

It is also important for the higher years to start letting the lower years know that one day their young batch will lead the organization, so they better start preparing as early as first/second year. It should be that early.

So again, it is a batch or team that leads the organization, not one man. And second, young fine arts students should know the history of the organization, they should start the preparation that early.

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The World is a Changin’

One of the things I have been learning these days is about how rapid change is going. They say that in education especially the I.T. course, the curriculum changes in about three years, it is that fast that I.T. students need to be always updated in order to keep up with the changes of technology.

There is also right now the shift of what jobs are “hot” or which careers are in demand. Before, nursing jobs were the boom, now a lot of nursing students are finding it hard to get a job, some are even the ones to pay local hospitals so they could get in and acquire the experience they need to work overseas.

We got a lot of students enrolling to be nurses but we no longer have the companies to give them the job.

Then with the movie Avatar, it is a plausible threat that acting jobs, especially those based on “good looks”, could be gone because technology and special effects can already take their place.

Even, in the art scene, more artists and practicing computer graphics instead of painting oils on canvases because this is where the money is now. Though artists need their basic drawing skills they also need to level up and learn how to handle computer programs now to survive.

Then of course, computers, cell phones and other gadgets are coming out too, that if you really want to keep up with them then it is going to cost you.

So with all the changes that are happening, it got me thinking what remains the same with amidst the change.

One of the things I thought about was how a lot sports have stayed the same. Yes, because the same set of skills in sports have stayed the same. In a lot of sports you still need to have the basic skills to be good at it. Boxing, basketball, football and a lot of popular sports have stayed the same. Uniforms, conditioning, medication and the playing field have changed but the basics have remained.

So if you are a young player right now practicing volleyball or billiards, the same skills will still be needed after 10 to 20 years. Unless, of course the sports dies, which is unlikely to happen. How many years have these types of sports been played? More than 50 years, or 100 years perhaps.

Then special effects can replace actors on movies but because sports are always live, we want the real thing. No special effects can replace the real excitement live athletes can bring.

So it is safe to say that athletes will be enjoying more job security compared to actors and celebrities even though there are less career opportunities for this kind of jobs.

A future without celebrities? Hmmm…

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The Need for an Exhibit

As an art teacher right now, I believe that showing students how art is done is more influential than talking about the theories and histories of art.

I did not grasp this idea before but when my college teacher Prof. JV Villacin showed us his artworks during an exhibit, we finally understood what he meant, the walk is more important than the talk.

You see, Prof. JV was the type of teacher who shared to us a lot of his experiences with art but he did not do it most of the time. He was the type who just talks a little and leaves you to do it by yourself. He trusted your maturity and independence. And if you had questions about your art projects and all, he could always entertain you all the time.

But of course, we may sometimes understand theories visually but when time comes to apply it, we might have challenges that come that we did not anticipate before and that means trouble.

So when Prof. JV decided to exhibit his artworks, and this was the first time for most of us in class that time had shown his works, most us students had our A-ha moment. We finally understood, this is what Prof. JV meant by always making artworks that are high in quality. His artworks at that exhibit were very furnished, very presentable.

We finally understood, what Prof. JV meant with creativity and uniqueness because his works at that art exhibit truly stood out. It was one of the highlights of that show.

This is what I learned from one of my respected college teachers, and this is what I want my students to experience now. That teaching is just not limited to lectures, it is also about showing them how it is done.

That is why as an art teacher, I also need to mount an art exhibit, so my students can see the theories being applied. That what I talk about is true.

It is also my understanding now that most of art teachers especially in college continue to have art exhibits compared to their fellow artists because they need to show their students their works. They need to continue teaching their students in different ways and having an art exhibit is one way.

Teachers teach all the time, there is no rest.

