A Poet with a Musician’s Soul
Arwin Q. Tan
It has been thirty years since I completed my studies in Liberal Arts and Commerce at the De La Salle University (DLSU) in December 1991. Looking back, walking through the gates of the DLSU campus through the more than four years of my Lasallian education was like a regular ritual that opened the possibility for all sorts of intellectual adventures that made the liminal stage of my young life challenged, exciting, and surprisingly, pleasurable. This special brand of education, through the superior program design and guidance of outstanding professors, has equipped me with technical knowledge and competence that made me feel confident to explore the promise of a bright corporate career in the field of Accountancy. Excellence among the graduates is not surprising because La Salle provides an exceptional faculty to its students, in every field of study. From this select group of great educators, a very distinct few stand out.
I consider myself fortunate that while initially completing my courses in the Humanities program as major for my Liberal Arts degree, I encountered a professor who obviously was a cut above the rest. I first met Dr. Marjorie Evasco when I attended a class she taught together with Ino Manalo, Politics and Art, in the second trimester of school year 1988-1989. I was then a timid second-year student who was yet uncertain about whether the college degree I was taking was the right one for me, but attending this class and listening to Dr. Evasco’s lectures were simply mesmerizing and life-changing. I remember how my classmates and I were in awe of her lectures which introduced foundation-shaking ideas, firm values, and uncompromising position in relation to social justice. The manner in which she carried herself exuded a very high degree of professionalism, yet warm enough to make students not feel intimidated to approach and confide with her. As a special project for the class, she required us to interview artists whose creations critiqued the ills of Philippine society, and write a paper that contained our own judgement of their relevance to the transformation being hoped for at that point in our nation’s history. In doing so, she taught us to get out of our shells and engage with artists whose artworks served as moral conscience for the society, and in the process, hoped that our young minds would be shaped by such encounters.
The culmination of the class in Politics and Art was a musical program where all of us performed—individually, as a pair, or as an ensemble—a piece that represented our understanding of and responses to the social issues that the new Philippine democracy was made to face. The liberal treatment of this final class requirement had a strong impact on me because as an amateur aspiring pianist at that time, I realized that I can use my art as a way to convey my personal message to address important issues that may be heard by and affect many people. Recognizing the integrity of an actual musical performance as a possible equivalent of a final examination was tremendously liberating for me because for the first time, I could derive an academic mark from doing something I really enjoyed and passionate about. For me, that significant gesture of appreciation by a respected professor made me believe that being a musician could be a possibility.
I recall that the reason I was at De La Salle University was to finish a Bachelor of Commerce degree. Coming from a Chinese family, my father intended that I would study a business course so that I could eventually help in our small family business in Ilocos Norte. I planned to take the LIA-COM program so that while I was pursuing my father’s wish, I was also nurturing my personal passion for the humanities. It was serendipitous that I encountered Dr. Evasco’s extraordinary way of teaching because the impact she caused on me has kept that little fire burning while I was transitioning to the more technical courses in the commerce part of the LIA-COM program. Her encouragement for me to finish accountancy motivated me to persevere in completing the program, iterating that this would eventually give me more choices for the future and better chances at success in a corporate career.
On my final trimester at DLSU, I had the great chance to enroll in another course taught by Dr. Evasco, European Literature. Perhaps because I was a few years older then, I related better to the eye-opening and life-changing ideas that she introduced in each class day. I enormously enjoyed the class because the textbook she had chosen was an anthology of short stories written by Nobel Prize for Literature winners and each story provided an occasion for us to see unique cultures and experience varied realities and deep emotions that were highlighted in them. It is Dr. Evasco’s enigmatic and engaging way of dissecting the details of the stories that triggered our minds to think differently and ignited the dormant small fires of passion in our souls that we were not aware to be there.
Long before I was able to visit Europe as a musician and revel in its charm, rich culture, and modernity, Dr. Evasco had made me experience the magic of this enchanting continent through her captivating flair for choosing the most appropriate words to vividly describe important scenes in the stories which transported us outside of our classroom through imagination. Her focus on details in discussing those stories inculcated in me a sensitive mindfulness that every time I am in Europe and gets to visit some of the places we came across with in class, I am reminded to “live the moment.” In my first few European trips, I seized that special moment when I walked through the cobbled stones of Munich’s old center, I took much pleasure when I tasted Spaghetti alla Vongole for the first time in the Adriatic town of Ancona, and I embraced the sound vibrations as I listened to the beautiful organ music played at the high-ceilinged Stephansdom in Vienna.
