I would like the College of Music to go out and visit provinces in Mindanao and organize music camps for the marginalized population in geographically isolated communities. I hope that the College of Music will offer short summer courses, or even degrees, in Mindanao for those who cannot afford to send their kids to Diliman. There are UP campuses in Mindanao that can host a College of Music degree program. For instance, UP Mindanao is hosting UPLB’s PhD in Development Studies program.
What musical event in UP do you look forward to or regularly attend? Why? “Overture Concert”—an annual concert held by the UP Mindanao Koro Kantahanay. The concert showcases the musical pieces that range from classical to cultural genres, and also introduces the new batch of official resident members in the said university choir.
Two worth mentioning here in UP Baguio are, first, the Baguio Summer Arts Festival, which for 30 years now has offered various seminars on arts, music, and dance. The second is the UPB Pasiklaban. Both events have become the university’s way of giving back to the community, be it in providing free education on indigenous music and dance for young people who want to learn about their culture, or just simply for the sheer joy of sharing musical talents with a larger audience in the spirit of togetherness and celebration.
The UP College of Music has played a central role in shaping the country’s concert music tradition through the body of work produced by our venerated composers and the artistry of the performers we have raised since the early 20th century.