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How To Be a Great Writer

Just to be clear about it, I do not see myself as a great writer. I did not even envision myself to become a writer someday, but here I am now trying to write. So now that we’ve established that I am no great writer, then how can I possibly know how to become a great writer? Well, my answer is that along the way, I have observed some ways or tips that great writers usually do. So maybe if I could do them too, maybe I could improve my writing skills.

First on my list is the advice I got from my art teacher in college, Mr. JV Villacin. Sir JV told us once in class, that if you want to draw, you look at paintings or pictures, and if you want to write, you go read a book. This is one of the simplest advice I have got and I continue to follow today.

I think writing and reading go hand in hand, that if you don’t like the other one, I don’t think you will also like the other one. So it’s probably going to be weird if I know someone who likes to write but does not read that much. Though it is more natural to know someone who reads a lot but does not write.

So if you want to write, start reading books, magazines, comics and poetry.

The next tip that I think is also good for young writers is to surround oneself with writer friends. Though I did not consciously do this when I was young, it just seem strange that this happened to me. You see, in high school I got a lot of writer friends. There was Arnel Salacao and Butch Reyes. Then in college I became friends with Diko Consunji, Mau-mau Galinato, Timay dela Cerna, and Carla Basa-Martinez. I did not plan all this but it just happened.

Having writer friends will influence you to write. They will also introduce you to a lot of ideas and concepts about writing. Arnel and Butch were the first guys to influence me about writing especially during our RPG (Role-Playing Game) days. Timay, Carla, Diko and Mau-mau were individually pursuing poetry, which also opened me up to that life.

Then lastly, and again I also did not plan this and this could have been pure luck, get a writer girlfriend or marry a writer. My first girlfriend was a writer, the editor-in-chief of her school paper once. Then my wife is also a writer who continues to edit my works and gives me tips on how to improve.

So that’s about it. If you want to write, read. If you want to write, get writer friends. Lastly, if you want to write, fall in love with a writer. Good luck!

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Remembering the MBA

N.M. Cabangbang

Who among us remembers the Metro Ball Association (MBA) ? It was a
basketball league spearheaded by ABS-CBN that followed the NBA format. Cebu
City had a team, it was named Cebu Gems. The league did not last that long
but proof of the league that it existed can still be seen today through the
players it has helped. Such players are Dondon Hontiveros, Willie Miller and
Alex Compton.

The MBA never really did last long and I believe it really never had the
chance to succeed because of the presence of the Philiipine Baksetball
Association (PBA).Compared to the PBA, I was a staunch supporter of the MBA
and its format. I was and still am not a fan of the PBA. This is because
the PBA is based in Manila and the teams are named after companies. So it
became difficult for me to support one team because I am not a fan of the
companies in it. I don’t drink San Miguel or Ginebra, I drink Red Horse. I
don’t drink Alaska, I drink Bear Brand. Then when it comes to energy drinks,
I like the brand Sting more than Red Bull. Then when it comes to soft
drinks, I have stopped drinking them and if I do I would go for Sprite or a
root beer. I also do not live in Sta. Lucia and have no plans to live in such a
place someday. Then when it comes to other teams, I also do not endorse or
support any of their companies or products.

I just do not have a personal connection to these companies so I don’t see
why I should be a die hard supporter for their basketball teams. If I would
support the PBA and which is what usually happens to other people also is
that, Filipinos like me support players and not the team. I liked Purefoods
once because of Alvin Patrimonio. Then a lot of us liked Ginebra because of
Robert Jaworski. This same type of show of support is also what happens when
we watch the NBA. Because we do not have a personal connection to their
teams, we support the players and not the team. That is why, fans of Kevin
Garnett who once played for the Mineesota Timberwolves are now rooting for
the Boston Celtics because he is now in the team. Then a lot of us did not
care about the Clevleand Cavaliers but when Lebron James started playing for
the team, we then instantly started showing interest for the Cavaliers.

Supporting players is a different thing when it comes to supporting the
teams. Because when such a player retires, then interest will wane. But if
we have a personal connection to teams in the MBA or UAAP, even if the
players change, even if it is a losing season, we still care for and support the
team.