A memorable anecdote shared by Dr. Evasco in one of our classes was her residency at Hawthornden Castle. This story sealed our highest respects for her as a Filipino poet and writer par excellence. One of her co-artists-in- residence, perhaps out of curiosity and without bad intentions, asked her, “Do you have Shakespeare in the Philippines?” Her affirmative answer, coupled with a convincing mention of the canonic works and authors in world literature tackled in her literature classes at DLSU, including the bourgeoning African writers of that time, gave us an ideal image of how Filipino poets shine in the global literary scene. This triggered a surprising applause from the class, which inspired me to promise myself that this is the kind of excellence I will emulate and work hard to achieve when I have eventually decided which path to take—either as an accountant, businessman, musician, or educator.
One unforgettable learning moment was when Dr. Evasco scheduled to show Wim Wenders’ 1987 film Der Himmel über Berlin (Wings of Desire) to the class. Since the audio-visual rooms at the Communication Arts Department and the library were not available during our class time, the scheduled showing of the film was in the late afternoon and was offered on a voluntary basis. On the first day of showing, there were about nine of us in attendance. When I returned for the continuation of the film the next scheduled afternoon, to my surprise, only Dr. Evasco and I were there. Nonetheless, we had a great time finishing the movie, and I had the privilege to discuss many issues in the film with her, such as the plight of the people within a divided city, and the extraordinary love of an angel to a human. I was particularly glued at the images of the Berlin Wall in the beginning of the film, which was freshly toppled at the time we watched the movie. It was a strong marker of the end of the cold war that dominated global politics after World War II. Such engaging conversations with Dr. Evasco about world events, relevant humanitarian issues, global social movements, and many more, opened a new window in my mind that would develop into my love of history.
A few years after I graduated from DLSU, I pursued my long-time aspiration to be a musician and studied at the University of the Philippines College of Music. While taking my studies in choral conducting, I became a member of the Philippine Madrigal Singers (Madz) in 1998. I enjoyed listening to the many wonderful stories of the group’s concert tours, international competitions, and the Madz’s unique choir culture from our highly revered choirmaster, Prof. Andrea O. Veneracion, who would later be named as National Artist for music in 1999. Concerned that these inspiring anecdotes might be forgotten, I asked Prof. Veneracion if she had thought of telling her story through a biography. She told me that two prominent authors had already conveyed their interest in writing her biography but she thought that they lacked the singing soul needed to capture the nuances of her life that was centered on music, and her lifelong work with the Philippine Madrigal Singers. I told Prof. Veneracion that I had an exceptional author in mind, a poet with a musician’s soul, who I thought was the right person to write her story.
The only problem at that time was that I had lost touch with my favorite professor in DLSU. However, I knew though how to reach her because my friend who was also studying choral conducting, Chris Reyes, was the brother of poet Danny Reyes who was a good friend of Dr. Marjorie Evasco. Nevertheless, serendipity was about to do its magic even before I could reach Dr. Evasco. On one of the evening concerts of the 1998 Philippine International Choral Festival at the Cultural Center of the Philippines where the Madz was one of the featured Filipino choirs, Prof. Veneracion and I were waiting for the doors of the Main Theater to open at the jam-packed well-lit lobby. As I turned towards the grand staircase, lo and behold! Dr. Evasco was slowly coming up in her usual unassuming but classy and very elegant manner. In my excitement, I excused myself from Prof. Veneracion and ran to meet Dr. Evasco who was pleasantly surprised to learn that I indeed went on to realize my dream to become a musician. She became even more enthusiastic when I told her that I was then singing with the Philippine Madrigal Singers. I introduced her to Prof. Veneracion and their instant connection was transparent.
