One of the hardest decisions I have come across was getting to choose between a science-related course, or music – of practicality, or passion. I learned how to play the guitar when I was 13, and never did I plan on making my hobby, that I chose to learn on a whim, my career.

Taking up music as a course certainly isn't a common choice among the Filipinos. Students as young as 3rd grade would already feel the slight pressure from their household once the topic of choosing a profession is brought up the dinner table:

"What do you want to be when you grow up?”

or more precisely,

“What kind of doctor or engineer do you plan on specializing in?”

And this tug of enforcement even grows stronger during high school.

I chose music because initially, I thought this is where I would excel – to surround myself with people of the same field and grow as a musician. But overtime, I realized the need for an established music education in the country. My previous eagerness for self-fulfillment has turned into a pursuit for servicing aspiring musicians.

I arrange, transcribe, and compose for the classical guitar. While I am more partial to composing Kundimans, I still keep my options open to other genres for flexibility. In the future, I plan on passing down the practice of Classical guitar – teaching them perform not just for the sake of performing, but also for the technical and historical value of Classical music.