So with the Metroball which followed the NBA format, it was a whole
different thing. I know Dondon Hontiveros was a batch mate of mine from Don
Bosco but he was not all the reason why I supported the Cebu Gems. Because
it was all obvious and clear, I live in Cebu and I was excited that Cebu had
a basketball team fighting against other teams from other regions. MBA was
really great until it lasted.

I really did believe that the MBA could have survived if it merged with the
PBA which never happened. I don’t believe that the MBA died because of the
travel expenses and all because they could just have gotten a lot of
sponsors from it. Sponsors that they could have gotten especially if they
merged with the PBA. I did not even care if they started printing their
sponsors names on their uniforms because this is what the European football
leagues do. So that did not matter for me as long as the name of the team
still brought the name of the city they represented.

Though Liga Pilipinas is a league right now that follows what the MBA did,
it just is not the same when it has no big coverage like the MBA had because
it was covered and shown by the national channel, ABS-CBN. So it is just
different.

Right now, I am still hoping that the PBA would change its format into the one
NBA has now. It would really showcase a lot of the regions and other cities.
It would be good for tourism too. But given the fact that it had its chance
with the MBA, I just do not believe this thing will happen.

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The English Lyrics problem

N.M. Cabangbang

As I have mentioned once before, in order to for a band to get radio airplay in most of the radio stations here in Cebu, bands would need to compose music that is not that loud and with lyrics that are written in English. Of course Bisrock might have challenged the status quo for a while but the fact still remains, local songs with English lyrics from local bands still get most of the radio airplay.

Now such a situation poses a problem to bands because the English language is used by a lot of people. The language has already been used by a lot of artist, poets and other great writers that the combination of words to capture a great lyric or quote will be difficult. That such a pursuit will end up for local bands having cliché lyrics. For other local bands in order to avoid this will copy the lyrical style of their foreign idols which if not done properly will come out as a cheap imitation.

To some local artists, to be seen as the local counterpart of some foreign rock act seems okay just to establish familiarity. This is why we have our own “ Elvis Presley of the Philippines” or “Paris Hilton of the Philippines”. This is also the reason why the the band, Eraserheads have time and time again been compared to the Beatles and why Missing Filemon have been compared to the Eraserheads as well. It establishes familiarity and provides an introduction or an instant understanding for the audience. This is well and good, but the downside to it is that it also limits originality.

Such a downside is especially felt when making lyrics. Because again, a lot of artists, poets and other writers used the English language and if local bands are not careful then they will end up with clichés and not original quotes. Which I believe is happening now.

So how does a local band solve this English lyric problem and avoid being a cliché? Well a trick to this is to rely on our Cebuano culture and look at what makes us different from foreign acts. It is like asking what is the difference between American emo and Cebu emo? What makes their life experiences different from our own life experiences?

Another trick to do this is go look for a unknown foreign rock act and try copying his style and sound. Research is the key here. It is also hoped that the foreign rock act you copied will not become famous in the future so your unique style will not be accused as an imitation all along. Such a situation is what is happening with Christina Aguilera and Lady Gaga.

One last trick is just to ignore the problem and start making music in the vernacular or whatever. The downside to it is that it only limits your radio airplay.

For mediocre bands not planning to make a mark in the local music scene, these questions do not matter. But for those serious artists and bands out there then these questions need to be taken seriously in order to create unique local music and raise the level of the local music scene. Chow!

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Not Everything is Art pt. 2

*In the last article I talked about the importance of form and content in
art. This is the second part of the article which answer the questions about
wannabe artists.*

For wannabe artists, they need to be themselves. When dealing with a topic like
love, they should express themselves honestly and not be someone who knows
everything. However, even if their content is so honest and pure, but their
forms are cliché and all, then the work fails to become art. I think this is
what happens when a lot of young artist experience their first heartbreaks
or rejections. They may have the emotion but when they start expressing
these content to the same old thing such as hearts, cupids, and tears then
it is not art. It is just a drawing or a love letter.