Dr. Evasco gifted Prof. Veneracion and I with her books on poetry, Ochre Tones, Luna Caledonia, and Dreamweavers, and I was so thrilled when Prof. Veneracion gave me a call soon after and told me that she liked Dr. Evasco’s unique treatment of language, tone and rhythm, saying, “her poems are actually singing!” This was the beginning of a beautiful friendship between two excellent Filipino artists whose hearts were connected through the magic of music. Dr. Evasco went on to write A Life Shaped by Music: Andrea O. Veneracion and the Philippine Madrigal Singers which was awarded the National Book Award in 2002. The launching on July 29, 2001marked the delightful completion of a cycle as it happened at the very same space where they met for the first time in 1998. The book-launching served as a prelude to the most poignant concert I ever sang at, Prof. Veneracion’s very last appearance as the choirmaster of the Philippine Madrigal Singers for it was at this concert that she passed the baton to Mark Anthony Carpio. In this very special moment in Prof. Veneracion’s life and the choir’s history, Dr. Evasco was a significant intimate witness who celebrated the triumphant fulfillment of a life mission, and the bright prospects of the choir’s new cycle.
I am very happy to have taken part in the beautiful journey of writing this book because it provided the occasion for me to get close to, and learn from Dr. Evasco again. I helped coordinate the numerous interviews she did with most of the alumni of the choir, and in some of them, I was invited to join which became great learning experiences for me as a training musicologist and researcher at that time. The interviews with Prof. Veneracion were the most notable because watching Dr. Evasco at work with her seasoned style of engaging others to share their stories was captivating. A memorable interview was the very first formal session she scheduled at the Metropolitan Museum. As a kind of celebration for this initial meeting, she wished for Prof. Veneracion to taste the special Sampaguita ice cream which was only offered at the museum’s cafe. That surprise treat to the palette would prove to be indelible as it would become a mainstay in the Veneracion household’s menu for very special occasions. This impressive first interview displays one of Dr. Evasco’s remarkable traits that makes her endearing to her friends—her penchant for good food, elegant serving, and tasteful ambience.
In witnessing the process of publishing this book, I learned about the tedious details of collecting information, preparing the manuscript, securing needed consents, editing the draft, and preparing and reviewing the contents of contracts. What stood out as Dr. Evasco involved and carefully guided me in this undertaking was the uncompromising attention to details, ensuring that each component of the project from data gathering to the final draft was done in the highest standards. This new learning would prove to be useful several years later when I became the editor of a book project for the centennial celebration of the UP College of Music in 2016. Lending her meticulous editorial eye on this new book venture, her approval gave me the confidence to submit the final draft of the manuscript for publication to the press. It was eventually published in 2018 and was even nominated for the National Book Award the following year.
Her unwavering support to my academic endeavors, the most recent of which was when I was completing my doctoral studies in music in 2018, is invaluable. Her meticulous copy-editing of the final draft of my dissertation, done in a record-breaking time and out of her generosity of spirit lent the much-needed stamp of adherence to academic writing standards. I only had a week to complete the submission procedure because I was scheduled to bring my choir to Poland and Germany to perform in several choral festivals and concerts. Her cordial accommodation to read my long manuscript in a very limited time speaks of her loving support to the tasks I needed to accomplish urgently. Dr. Evasco’s careful editing ensured that the stories in my historical research were told with a beautiful singing tone. I take pride that my work’s editor is one of the world’s most revered literary icons whom I am privileged to consider my wish-mother. In 2020, this dissertation was accorded second honorary mention at the International Musicological Society (IMS) Outstanding Dissertation Award, the first time that a dissertation produced in a Southeast Asian university was recognized by the IMS.
This stamp of excellence is consistently seen in Dr. Evasco’s works, and this is also transparent in her way of life as experienced by those with whom she generously and intimately shares it with. I take much pleasure whenever I am in her presence because her zest for life, unshakeable optimism, and astonishing focus on everything beautiful, noble, admirable, and just are so contagious that I am reminded to always regard life as a gift. Her artistry and good taste transform every place into a space of bliss. I am forever grateful that in my life, I have had the special honor to be touched by Dr. Marjorie Evasco’s enigma and be guided by her generous spirit that is marked by impressive excellence and great artistry.
