We blinked: San Miguel Disbands Orchestra and Choral

[kaffee]

Coming fresh from an event and rummaging through week-old papers, this. Quite old and certainly not very pleasing news:
New Year Shock: San Miguel kills orchestra, chorale

By Pablo Tariman | Inquirer | 02/05/2007

Late last month, instrumentalists of the only corporate-supported orchestra in the country were summoned one by one by the big bosses who informed them of the non-renewal of their contracts. Same thing happened to the members of the San Miguel Chorale.

Many of the orchestra and chorale members did not get separation pay. It’s not known what happened to Ryan Cayabyab, the executive and artistic director of the San Miguel Foundation for the Performing Arts.

Insiders say that San Miguel Corp., the biggest food and beverage company in Southeast Asia, was “more inclined” to support basketball. San Miguel has four basketball teams in the professional league - San Miguel, Ginebra, Coca-cola and Purefoods.

The latest income statement by San Miguel shows the conglomerate in the utmost pink of health. In November, it reported that its nine-month net income grew 18 percent, to P6.17 billion from P5.22 billion in the same period last year, boosted by its strong local and international beer operations and strong sales by its Australian dairy unit, National Foods Ltd.

Both founded in 2001, the highly promising San Miguel Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorale were suddenly disbanded while no one was looking. No one is expected to drink to that.
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As a people, I think we are further reduced to what may be the equvalent of itaktakmo pirated cds or bets being passed around on basketball days 

[3650guy]

...my point being that Classical/Chorale music is not that financially viable in the Philippines. only to a handful- that is.
sabi daw natapos narin ang 5 year contract ni Maestro Ryan Cabrera.

[jakobspiral]

That's sad. But it's inevitable, I guess.

I remember watching an orchestra & chorale perform. Noticing the audience, I think VERY FEW PEOPLE appreciated the music.

Here's the thing: the performance was GREAT.

Sadly, the audience didn't appreciate them for their musicality... they raved when a cute guy sang, they raved when the orchestra played a common radio song (obviously just to please the audience), and they raved when the orchestra had a "gimmick" of sorts, just to please the audience...

And they were so damn NOISY when the orchestra was playing Beethoven! They made the whole experience unbearable!

Note that this wasn't the Masa. This was... well... a middle-high class audience (if you consider us LaSallians middle-high class.)

Which is why people like Leah Salonga will never really make it big here in her home country.

Leah Salonga is my favorite female singer. I grew up thinking her voice was the "perfect" female voice (Princess Jasmine's voice, haha). But, sadly, everytime her name gets mentioned here, the Masa only comments about how "mataray" she is or whatever. They can't appreciate her voice.

To tell the truth, I'm sad about the mass population of my country always being entertained only by the superficial in every form of art we have.

People appreciate actors not for their acting, but for their personality. Musicians, for their looks. Politicians, for their fame. etc. etc.

Sigh.

[3650guy]

To tell the truth, I'm sad about the mass population of my country always being entertained only by the superficial in every form of art we have.

Sigh.

... what can I say - from local movies and TV and radio we have been weaned from crap content.  its the producers who feed us with this crap and we take it...

some government natin, its always the arts, culture and sports that gets sliced off the budget pie...

[daemonite]

the point is the enterntainment industry is not focused on the craft anymore, it's focused on the money not on the craft anymore, and those who do, are the ones left with no budget. sad sad world.

[kaffee]

Ironically, this announcement comes after San Miguel turns in multi-million peso advert of Pacquiao and Morales.

Too bad, even instrument makers such as Amador Tamayo and those giving maintenance services were beneficiaries of the existence of the Orchestra. With some top-of-the-line instruments purchased by San Miguel for the musicians to use now awaiting their fate, I wonder who might otherwise be willing to take up backing such a fine, world-class group.
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By the way, as a reply in another forum of this same post, I heard that San Miguel's Purefoods has discontinued the support it was giving to Eugene Tejada. 

[BassCog]

the point is the enterntainment industry is not focused on the craft anymore, it's focused on the money not on the craft anymore, and those who do, are the ones left with no budget. sad sad world.

I think the entertainment industry was never really focused on craft, but on presentation of that craft in a viable economic way - and that's where the sticking points are.

[jakobspiral]

the point is the enterntainment industry is not focused on the craft anymore, it's focused on the money not on the craft anymore, and those who do, are the ones left with no budget. sad sad world.

I think the entertainment industry was never really focused on craft, but on presentation of that craft in a viable economic way - and that's where the sticking points are.

Actually... badtrip pero, oo, totoo yun.

It's all about the money.

Dudes, ano kaya, WALA NA LANG GUMAWA NG RECORDS?!? Puro Bootleg na lang ng fans. Tapos sa gigs na lang kikita.

Astig yun!

[uno]

Sana may pilantropo na sumalo, this is such a well-knit 5-year old group. Nothing to fix, 100% working condition. Sayang.

[kaffee]

Sana may pilantropo na sumalo, this is such a well-knit 5-year old group. Nothing to fix, 100% working condition. Sayang.

My thoughts, too.

[djspit]

yes sana absorb sila ng nestle o ng manny pacquiao foundation hehe