This is because art is not cliché. This is why a lot of apathetic artists
hated the protest art movement during the martial law years. They accused
protest artist of “sloganeering” because every art work had the burning of
the Philippine flag or raised fist on them. Of course sloganeering is wrong
because art is not about cliché. Art is about the same messages that has
been given a new form.

So let me somehow rephrase my first sentences. Not every drawing, not every
dance can be an art. Not every one who knows how to draw, not everyone who
knows how to sing can be an artist. Not every work of an artist can all be
called art. Some draw for therapeutic reasons. Some, sing just for a hobby.
It is just like playing sports, some play it to exercise not needing to win
or reaching new heights for the sport, while players such as Dondon
Hontiveros, on the other hand, play it because he is a professional.
He is there first to win
every time and then carrying the sport to the next level.

So the challenge for an artist is to master technique and be matured. The
content, the ideas, history and form are all there to be discovered and
learned. It is even safe to assume that the truths of this world are already
there. The ones who do no want these truths to be known are just hiding it
or confusing the majority, which mean that artists need to research well to
get to know what is true or not. It is also safe to say in some way that
content is just being recycled and given a new form. Love songs have always
been the topic since early music began and it is still a hot topic in songs
today. The ones that have become great today have incorporated new forms to
give it a new twist to the same messages.

Art, to be effective, needs to combine form and content beautifully. And a
great artist with his knowledge, wisdom and technique can achieve this.

So for art collectors and young artists, be careful out there. There is a
lot of crap going around in the art scene. Art collectors and art
enthusiasts need to differentiate what is great art and what is great hype.
Art collectors and art enthusiasts need to differentiate who are the sincere
artists and who are just salesmen with a gimmick posing as an
artist.

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Not Everything is Art pt. 1

N.M. Cabangbang

Not everything can be called art. Not everyone can be called an artist. And
understanding this fully is our key to differentiating what is art, what is
hype and what is plain mediocre. So what is art?

Art simply put, is a means of communication and expression. Man, at the
beginning was just not contented in expressing himself by talking. Armed
with his creativity, he explored other forms and pushed himself to the limit,
so this is why art was created. This is why poetry, music, dance,
architecture, theater, visual arts and sculpture were born: because of man’s
need to communicate in a different and new way. So that is why every time
you listen to music or look at a painting, the artists or the people behind
it are trying to talk to you, expressing a message that you may appreciate
or abhor. So if art has a message, if art is a means to communicate then it
needs to have two parts to make it work. These two parts are form and
content.

Form and content can simply be understood this way: the alphabet is a form
where people can communicate. Letter A combined with other letters then
pertain to a content that we can understand. This is also what happens with
colors or notes. They are like alphabets that if you combine them together
or just use it as it is, it can convey a message to us. Red can be passion,
violet can be for mystery. A drop D note in music can be heavy metal while a
grind dance move can have sexual overtones.

Form and content is very important in art because these two combine to
express the message more clearly. Think of it this way, what if there was a
fire and you have to tell the others about it. But the problem is you are in
a place maybe like Korea where you do not know their language. You have
something to say but you can’t express it because you don’t know how to
speak the Korean language. No matter how important your message is, but if
you cannot express it in the right form and in the right language, then your
message will be useless. Everyone is going to get burned to crisp.

Then what if you can speak very fluently, you are very charismatic but your
content, your message is empty. The effect will be the same. No one will
listen to you or take you seriously. Politicians experience this all the
time. A womanizer experiences this all the time.

The right form, combined with the right content or message, are two
prerequisites in making one heck of an art. Bob Marley achieved this, Lino
Brocka did it and Pablo Picasso did it too. No matter what their messages
were, it fit right well with the form they used thus influencing us even
today.

