Contemporary Philippine Music Study Notes

Contemporary Philippine Music

  • Definition: Contemporary Philippine Music is music created by Filipino composers and artists in modern times that incorporates new styles, forms, and technologies while often preserving Filipino elements such as language, rhythm, and culture.

Filipino Composers

  • Composers are categorized into three main types:

    • Traditional Composers: Create music based on folk traditions, indigenous sounds, and cultural heritage of the Philippines.

    • New Music Composers: Modern composers who experiment with contemporary styles, technology, and new forms of musical expression.

    • Song Composers: Write popular songs (with lyrics) for entertainment, radio, and the recording industry, also known as OPM (Original Pilipino Music) artists or pop composers.

Traditional Composers

  1. Nicanor Abelardo

    • Background: Born in San Miguel de Mayumo, Bulacan, Philippines.

    • Achievements: Composed his first work, a waltz entitled "Ang Unang Buko," at the age of 8, dedicated to his grandmother.

    • Contribution: Credited for elevating the kundiman to an art form during the 20th century.

  2. Felipe Padilla de Leon

    • Roles: Composer, conductor, and teacher.

    • Contribution: His compositions describe Filipino cultural distinctiveness across various genres: piano music, school songs, operas, sarswelas, and kundiman.

  3. Lucio San Pedro

    • Background: Filipino composer, conductor, and teacher, honored as National Artist for Music (1991).

    • Contributions: Created heartfelt and patriotic music celebrating Filipino life, love, and culture, especially in folk music, marches, and background music for films.

  4. Antonio Molina

    • Legacy: Considered a pioneer of Philippine classical music, known for his technical mastery and emotional depth.

    • Recognition: Often referred to as the "Claude Debussy of the Philippines" due to similarities in composition style.

  5. Hilarion Rubio

    • Role: Influential figure in Philippine music education and band traditions in the 20th century.

    • Education: Obtained a teacher's diploma in science and composition from the University of the Philippines Conservatory of Music in 1933.

    • Early Work: Played clarinet with the Bacoor Band and composed his first piece at age 8.

  6. Rodolfo Cornejo

    • Profession: Pianist/organist, conductor, and composer.

    • Early Achievement: Composed "Glissando Waltz" at age 10 and published the military march "Salute."

    • Institution: Founded and directed the Manila Conservatory of Music.

  7. Ryan Cayabyab

    • Roles: Teacher, composer, arranger, conductor, pianist, singer, producer, and musical director.

    • Current Position: Executive director of PhilPop MusicFest Foundation Inc.

    • Nicknames: Known as the "Maestro" or "Mr. C" of the Philippines.

New Music Composers

  1. Chino Toledo

    • Role: Founder and conductor of the UP College of Music Contemporary Music Ensemble (UP CONEMUS).

    • Achievements: Conducted the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra and uses Filipino indigenous instruments innovatively in his works.

    • Recognition: His pieces are frequently featured in international contemporary music festivals.

  2. Jose Maceda

    • Focus: Documenting, preserving, and experimenting with Philippine indigenous music.

    • Contribution: Merges traditional sounds with modern and experimental compositions, known for avant-garde and minimalistic styles.

    • Definition: "Avant-garde" refers to new or unusual ideas, especially in the arts.

  3. Lucrecia Kasilag

    • Roles: Composer, teacher, performing artist, administrator, and cultural entrepreneur.

    • Leadership: Served as the music director of the Bayanihan Philippine Dance Company.

    • Specialty: Expertise mainly in mass songs.

  4. Francisco Feliciano

    • Career: Conducted the Yale Contemporary Ensemble and was the resident conductor of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (1981-1986).

    • Achievements: Established the Asian Institute for Liturgy and Music, recognized for composing songs with symbolic meanings.

Song Composers

  1. Constancio de Guzman

    • Background: Composer and musical director.

    • Notable Work: Served as musical director for various music companies and was a director of the Filipino Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (FILSCAP).

  2. Mike Velarde

    • Career: Composer, conductor, and musical director, worked as a musical arranger at Sampaguita Pictures and as a musical director at Avenue Theater.

    • Contributions: Engaged with films as both musical director and scriptwriter.

  3. Ernani Cuenco

    • Recognition: Proclaimed National Artist for Music in 1999.

    • Achievements: Notable film scorer in the early 1960s, collaborated frequently with National Artist Levi Celerio; also a teacher and seasoned orchestra player.

  4. Levi Celerio

    • Skills: Lyricist, violinist, and composer, known as the Philippines' most sought-after lyricist.

    • Remarkable Ability: Famous for writing Tagalog lyrics rapidly, sometimes in as little as 20 minutes.

    • Awards: National Artist for Literature/Music in 1997; recognized by Guinness World Records for his unique ability to play music on a leaf.

  5. George Canseco

    • Profession: Composer, journalist, and government official.

    • Career in Journalism: Worked with Manila Broadcasting Co., Associated Press, and Eagle Broadcasting.

    • Achievements in Music: Served as president of the FILSCAP, established connections between journalism and music.

Performance Task

  • Overview of Task: A group performance task where each group creates a music video based on a song of their choice (either Tagalog or English).

  • Content Requirements: Each group may include a short dialogue before, during, or after the song; not all members need to appear on screen but must have defined roles such as Director, Video Editor, Actors/Performers, Scriptwriter, etc.

  • Bloopers Requirement: In addition to the main music video, each group must create a blooper or behind-the-scenes video showing funny moments and teamwork.

  • Submission Requirements:

    • One (1) long bond paper with:

    • Group number

    • Complete names of all group members with their respective roles

    • Title of the chosen song

    • Composer/Artist of the song

    • Rubrics used for grading

  • Rubrics Details (Total: 100 Points):

    • Creativity and Concept (25 Points)

    • Portrayal of Characters (25 Points)

    • Video Quality and Editing (25 Points)

    • Musical Interpretation and Relevance to the Song (15 Points)

    • Group Participation & Assigned Roles (10 Points)

  • Deadlines: The final project deadline is January 30, 2026, with no extensions allowed for the submission of the music video.