Continuous Learning to Improve

This year, I wanted to improve on my singing. This is the talent that God has given me (not to brag but I do love singing!)

So, I started enrolling in a music school.

For the first half of the year, I enrolled for voice lessons. I wanted to see if there is a chance for me to be a singer someday.

At first, I wasn’t that good.

I admit. I haave a long way to go before I can be good.

Fortunately, my teachers pushed me hard to learn and improve more.

As they say, “Practice makes perfect.”

I also tried to audition for the school’s elite group of singers. It was my very first time to audition for voice. I auditioned several times for PBB (Pinoy Bg Brother) but that’s a different story.

I was a mess after I sang my piece. But still, I continued to enroll and learn more on what are needed for me to improve vocally.

At the same time, I was also learning how to write songs. It was hard at first, though. But learning from the mentor and the classmates from the workshop, I felt that I can do it that I can also write songs.

So I began writing songs. I even submitted my first ever Visayan song in VisPop competition, a Visayan songwriting competition in the Cebu.

It’s a joy to write one. Even though, it didn’t win but the fact that my song was enlisted as of the entries which passed the first round makes me pleased already.

By the way, my very first composition was for Mama Mary’s birthday celebration last year. It won as one of the finalist. That’s why I ventured out on songwriting as well. At the same time, it’s fun writing one. I have a lot of ideas in my mind that I can convert them to possible songs. So watch out for more!

When I joined the Gig on the first half of the year, preferably called as a concert instead, I struggled with stage-fright and I wasn’t that confident back then.

But when the concert started, I never thought that it was so fun! It brought me back my confidence and at the same time, there wasn’t any bit of stage-fright I felt back then. It molded and transformed me when I’m on stage.

So, on the second half of the year, I continued my lessons on the voice. To improve more on my listening skills, I also enrolled for keyboard. It’s one of my dreams to play keyboard as well.

I felt my improvement both in singing and in playing an instrument.

Then I joined the concert again if there are any improvements on my vocals and playing the instrument.

And I did improve! I was now confident singing on stage. No more stage fright. And it was fun! 

Although, there are still rooms for improvement on my vocals but still having my presence on stage was fun! I was having fun!

For the last classes of this year, I enrolled once more. I can’t help but learn more and was thinking that there are still a lot of work for me to improve on vocally and playing the instruments.

This time, I auditioned for the second time. After I sang my piece, Tita Anna was on standing ovation! I never felt proud that I have improved a lot! I never thought that my genre would be more on ballad and soul. And also, it just confirmed that I have a possibility to become an emotional balladeer someday!

That was big!

What’s more is that I have made new songs – the new original compositions that need polishing with my collaborator. I can’t wait to have it be included in iTunes or Spotify someday.

Then, the last concert of the year has come. In this concert, I had a solo performance. I never in my life had sung solo in front of a crowd, except for band gigs.

When the concert started and my turn to sing has come, I felt a bit nervous. But when the song has started, I feel singing it out wholeheartedly.

Several applause were heard from my performance! I never thought I can connect to the crowd with my song!

It was a dream came true! My teachers and Tita Anna were so proud of my performance. One of my teacher said that I should audition for the elite group once more!

What a blessing!

As the year ends, I have improved a lot vocally! I also had improved a bit on playing the keyboard.

But these don’t stop me to continue learning. I will still continue to enroll in the music school, learn and improve.

I am so excited for the next year to come! I will continue to learn and improve and eventually be the artist I really wanted to be.

In this life, we shouldn’t stop learning. We can still learn on how to improve our talent, our work, our career, our relationships and even our spirituality.

There are so many things that we can do in life that we need to focus on what matters most. And once we find that focal point of learning, improve and improve and improve until we get what we really wanted in life.

Never stop learning as long as we live here on earth. And continue to believe that all you’re big dreams back in childhood will be fulfilled when you continued to pursue and learn from it.

Continue to learn so that you can continue to improve.

Investing on Experiences rather than Things

I have learned this quote from Jayson Lo’s book entitled, “Debtermined.”

He stated that it’s more important to invest on experiences than the material stuff here on earth, which is so true.

