Musicians are probably the most fervent human beings you would ever meet. They mostly operate by passion and create auditory masterpieces solely driven by their love for their craft and desire to share with people apart from themselves through their music.
These artists move people emotionally through their lyrics and instrumental arrangements. But the reality is, not all are lucky enough to establish careers that can ensure a stable financial standing through sheer talent or skill.
But in every gloom, there is a silver lining. And for musicians’ children and aspiring musical artists, that comes in the form of scholarships and opportunities provided by the Midlife Crisis (MLC) Band through their Midlife Crisis Scholarship Fund.
Since its inception in 2008, the MLC has been helping musicians send their kids to school for formal music courses by giving scholarships through the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Music.
“We started with two scholars in 2008 and within the last ten years, we have [had] a total of 26 graduates from our scholarship programs,” shared Enchong Formoso, the band’s rhythm guitarist and vocalist.
“Some of us have day jobs from the corporate setting and quite stable financial standings, it felt weird that we get paid for playing music when we had a lot of fun doing it.”
Advocacy
FORMOSO continued, “We decided [to] donate a percentage of our fees from our gigs to aspiring musicians who did not have much funds to pursue formal music courses. Our advocacy to offer scholarships for musicians’ kids is our way of uplifting our [peers] as well as the industry as a whole.”
Many of the founding members of MLC enjoy steady jobs and financial stability from the different industries they are in. Being the band’s cofounder for example, Formoso was the chief operating officer of Duty Free Philippines, Corp. for a long time, and the president of the Philippine Retailers Association. Lead vocalist, percussionist and flutist Adel Samson is a highly-regarded eye surgeon, while lead vocalist and guitarist Nick Guzman is an orthodontist in California.
Other members have created stable careers in different facets of the local music industry, such as Lissa del Valle who has been a professional backup singer for top Filipino and foreign artists, Mon Espia who is an award-winning film scorer and the band’s lead guitarist, as well as lead vocalist Koko Marbella who is a seasoned folk singer.
After all, the band was formed with members who want to perform cover songs on stage as an emotional release and express their love for music in a way that would make them forget their “midlife crisis,” so to speak.
“We really want to thank our members who are true-blooded musicians, [those] who truly treat music as their bread-and-butter, and for [them] agreeing to pursue this advocacy. Music is their career and job—unlike us who have day jobs and all,” Formoso pointed out. “I truly admire that for ten years now, they are still ‘on it’ with us in terms of donating a portion of their gig fees to our scholars.”
‘Own spin’
One of those members is Roy del Valle, the band’s musical director, two-time winner of the Awit Awards, as well as composer of commercial jingles since 1995.
“MLC has been a fun experience for me. For [a decade], we got to perform onstage some of our favorite songs and share our own spin on it through our covers,” shared del Valle. “Our music is not contrived as we make our own arrangements. Hindi kami plakado [as] spontaneity is party of our musical style, which I think, [boded] well for the band, kasi nagkaka-version kami.” “For example, our June Austria, who is a seasoned drummer for Broadway musicals such as Miss Saigon and major concerts of huge artists, minsan nagpapasok ng break sa songs while we are playing live on stage. Magiging straight 8’s, minsan yung palo. After 10 years together, di na kami nagugulat sa spontaneity ng performances namin. It has worked for us and sanay na kami,” del Valle added.
“It is like I am a conductor; I am keeping the members in-line real time, more than making sure we follow the piece, kasi wala naman kami pyesa.”
Their musical spontaneity has indeed augured well for them in their decade-worth of existence as a band. MLC has been known in the live-band circuit for their covers of classic songs from different musical decades. They had been a regular band for GMA’s defunct Sunday noontime show SOP and had been a regular act at the famous Strumm’s Bar.
Although mostly known for their covers, the band has also performed their original hits on television such as Midlife Rush and Mag-Rak-en-Rol Muna Tayo.
They have also become one of the prolific performers in the industry that in 2010, they were tapped to perform at the Araneta Coliseum as the opening act for the Philippine concert of the internationally-renowned American band Chicago.
Although the band was formed out of the members’ spontaneity and “midlife crisis,” the members have always been exposed in the music industry, and their musicality as a band has easily spoken for their innate talents.
Ronnie Henares, one of their cofounders and the band’s vocalist and rhythm guitarist, has been known for launching to stardom the sterling careers of the country’s top-notch artists such as Regine Velasquez, Lani Misalucha, Zsa Zsa Padilla and Janno Gibbs, among others.
It is no surprise that these same artists support their advocacy and give scholarships to kids of musicians by being featured in their annual fundraising concerts. In fact, Velasquez was one of the performers who had performed in the concerts organized by MLC and arranged to gather funds for the scholarships of the kids they supported.
Free music education
MEANWHILE, The Midlife Crisis Scholarship Fund is a financial stream created by the band to give musicians’ children quality education at the UP College of Music without worrying tuition and miscellaneous fees.
“Within two years of studying music, some of our scholars usually have bookings already. That makes us so proud knowing they get to earn a living,” Formoso shared.
“We have 26 graduates so far, and knowing we have touched the lives of these musicians is already huge for us. It is heartwarming to know that we have contributed to the industry in our own way.”