It Ain’t Over Till the Fat Lady Sings

Agnes Christie A. Corpin, Andrea Gerada, and Istra Dela Cruz Blue Symphony Orchestra

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arn garcia was one of the many restless students in his second year at university when he wondered to himself: why didn’t Ateneo de Manila have a student orchestra? The other major universities at the time had orchestras or music faculties of their own, and there was certainly no shortage of musicians in his school.

Arn fixated on this question, thinking back to his days in a string ensemble in high school. He knew the desire for a similar kind of orchestral community was a shared one, and went straight to work to make it happen. But first, he needed help.

Kevin Dy was the first person he shared this idea to, an old friend and gig buddy from high school. He suggested they enlist the help of a few more people, so each brought a friend—AJ Perez and Philippe Bautista—to a Starbucks near Ateneo to hash out their plans. It was there that the Blue Symphony Orchestra was born.

From the top

While Blue Symphony has been around for fourteen years, its legitimacy has always been a point of dispute.

When the founders cooked up the idea of a student orchestra, their rationale had been simple enough: it laid claim to playing and sharing music with others. There were other goals at stake— to be acknowledged by Ateneo as an accredited organization and to garner the university’s name. But the initial wish, music, and community, was what launched Blue Symphony into action.

Looking back on his time as a music arranger in Blue Symphony, Philippe is incredulous at how they managed the unpredictable world of a student orchestra.

For one, there was the uncertainty of securing a room: “we would squat, literally in different rooms,” he says. The basement of MVP across the Rizal Bookstore was an occasional home to students with sheet music and instruments. Then there was the

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logistical issue of moving and storing equipment—eyewitnesses can attest to red-faced, weary students hauling printers, keyboards, and bulky music stands across the campus. Working with people also proved to be challenging: there were talented instrumentalists who couldn’t commit to the organization, or disagreements riled by conflicting interests.

But Philippe finds himself dwelling most on their efforts to learn and teach music in a university with no music faculty. The Jesuit Music Ministry and certain individuals from UP College of Music generously lent their help with music scores and arrangement. Meanwhile, the Loyola Schools of Theology and Jesuit Communications provided rehearsal spaces, whereas Dr. Maria Luz Vilches, Dean of the School Of Humanities at the time (and aptly dubbed Blue Symphony’s “number one supporter”) assisted the founders with advice and necessary permits.

Blue Symphony didn’t function on its own, and it wouldn’t have been able to.

But the challenge of learning on the go produced a sense of doubt for Philippe: “You naturally have an insecurity, because what if what you’re doing is not traditionally correct?” This insecurity trails Blue Symphony, finding shape in feats of resourcefulness or uncertainty.

The early years may not be the most glamorous, but they were not without heart. “You’re all obsessed, you all want to be heard, you want to make things perfect,” Philippe says. While there’s something formidable about this drive, the later years would prove that Blue Symphony needed more. Informal help could only last so long; they needed an anchor.

Blue Symphony Today

Fourteen years later, Blue Symphony finds itself in a situation similar to its beginning years. While the organization reached its

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longtime goal of accreditation in 2012, it was lost in 2019 due to a host of internal problems—the absence of a succession process, the need to sharpen departmental roles, and mercurial relationships with stakeholders, to name a few.

The orchestra can also expect a disparity in treatment between accredited and unaccredited organizations. An accredited orchestra would ensure, at the very least, spaces for storage and rehearsals. When Blue Symphony lost its organizational room in 2019, its members found themselves scattered to the wind, searching for places to hang out or practice. It was no piece of cake for operations members either—inventory was hastily relocated to other members’ homes.

The loss of professional help, such as the bowing out of Blue Symphony’s seasoned conductor Rodel Noreli E. Lorenzo in 2018, also signaled a worrisome decline. Conducting, arrangement, and general tutelage fell under the purview of student members. While admirable, the organization’s progress can hardly be compared with those of institutionalized orchestras (such as the UP College of Music), resurfacing Philippe’s earlier insecurities on Blue Symphony’s novice status.

For the current members, the solution can be summed up in a word: support. Blue Symphony stands out against other student orchestras due to its informal nature. Gabriel “Gabe” Plata, the current president, looks to the future of the orchestra with some unease: “It doesn’t make sense how we are as an organization. All other universities’ orchestras are funded and supported by their university. It’s a long, long way to get there, we have to convince the right people at every level,” he states. Without official backing, the members speculate that the future of Blue Symphony will remain as it has been in the past: trying to stay afloat.

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Too loose, too tight, or just right?

But what if the solution wasn’t as straightforward as it seemed?

To regain accreditation, effort may be put into defining and implementing rigid systems and roles within departments—or “tight coupling,” as penned by organizational theorist Karl Weick. Creating a succession process, for example, or honing external and internal communications.

But contrary to the members’ beliefs, this may actually curb Blue Symphony’s flexible presence. Institutions rarely survive on tight coupling alone, and need a bit of wiggle room. This allows them to compensate for any external factors that get in the way of project planning—something Blue Symphony thrives at.