Form and content also mean that wannabe artists need to master their form
and need to have something to say. This assures that drawing or dancing
techniques are not forgotten. Though a lot of artworks survived and
influenced its progress with creations that somehow lack technique, it still
would be advantageous for the wannabe artists to master technique. Mastering
technique would be like knowing different kinds of language. So if an
artists wants to fully convey different types of message for different types
of audiences, then he or she needs to master technique.

Then with content, it is always my belief that wannabe artists need to be
mature to talk about a certain topic. Topics such as love, politics,
marriage or any subject need a lot of extensive research and experience to
be able to express them. You can’t sing about heartbreak if you have not
experienced it unless you are singing at a perspective that you are
inexperienced about heartbreaks. You also cannot draw something about
to motherhood
unless you have tried it, unless, again, if you are a father or a son sharing
your perspective. This means, then, that artists need to be a little
older than other
people. It does not mean being old in age, it means maturity. But what about
the wannabes?

(this article will be continued in my next blog article)

The Four Things

N.M. Cabangbang

It is a privilege and a dream for me to be able to work for a newspaper. Being part of the media industry gives its practitioners the power to influence people. Media is very powerful, and as Spider-man’s uncle Ben once said, “with great power comes great responsibility.” So in accordance with such a very influential quote, I will also use my powers at media responsibly. And I will use my influence mostly to focus and support these four things.

These four things are not given in order, here they are.

First of the four things that I will give my support to is Cebu’s rock music scene. This would involve interviewing bands, band studio owners, radio DJ’s, bar owners and managers, concert organizers and the fans. It would also involve album, band, and events reviews. There is a need for the Cebuano audience to be introduced to and be made aware of their own music scene. And giving the people from Cebu’s music scene a chance to speak out their views and opinions is one way of doing it.

The second of the four things that I will give my support to is the Cebuano art scene. Again, the job entails a lot of interviews and reviews of artists and art events. Aside from that, Cebu’s art scene also has a lot of advocacies that need support; advocacies such as the call for Martino Abellana to become a national artist and also making the Metro Manila Film Festival into a Philippine film festival that is represented by the other regions.

This is another part of Cebu’s culture that needs help. And I will do my part in supporting it.

Third of the four things is to support the Cebuano comic scene. Among the three, this scene is the one that gets less attention and recognition. As we all know, the comic scene in the Philippines does not get that much of its break and support. We may know Mars Ravelo, Whilc Portacio and Carlo J. Caparas, but there still more talented comic artists that this country can be proud of.

There are really a lot of unrecognized comic talents in Cebu and I would like to go out and look for them, so I can give them even a narrow chance to show off their talents.

Last of the four things is to give my support to is sports, especially the sport endeavors that have less recognition. Such sports would involve football, billiards, volleyball, among others. My coverage on sports would involve covering leagues as well as simple school intramurals.

All of these four things not only show my personal interest but I also believe that if given the chance to properly developed, these four things can be a strong part of our Cebuano or Filipino culture. Most of the four things fall under arts and sports and as we all know, arts and sports are a big part in developing and maintaining a strong culture.

Along the way I will talk about other topics such as religion, politics, and dogs. Along the way my four things may also change. That is normal, as the only thing that is permanent, after all, is change.

So this is it, I hope I do well to use responsibly the powers of media.

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How Will TV5 Counter?

N.M. Cabangbang

As I have said before, TV5 is slowly joining the network wars with its new shows and comedy format. One of their top rated show is “Talentadong Pinoy.” And because of this, GMA and ABS-CBN has countered with new shows that follow or innovate the “Talentadong Pinoy” format. GMA has “Extreme Pinoy Talent” and “Bitoy’s Showwwtime.” Then ABS-CBN has “Showtime” and the up and coming “Pinoy’s Got Talent.” Now, we all have seen GMA and ABS-CBN moves to counter the rise of TV5. Now the question is, how will TV5 react to such counter actions from these two huge stations?