Anna Fegi-Brown of the Brown Academy of Music implied that, “No matter whether you passed or failed the audition, the important thing is that you have gained experience out of it. So keep trying and learn from your experience.” This is also so true. I can learn a lot from my experiences in the auditions to help me improve more.

Experiences can be more costly than material things. But the effect on a person will be memorable. It will not be taken away.

Let me share you some of my story on this one.

On the financial side, I wanted to learn about stocks and mutual funds. That includes insurances as well.

So, what I did, I self-studied. Learn from the books I read, search for stock brokers or fund managers and attend seminars about financial literacy and on how money works.

I have undergone a lot. I have learned a lot. I even endured losses a lot.

In terms of financial losses, I got bankrupt. I got scammed and continued this one for one whole year.

Yes. You’re surprised, right?

I played along with the scam and tried to see how long it will take me there. Unfortunately, my fuse blew up after a year and discontinued it. Making a lot of money loss including my entire savings and stuff.

But you know what, I’m glad I’ve experienced it.

Why? Because now I know the feeling of being bankrupt and how it impacts my life.

Same goes for insurances. I have applied several insurances and top it all off, I wasn’t able to continue a single one of them. This is due to my bankruptcy experience.  I even got scammed on insurances.

Those experiences led me to think more carefully on what insurances will I apply and how will I benefit from it.

I became more careful in terms of my finances. I became more aware of the pros and cons on stocks, mutual funds and insurances. I became wiser and picky in terms of getting money to grow better.

That’s what experiences taught me. 

Material things on the other hand, are forgettable. I am a bit obsessed with shoes, just a little bit. I like to buy casual shoes but I tried to limit the shoes I buy.

Whenever I buy one, I get happy and excited but just for a short-term. It won’t last forever.

Experiences are long-term memories while material stuffs are short-term memories.

In terms of travel, this is the best experience I will cherish forever.

Jayson Lo stated in his book “Debtermined,” that we should travel once a year. He said that travelling can give us new discoveries, new places to visit to and to learn from. He also stated that it can give us a new environment apart from the places we’ve been through every single day. 

Travel can give us a glimpse of nature and traditions we never experienced.

In other words, travel makes us experience other places, traditions and people we can apply when we go back home. And it can give us piece of mind to relax and enjoy the beauty of the places.

That’s why I LOVE travelling.

I’ve been travelling around the Philippines many times already. It’s fun and I enjoyed the experiences I have been through.

I’ve met new people. I’ve been to new places. I’ve eaten new delicacies and new cuisines. I’ve learned new traditions and cultures and a lot more.

Travelling is the best experience ever. It is costly but memorable.

Another experience I am currently investing on is my talents.

I love music and I love to sing. That’s why I enrolled to Brown Academy of Music to learn how to sing and even play instruments.

I just started my enrollment with the school January of this year. I continued until this very month.

First experience was very struggling. I struggle with my schedules and with my investment (I never made this one as an expense since I’ll be learning to enhance my talents) on the school.

Then, I continued until the very end of my lessons up to the Gig or concert. First try was nerve-wracking. But when I continued, it was fun! I enjoyed doing it.

I tried auditions in the school, but to no avail. My last audition was the best so far. Even though, I failed to be enlisted, I improved a lot! Tita Anna even applauded me for my improvements. My teacher even said to me that I should continue doing auditions. And I will do that next year.

This year was fun because of my experiences in the music school. The lessons are a bit expensive but worth it. 

What I have learned from the school is to garner more experience as I become an artist. I even got my songwriting talent from the workshops spearheaded by the school.

I have written several songs now and I will continue learning until I exceeding my expectations on my music career.

Those experiences alone are worth investing. It can never be replaced.

Now, experiences can also be from our failures.

The moment we failed, we tried to get better from it and learn.

Oftentimes, when we experience failures, we get doomed. We gave up. We surrender and move on to the next.

But some will try and try again until they succeed.

Experiencing failures can be a waste of money and time. But learning from those experiences can be worth it.

No matter how costly the seminars, the travel expenses and the learning are, these experiences will be worth it. It will be cherished forever.

So, whenever I planned to travel or learn new skill or continue to build up my talent, I will continue to invest on these even though they can be costly. But the experiences on these investments are worth it.

There will come a time that I might find difficulty in financing my investments. I know God will provide me with enough money to continue with those investments and build more experience.