This was proven when the pandemic arrived, and all academic and student activities had to transfer to an online setting, punctuating the need to make necessary adjustments.

Concerts were converted to online performances—notably Entr’acte: Projections, published May 2021 on their Facebook page. Entr’acte showcased an array of iconic movie soundtracks, ranging from “La La Land” to “The Godfather,” and was Blue Symphony’s first foray into the online concert. The stage was replaced by virtual backgrounds in the style of movie posters, and musicians displayed in tiny screen boxes alongside each other. While the recording may not sound as natural as a live performance, the colorful blending of sounds pierced through virtual barriers (see Entr’acte: Projections

and Paguio’s arrangement).

There’s only so much one can do during the pandemic, after all. “We can’t really do much. It’s a practice of letting things go you can’t control,” says Kristi Seredrica, a former violinist and current central board member. Despite Blue Symphony’s best efforts at formalization, they maintain a “loosely coupled” nature—striving for efficient operations, but learning to adjust to fickle weather.

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Regular members underwent a learning curve. Gone were the days of orchestra practice on the chilly fifth floor of Rizal Library, previously an arranged space for rehearsal. “It’s so hard to be in an orchestra when you don’t see each other face to face,” says Riana Fuentes, a freshman violinist. “For example, may duet ka, or may group performance ka, and you’re going to have to, you know, perform together.” As the others put it, this meant learning to do things on your own.

“I had to learn how to record myself,” she added. “When you’re in an orchestra you don’t have to do that.”

In the case of Julia Sta. Maria, a video editor for the organization, her tasks called for experimenting with new methods. “It was really a lot of trial and error,” she explained, discussing the orchestra’s transition to online concerts. “We had to find a way to…set a stage for them. And I guess that was one of the biggest challenges talaga, adapting everything—biglang ang daming load on the production side.” To date, production finds itself dabbling in animation, video background designs, and the necessary task of polishing audio recordings. These new arrangements were made possible due to Blue Symphony Orchestra’s loose nature.

Surprisingly, the transition also offered some members more opportunities to participate in the organization’s activities. Current executive board member, Alessandra Molo, said that the pandemic gave her the chance to experience orchestra life, unconventional though it may be. Because her home had been too far from campus, she found it difficult to commit to regular rehearsals. Now, her main motivation for being involved in activities is to “[give] other people that chance.”

Blue Symphony has managed to come this far with enough elbow grease and flexibility. Yet their calls for support can hardly go unnoticed. As Gia Sison, violinist and board member, put it, “we’re really trying to focus on our efforts into optimizing our self-sustainability.” Trial and error are all well and good, but the

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orchestra’s capacity to elevate its platform will remain on pause until it no longer needs to worry about its future.

Encore!

There’s no doubt that Blue Symphony needs external recognition—legitimacy and institutionalization can relieve the orchestra’s current concerns over its survival. But their current model offered its own benefits.

The organization’s culture and community are the major reasons its members have remained. Mariane “Mavi” Avendaño, a violinist and active member of the organization, joined during the online setup and stayed the following year. What kept her there, she says, “is the community vibe of the orchestra…the people are very supportive and this is the type of place you want to be in if you want to explore yourself and not be afraid to show your flaws.” Lorenzo Go, a flutist and active member, also notes that music has been a great help to him during quarantine. Whether it’s a Game of Thrones medley or Tchaikovsky’s “Sleeping Beauty,” members can enjoy a lively range of pieces to listen to or play.

While members do worry over the organization’s future, they still remain hopeful. There is a deep faith in what the orchestra can offer them. “We may end up in a place that we didn’t expect to be in,” says Kristi, “maybe that vision or idea will be something better. I’m sure…Blue Symph people are strong.”

What will it take for Blue Symphony to survive? That’s a question that has been asked, consciously or otherwise, for as long as the organization has been around. At the outset, the answer was certain: official backing and a drive to survive. When that proved lacking, they resorted to improve upon their internal systems. The arrival of

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the pandemic and transition to an online setting only highlighted there may be more to the case.

Organizations like Blue Symphony aren’t either formal or casual, tight or loose. It’s both. The orchestra requires a sustainable structure, but with enough freedom and space for members to forge friendships and express themselves. While a lot of work is needed to regain accreditation, Blue Symphony isn’t going to change its tune anytime soon. Its friendly atmosphere, casual approach, and ability to thrive in unpredictable situations have helped it grow. Its members can recognize this value—and with any hope, the right institutions will recognize it too.

Blue Symphony has shown they have earned, and will continue to earn, their seat at the table.

So long as there are people who want to create music—whether as an instrumentalist, a budding arranger, or even someone eager to help backstage—the orchestra will carry on.

“At the end of the day,” Arn concludes, “I just wanna be able to inspire people to pick up an instrument, to have a better day, to be a better person…to somehow want to be in an orchestra.”

He did. And they will.

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Blue Symphony. Entr’acte: Projections. Online Concert. From https://www. facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=499436821302918

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Clark Joshua A. Paguio. Susi. Arrangement.

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