Now TV5’s next move seems difficult, because we all know that these huge TV stations act like they are the only stations in the country. They do not even mention the names of other stations, and only call them as “ang kabila”. And by doing this, they will act like they are the only talent show in the country that has such a format and will absorb the audiences and contestants of TV5. And we all know these have stations have the capacity to do this.

But we also need to know what the capacity of TV5 is. The copying of show formats is nothing new to this country. ABS-CBN once copied the TV5’s “Shall We Dance ” format with “U can Dance” that had Iya Villania and Derek Ramsay as host. “U Can Dance” was cancelled, and ” Shall We Dance” continues to be strong today. Another example to this was ABS-CBN’s copying of “Nuts Entertainment”, this was “Yes, Yes Show!”. This endeavor was also another failure for ABS-CBN because this show got cancelled too.

Then ABS-CBN is not the only guilty party here, GMA does this too. The most present move for  GMA is to be seen with their new show  “BandaOke: Rock N’ Roll to Millions” which is a format that is followed from ABS-CBN’s  ”The Singing Bee.” Though “The Singing Bee’s”  format was a copy or an innovation to  ”All-Star K” The 1 Million Videoke Challenge”. Then “Wow Mali’s” format has also been copied before too with GMA’s “Bitoy’s Funniest Videos” but still “Wow Mali continues to get its deserved ratings.

So all of these proves that TV5 with its top rating shows can survive against its station rivals. The question just remains for how long can it do this and what new shows will it come up next to gain closer to the high ratings of GMA and ABS-CBN.

By the way, I would just like to point out that Talentadong Pinoy’s format is a copy of “Britain’s Got Talent” and “Wow Mali” is a copy to a lot of foreign gag shows. So which only means that all of our television stations and the whole film industry are guilty of copying other show formats or simply innovating them. That is just the way it is.

This copying of foreign shows and making them Filipino will also give us clues to what can TV5 can do next. They may start looking for foreign shows past or present, that has still not been introduced to the Philippine audience and then convert it into a show that will suit the Filipino taste. Or they can also make a truly original show, which I doubt they will do. So if you are knowledgeable of such foreign shows then you may be able to know how TV5 will counter. Good luck to TV5 then.

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NU107 Cebu is Back!

N.M. Cabangbang

To all of you who still do not know this great rock and roll news, let me be the one to tell you about it. NU107 Cebu is back. Back as in, it is in Cebu with Cebuano DJs and all. So it is not NU Manila airing the show to Cebu, it is purely Cebuanos with Cebuano people handling the station on its second stint in the queen city of the south. Now that is truly good news.

Because of such good news, I have been looking at Internet forums about this so to know people’s reaction about it. One of the major Internet forum right now in Cebu is Istorya.net. As I was lurking through the forum, I happened to read a person’s suggestion on how to manage NU107 Cebu especially in regards radio station’s playlists. This guy on the forum suggested that NU107 Cebu should play more foreign genres. Now this guy was blurting a lot of foreign music genres that were unknown to me. And NU107 Cebu could even be open to play such music. I have forgotten what genres he was talking about, but all I remember this was the first time I have heard about it.

The playing of unknown foreign genres as long as they are rock music may find its way to the playlists of NU107 Cebu, because this is what the station is most about. It does not cater to pop music. It caters to rock music and all of its sub genres. People may even find it cool that NU107 Cebu is doing this. But, there has to be limits and there also has to be priorities.

You see, the way I see it, NU107 Cebu becomes different from other NU107′s of other regions when they prioritize to play Cebu’s rock music. Cebu’s rock music is not necessarily “Bisrock” because Cebu has a lot to offer other than that genre. Right now, other Cebu music genre’s that are alive and well are the punk, metal, reggae, protest music and others. A lot of these genres never get the airplay they deserve and if NU107 could prioritize their music then that will truly give the Cebu music scene a boost. It will truly make NU107 Cebu different from the other radio stations in Cebu and in the whole country itself.

