Tag Archives: music summer camp

Mar30

Animaguitara or a Commercial Music School?

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Dear Reader,

Commercial music studios try to integrate all sorts of creative practice without being able to identify their core competencies. They offer anything and everything.

We are not a commercial music studio.

We are a solidarity of allied artists. We at Animaguitara started in 2003 by providing guitar lessons for individual students, customized according to the uniqueness of the human person, and delivered at the comfort of each home. We still continue that to this very day although we have also grown so much more beyond this. However, our energies have always been concentrated on holistic enrichment through music rather than commercial expansion. Our arts and culture initiatives have always been nomadic by choice as a form of assertion. We have been there — from fringes to extended spaces. From art institutions to alternative spaces.

guitar class of teacher j

Our decision not to go mainstream was a deliberate one, motivated by primarily three reasons. First of all, if expansion is prioritized over quality, the learner will neither get real value nor the benefits of having the best materials and resources. Second, a huge percentage of the fees paid by the learner (or parents) WILL NOT go to the instructor but to the huge overhead costs needed to maintain the expansion of profit-driven music schools. As a result, instructors are not inspired to teach, the number of starving artists in the country only keep increasing, and the learner will just become part of the bottom line. Because of the pressure to deliver and seek profit gains, tutors are not quality educators but posers who can be shortchanged. Last but not the least, we believe in genuine learning through the solid programs we provide to individuals and communities.

We insist that talent is important, yet talent alone does not suffice. It must be cultivated and developed to reach its full potential. The student must learn to listen to music, engage in music as a creative discipline, and build one’s confidence through performance. For us, music is a creative leisure — an end in itself that one engages in. On the other hand, we make sure that learning is a fun experience for all ages.

Through Animaguitara’s cultural programming arm, we provide platforms to immerse young people in music and promote arts and culture exchanges that strengthen community solidarity. The communities we serve range from those who simply wish to immerse in the beautiful to those who wish to experience the full spectrum of learning, performing, and exchanging ideas as a form of conversing with and enriching each other.

At Animaguitara, we believe in nurturing creativity and helping people from all walks of life realize their potential as complete human beings who can inspire others in society. Lastly, we believe in making people happy.


Mar23

Recreation Redefined

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Animaguitara is a brand under The Ghetto, a trans-disciplinary platform for creatives. Since 2006,  Animaguitara has been providing workshops for schools and select communities in Metro Manila. We may not be as large as commercial music and art studios but we are the first to redefine recreation in the country.

We give regular opportunities for interested students to perform in public. We have mounted shows and featured our students across the broad spectrum of performance venues in Metro Manila. Because we consider our stakeholders as partners, the recital venues are selected by students, parents, and teachers. We are here to help nurture creativity and self-esteem, so that we may contribute to holistic human development. We build lasting friendships with our students, be they young or adult learners.

Our shows and workshops utilize top-of-the-line music gear. Having the right content and technology allow our musicians to be better equipped and inspired to continuously improve their craft and teaching pedagogy.

We have established ties with music experts, maestros, and top session musicians in the industry. We are part of a tightly-knit network of professional musicians, educators, performers, festival organizers, and cultural workers. Aspiring musicians who participate in any of our programs have the benefit of being part of this one big family in the creative sector.

We have a roster of formally-trained musicians who can share a wealth of experiences in the performing arts scene and use extensive instructional materials.  We cannot underestimate the importance of formal training as this provides the necessary pedagogy and tools to educate and help young people. We make sure that our teachers are not only highly skilled performers but can actually teach young people of all levels, regardless of any genre, in such a way that their musical sensibilities will be enriched and hopefully, elevated.

We assist talented yet underprivileged musicians who can deliver quality music performance and instruction. As our advocacy, we make sure that we do not add to the number of exploited yet underdeveloped music graduates. It is our vision to nurture culture by giving opportunities for talented, highly skilled virtuosos who will inspire young people to dream. We provide them with platforms to teach and perform across the broad spectrum of music.

This is our commitment. Animaguitara started with the guitar in 2003 but that was only the beginning of a cultural revival. Animaguitara is now celebrating eleven years of quality music enrichment.