Two grand prizewinners of the recently concluded National Music Competitions for Young Artists (Namcya) said focus and determination were key to making it in any competition.

Aaron Aguila III, who won the top prize in the Senior Guitar category, revealed his competition secrets thus: “Prepare yourself physically, and most of all, mentally, especially if there is a required contest piece. Don’t just practice following a ritual. Give equal time to analyzing the piece. Then know yourself and follow a ritual in which you will be most comfortable. Always think about how you are going to make the music beautiful, and you can do that through extreme analysis of the contest piece.

“Don’t overlook technical details. Be inspired. Seek advice. Think outside the box. Put yourself into it. You will make mistakes, but always learn from them. But, most of all, learn how to move on when you don’t make it because, as they say, there’s always someone better than you. At the end of the day, you will be judged on how you did justice to the music.

“Never play without your heart in the music. What you feel will be translated clearly in your instrument. Last but not the least, pray a lot and keep the fire burning!”

Traditional guitar

A graduate of UP College of Music where he studied under Lester Demetillo, Aguila used a 2004 Karl Heinz Roemmich classical guitar in the competition.

“This guitar has traditional bracing, which gives it more warmth and really good round tones and different colors,” he says. “My old guitar has a lattice bracing [the modern one]. It is very loud but finally I reverted back to a traditionally braced guitar because it taught me how to control my instrument more and just focus on the music.”

The jury was composed of classical guitarist Gino Misa, composer Chino Toledo, pianist Peter Porticos classical guitarist Monching Carpio and violinist Juan Luis Munoz.

No conventional schooling

The 17-year-old Misha Romano from Mindanao (Dipolog City) beat all the contestants in the National Capital Region in the Strings category (violin) without the benefit of conventional schooling and personalized coaching.

Romano emerged the Grand Prize winner among eight finalists after playing Abelardo’s “Cavatina” and Mendelssohn’s E Minor violin concerto with his sister, Miracle, on the piano.
He is homeschooled now in Grade 9 and was coached via Skype before the competition by American violinist Noel Martin, who is based in Houston, Texas. Martin is a member of the Houston Ballet Orchestra, including the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra.

Singled out

Singled out by a jury composed of DJ Salonga, Dino Decena and Gian Carlo Gonzales, among others, Romano said everything about the competition from the semifinals to the last elimination was tough.
“The first movement of Bach Partita No. 3, BWV 1006 is very difficult but highly challenging,” he says. “It is quite risky playing it in a competition, but I like to take risks. On the whole, I really love challenges.”
The young violinist says he practiced six to seven hours a day before the competition, on a violin he purchased from his own savings.
It is a Strad copy made in China.

Coming from a musically and artistically inclined family, Romano’s mother Marietta and brother Mario also play the piano. His father Didi paints.

Marietta says she encouraged all her children to take to music because “even if one has retired from one’s profession, the music does not stop. The benefits we get in listening and playing classical music are evident and scientifically proven. Music stimulates the other side of the brain, which academics cannot do. We tried to expose them in every way we could.”

Another revelation is that all three siblings are homeschooled, with the elder brother and sister finishing college courses by correspondence.

Romano also loves jazz, the Beatles and Jason Mraz. The last book he read was George Orwell’s “1984.”

“Now I’m stuck with ‘Russka’ by Edward Rutherford ever since I prepared for Namcya,” he says.

Romano admires some renowned violinists for personal reasons.

“I like Joshua Bell because of his clear and delicate tones; Maxim Vengerov because of his thick tones, his high energy, and good showmanship. I also like Janine Jansen because of her expressive and intense playing; and Sophie Mutter because of her profound and powerful style.”

Now preparing for an audition with the Asian Youth Orchestra, Romano defines his affinity with music thus. “I see music as a lifelong process. It’s about continual and constant learning and improvement. You can’t stop at any point of your life as musician.”
—CONTRIBUTED