And I am not just talking here about featuring one Cebuano band a week. It has to be more than that. If possible, the radio station could play Cebu’s rock music every thirty minutes or every hour. Then the songs they feature could be music from three bands and not just one.

They could also play Cebu’s rock music that are spoken on different languages. This is where “Bisrock” comes in. It is okay to play “Bisrock” as long as it represents the best from the genre and not like a novelty song. Missing Filemon stands as one of the best of “Bisrock.” Then a Cebuano rock music that is sang in Tagalog has to be accepted too. Bands such as Kadangyan and Sugbuwanun which represent the Neo-tribal genre of Cebu are sung in Tagalog. Protest music from bands such as Class Struggle and Paltik also sing their songs in Tagalog. So NU107 Cebu has to play such genres too in order to show the world that Cebu is just not about Bisrock and Emo. NU107 Cebu has to give the different genres a chance, it has to cater to all of Cebu’s rock bands interest, and that is to get airplay.

The only rule to be followed here is quality. This means the music coming from the different genres that has to be the best representative from the specific genre and the music should be at a quality that is ready for radio station airplay.

The thing here is that it would really be great for NU107 to open us up to different foreign genres. But the more important mission here is to give Cebu bands a chance to play their own material. We may complain that there are many lousy Cebuano bands and lousy Cebuano music out there. That is why, it is important that quality is the first rule. Implementing this quality rule is the job of the radio station.

Let the best bands of Cebu regardless of genre and connection bloom, and let the lousy bands of Cebu regardless of genre and connection wither out and die. Rock and roll!

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Rooting for the Underdog

N.M. Cabangbang

The 2009-2010 NBA season is going to start soon. I have already been reading a lot of predictions of who is going to win it, and a lot of analysts say it is going to be Kobe Bryant’s Los Angeles Lakers again. I just hope not.

I do not care what the world says, I have never been a fan of Kobe Bryant. I am just tired of the fact that a lot people hype him up or compare him to Michael Jordan. I am so tired of that, there will never be a next Michael Jordan and Kobe will never be like Mike.

Kobe won his first three champions with the help of Shaquille O’neal. Then he won his new championship because the Orlando Magic was too young and nervous during the NBA finals. The guy is really not that great. The only thing great about him is the hype. He is a great player alright but when people start comparing him to Jordan, that is another thing. People should just get over it. He will never be Michael, he can only be Kobe.

Another thing I dislike about Kobe is that, he is right now the NBA’s symbol of a superstar. And when that happens, a lot of young kids think that superstars can win basketball games on their own. Basketball, like a lot of sports is about teamwork, not about superstars. And if Kobe Bryant continues to win, a lot of young kids will continue to believe that you do not need teamwork to win, you only need to be a superstar. So this NBA culture about NBA superstars is a bad influence to young kids.

So if I am not rooting for the Lakers, whom am I rooting for? Right now, I really like the Orlando Magic to win because I want Vince Carter and coach Van Gundy to finally win a championship. I just want this team to win because Vince Carter and Van Gundy have never won it. It would also be great for the city of Orlando. But a lot of analysts say that the Orlando Magic has no chance this coming season. So for the fear of Kobe winning again, I also have to root for the Boston Celtics and the San Antonio Spurs for insurance. (In fact, I would even welcome any team to win just as long it is not the Lakers.) Both the Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs play good defense and teamwork, these two teams are good examples to kids. That is why I hope they win.

Yeah, I know winning championships is not about being a good example or about sympathy votes, it is not about the good teams nor the good players. It is about the great teams and the great players. And that has always been true along the way but it has never stopped me from hoping that maybe unselfish players such as Steve Nash, Yao Ming, and Grant Hill will someday hoist the Larry O’ Brien trophy. That is why when the Chicago Bulls played against the Utah Jazz, I wanted Karl Malone and John Stockton to win. That is why when Los Angeles Lakers was up against the Indiana Pacers, I wanted Reggie Miller and company to win. That is why when Alonzo Mourning (Miami Heat)and Kevin Garnett (Boston Celtics) finally won an NBA championship, it lifted my spirits up.

