Quotes by Joey Ayala

Joey Ayala's iconic signature on my noting page.

I've scrivened interesting music and life lesson ideas from the multi-awarded composer, Joey Ayala, during the Songwriting Workshop sponsored by the Local Government Unit, Sheep, that awesome Monday, 30th of July, 2012 in Robinsons Place Gensan.

He basically just came in and sang "Panganay ng Umaga" for starters and answered a few questions from some random delegates.

I got the chance to ask him "Sir Joey, what for you characterizes a good song?", and he answered with what seemed to be the content of the whole workshop.

That sort of graph approximately centering the page is what he taught us to be called "Salundiwa", a quick and smart way to organize bursting ideas that he points out to be very helpful especially for fast thinking and very spontaneous musicians and songwriters when creating.

Aside from the technical aspects of his crash course-ish spiel of basic music theory, he gave his insights and biased opinions, most of them of which I'd have to totally agree with. Let me share all of them that I was able to transcribe.

·         Follow your passion and everything else will follow you

·         Musicians are the worst spellers ‘coz they base on the sound, hindi yung hitsura. Yung mga estudyanteng mali-mali mag-spelling, malamang musician yan.

·         ‘Pag walang dynamics, ang kanta mo, parang isang kulay lang.

·         Re: Advocacy to “Cultural Therapy” and “Prosperity Consciousness” against “Poverty Consciousness”

o   Medyo di maganda ang prosody ng Pambansang Awit. Di naman yun ginwa para kantahin originally. Ginawa kasi yun para tugtugin ng marching band.

o   In terms of psychological wellness, it’s better to kill than to die.

o   Dapat ang ending ng Lupang Hinirang ay “Ang magmahal ng dahil sa’yo” at mag-gu-group hug lahat pagkatapos

o   You can sacrifice symmetry for meaning.

o   Kung “Bahala’g saging basta labing”- parang pag saging, poor…  Hindi tulad nung “Basta may saging, labing” it shows prosperity, tumaas ang value ng saging.

·         A child’s heart rate is approximately 120bpm kaya mahilig sa mabibilis na kanta ang bata. E kaming matatanda ay kalahati nalang, 60bpm kaya mas gusto na ng mabagal.

·         Re: Scales

o   On Half steps ang Whole Steps: Kahit di ka marunong ng nota, kung marunong kang magbilang ng 1 atsaka 2, marami ka nang magagawa.

o   On creating original scales: Walang sintunado, nasa pagkakalagay lang ‘yan.

·         Re: Culture and Tradition

o   Lahat ng tradisyunal, nagsisimula sa bago. Pag may bago, maganda, at inulit-ulit mo, tradisyon na ‘yon.

o   It makes no sense to maintain traditions that cease to serve their purpose.

o   Di puwedeng manatili ang porma kung wala na ‘yong laman.

o   Ang lalagyan ko, kawayan. Ang lalagyan mo, shell. Pero tulad lang tayo ng laman, tubig.

·         Form vs. Content

o   Kung puro boses lang ang inaatupag mo, mawawala ang kuwento, mawawala ang sining.

o   Mas nabibigyan pa ng kuwento ang kanta kapag artista ka kasi ang singer, sobrang conscious sa boses.

o   Iba yung magaling ka, iba yung may sinasabi ka. Para sa’kin, mas importante yung may sinasabi ka.

o   Karamihan ng tao, basta maganda, sumasang-ayon. Madalas ‘pag maganda ang pagkasabi, pinaniniwalaan kaagad.

o   Kahit pangit ang isang bagay, maaari ka paring matuto mula dito.

·         Naay magic ang kanta. Ang words, mosakay na sa tono – mao nang mudulot

·         (In writing a song, ask) Aside from expressing myself, anong epekto ng kanta ko sa ibang tao?

·         Para sa atin, kapag ang kanta, English, ang palakpak sa ulo lang. ‘Pag tagalog ang kanta, ang palakpak galling sa bituka.

·         Do serious research and present it in a fun way.

·         Your mind is your whole body.

·         Lahat ng bagay ay umaawit. Sanay lang tayong nakikinig sa tao. May sinasabi ang hayop, lupa, halaman. Matuto tayong makinig.

·         If you’re able to let go of your taboo, mas may creative energy. Huwag maging bastos pero magpaluwag ka naman.

·         Ang utak natin, parang araw, radial – radiating with ideas.

·         Ibabad mo ang sarili mo sa topic mo.

·         Write what you know… if you don’t know it, look for it.

·         Kung di ka mahilig, ang tawag diyan ay disiplina. Kung mahilig ka, ang tawag diyan ay luho.

·         Music is micro-muscle athletics.

·         Hindi totoong “the best things in life are free”. Everything has a price – the least you have to pay is attention.

He and other delegates actually noticed my excessive noting and with that, referring to me, he mentioned, "Lahat kayo may tabo, mas malaki lang ang sa kanya." -- what more could a believer ask for!?

Siyempre, may iilang awitin siyang na-perform in setting examples for the things he taught us. I was wowed in that make-shift concert.

Here's a "discography-discography" of the songs he played.

• Panganay ng Umaga
• Magkabilaan
• Walang Hanggang Paalam
• That English 'Bakawan' Song
• Ikaw at Ako
• Sunday Morning - a song he wrote in High School that he now thinks is corny. I asked him to sing this "Sir, pwede kayong magsampol ng kantang gawa niyo nung highschool?" .. Tinugtog niya and its corniness gave him goosebumps
• Dumaan Ako
• Walang Ibang Sadya
• Lupang Hinirang in 3/4 ended with "Ang Magmahal ng Dahil Sa'yo" - A part of his advocacy called "Cultural Therapy"
• Basta May Saging Labing - Also on "Cultural Therapy"
• Kulang-kulang (Acapella)

At siyempre, hindi lamang siya ang tumugtog. Ang iilian sa amin ay nahiling na mag-intermission. So, I had the once in a lifetime chance to play side by side with a legend! He did riffs and lead parts as I sang and strummed in a solicited on the spot number - "What Goodbye Means Acoustic".

Photo courtesy of Kuerdas' Onyok Ugbaniel

Andami ko talagang natutunan sa kanya and I think my fellow attendees have had much brought home with them too. Thankful ako sa LGU, SHEEP, sir Elmer (YADU) for giving us free access to this opportunity. Free workshops are big blessings enough, but having Joey Ayala to speak raises the notch up exponentially.

I'm inviting readers to check his music out. His advocacy is worth the songs. His songs are more than worth the listen. His performance is awesome + amazing = awesmazing. His lyrics are billions and billions of lightyears away from nonsense.

Joey Ayala is an official influence of the Densho "Champ" Biala.