But during that time, one would really give up everything for music, he said. And that??? After years of honing his craft through formal training, playing in orchestras in different parts of the world, and winning numerous awards , he felt that he wanted to do more with his chosen career. But among the many oh-so-wonderful things in CASA San Miguel, the training of young music enthusiasts tops the oh-so-wonderful list. He believes that when you teach music to kids in their pre-formative years, they will ingest everything???
According to a Royal Philharmonic Orchestra study, nine in ten children want to learn a musical instrument. He oversaw the screenings of would-be scholars. The scholars were also allowed to stay in the CASA to borrow musical instruments as needed. Brycel Amata, a former scholar in the CASA, said in an interview with Rappler that she is generally a shy and quiet girl. Together with the other chosen gifted children of the time which included Cecile Licad and Raul Sunico, Coke found himself at the best schools, training from Julliard to the Mannes School of Music, both in New York City.
As a year-old at Julliard, he found himself turning his back on the violin and packing his bags, heading home for a college education.
When the pianist heard him, he asked: "What is this boy doing here? Years of formal training passed, and Coke found himself climbing the ladder of success in the classical music industry.
The first rung consisted of being sent all over the United States, playing in the smallest towns, bringing culture to the farmers in Middle America. Touring was lonely but was giving him the needed exposure. He went from his home base to different parts of the country and the world, teaching, practicing, playing. The ladder seemed too long and it was not the direction he wanted to take. He then told himself that if he wanted to do community work, he might as well come home to the Philippines and do it here.
Aside from musicians, one is likely to see dancers, painters, shadow-puppeteers, writers, and even poets roaming the mango orchard. In it, he has merged the wood and brick feel of a plantation house and the glass and sunlight effect of a perfect beach day. With a theater and stage, a dance studio, a lofty library, and lots of spaces to fill and create at, there is plenty of room for the imagination to reign.
Coke the Teacher In that particular day in May, it was the middle of the Violin Summer Workshop which Coke holds for children of the community and some students from Manila. You see them, they pick up the violin, hawaan na yan , they play till it is time for bed. It is very infectious. Providing time, space, and a little financial support for them to dream and make music.
Having succeeded at his initial aim, there are now larger goals. Coke dreams of a paradigm shift. He wants to catch children in their pre-formative years, early in their education. During that time of Cecile Licad, you give up everything talaga for music. And so he returned to the Philippines, and talked to his parents about turning the family property in Zambales, which got burned down, into an arts place, later called Casa San Miguel. He brought in artists who mounted art exhibits, and started the Pundaquit Festival.
In , Coke felt it was time to do more, and decided to turn the place into an arts school for the local community as a social development program.
They started offering extension programs in violin taught by Coke, visual arts handled by renowned artist Elmer Borlongan, and music lessons in cello and viola. Coke said Julian got accepted at six years old at an Indiana school, but although he has a scholarship, the boy could not avail of it as he needs more funds to bring his parents there and provide for their living expenses. Right now, four teacher-apprentices who have been trained at Casa San Miguel help teach the kids at Centex in Tondo.
Aside from their weekly group class with Coke, the Centex students have a minute individual lesson every week with a violin teacher. We're trying to teach our apprentices in Zambales to do it. Since they get it for free, they should pass it on. It's part of our system there that if you're a scholar of Casa, you have to teach six hours a week.
Pwedeng three hours in Zambales, three hours in Tondo He said they have a year plan to put up schools in Metro Manila to create more jobs.
Playing it forward What drives him to do all these, to split his time between performing and teaching, and inspiring aspiring artists especially among the less privileged? Why do it when he could have stayed in the international arena and be a rock star in the classical music world like Yo-Yo Ma? That we are here to give the kids a chance to discover who they are, to have experiences, overcome difficulties, and make music together.
A lot of what we do here has helped them cope with difficulties in their own lives. Music has become their moral backbone, so to speak. What you learn in music goes beyond music. For nurturing the love of music among Filipino youth and mentoring young violinists, especially those from the social margins; for creating a center which celebrates local culture and the arts, thus inspiring and cultivating pride in the community; for animating the spirit of generosity among his students and fellow artists, and concretely demonstrating that the arts may be an instrument for social transformation, the Ateneo de Manila University proudly confers on Alfonso C Bolipata the Gawad Tanglaw ng Lahi.
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