I always have been rooting for the underdog to win. I want everybody to win because a lot of people are happy when they win. Winning is such a great feeling. Maybe watching too much Rocky films has made me into this. Maybe being a Filipino in a country such as ours made me into this. Maybe it’s because a lot of us are underdogs. We all love those “rags to riches” or FPJ movie storylines. We all want to see those inspiring movies come to life. And sometimes these stories do come true. It happened when The Detroit Pistons won against the Los Angeles Lakers with no superstars, just role players. It happened with teamwork and defense of the Celtics’ in 2008.

So I hope it happens this NBA season, we all need the inspiration. Go Orlando! Go Spurs! Go Boston!

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Worried About Nonito

N.M. Cabangbang

Last  Friday was Bubble Gang’s anniversary special. I had a fun time watching the show. Part of the show was interviewing celebrities to congratulate the show for their success, one of the celebrities who were interviewed was Nonito Donaire Jr. Aside from congratulating Bubble Gang, Nonito  also begged on air that he wanted to  become a guest for the gag show one day so that people will find out how funny the guy is. That is so good news to us all Filipinos, another Filipino boxer who wants to turn comedian.

Well, we all know that Nonito Donaire, Jr.  is very popular now and he could very well be a guest for Bubble gang  one day. But there is a need to be cautious about this. First of all, right now Donaire is already part of another GMA-7 show, “Celebrity Duets” where the man is displaying to us all his singing talent.  Then I think aside from that, he also has guestings  on other GMA-7 shows. So the man is busy alright but not busy about boxing, and these worries a lot of boxing fans.

First of all, we have to remember that Donaire got into the limelight because he is a boxing champion and not as a singer or a comedian. The guy is a good boxer and his height of 5 ft 7 could make him another Pacquiao where he could go up in weight and win multiple champions in different divisions. Right now the guy is better than Pacquio on two counts. First of all he speaks way better the English language compared to Pacquiao. This is because he  grew up in the U.S.  Then second of all, the man has got a more  good looking wife compared to Pacquiao.  We all have seen Jinkee Pacquiao right? Now have you seen Rachel Marcial, Donaire’s wife? That woman is hot, she is even an FHM babe. And the possibility of Jinkee Pacquiao being on FHM is like the possibility of Manny Pacquiao fighting for the boxing heavyweight title. So on those  two counts, Donaire has the advantage over Pacquiao. But such an advantage is really nothing if he does not win like Pacquiao.

And Donaire if he loses focus because of all the diversions from the tempting lights of showbiz, then he will not be able to win like Pacquiao.  Just like Donaire, Pacquaio has a lot of diversions. Diversions such as gambling, women, acting and politics that could ruin his boxing career. Personally, I don’t like Pacqiuao’s diversions but as boxing fan I don’t care as long as he wins. And time and time again, Pacquiao has won. Pacquiao knows that it is boxing that has made him big. And if he starts losing, sponsorships, celebrities and fans will forget him and start looking for another boxing champ. Nobody loves a loser, everybody loves a winner.
Pacquiao knows this, that is why when it is game time, Pacquiao starts putting that game face on. No more diversions, it is time to train, it is time to win.

Donaire should learn this from Pacquio, that it is boxing that makes him popular and not his other talents or gigs. His talents are just a consolation prize to him. His other talents are what gives him more dimensions to make him more interesting but fans love him for the boxing first, other talents second. So I hope he does not lose focus. We need another Filipino boxing champ, not another  boxer  turning into a comedian. The Filipinos need another Manny Pacquiao, not another Onyok Velasco.

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