Making music in Manilax
How a music group in Manila is helping musicians connect and be creative.
A music interest group in our Manila office is giving musicians the chance to collaborate, even during the pandemic.
The group is called Himig Manila, which translates to harmony among people. It is run by experienced musician Mike Gregory Ramos, who came up with the idea following a one-hour music workshop he ran at work.
Supervisor, Quality Management, Mike says: “A few of us formed a group that played at the office’s holiday parties from around 2009, but it was only in 2016 when I ran a short music seminar that I realized there were several more people who wanted to get involved.
“We now have around 30 members covering drums, bass, keyboards, guitar and vocals, all with different levels of experience. It’s a great way to talk about music, help each other develop and play together.”
As well as playing at office events, the group also records and performs original songs and cover versions, something it’s continued to do during lockdown.
Mike says: “We record each element separately for me to collate and edit together in post-production, which has been great fun, even if it can be frustrating for people when we need to do a second take.
“It’s been great to keep it going though and for everyone to have something positive to focus on, particularly as we’ve tended to record upbeat and inspiring songs.”
Mike first got into music as a child through his school choir and has been hooked ever since. He sings, plays guitar primarily, but can adapt to several other instruments, as well as overseeing production.
He says: “What I love about music is that the same skills and basic music knowledge applies to different instruments and styles. And, aside from the technical aspects, music is a great medium for sharing your creativity with so many different people.
“That’s become even more true in recent years when so many more people have been able to record and mix music at home and share it on Spotify, YouTube and other platforms.”
Mike has been in many bands and small music groups, even performing at several wedding gigs, and has collaborated with countless musicians and singers over the years, including his current band, Koi.
He says: “I’ve always loved rock music and the first song I ever learned was Come Together by the Beatles.
I used to buy magazines with chord charts when I was a kid and was inspired by various bands, from Led Zeppelin to the Foo Fighters, as well as more soulful stuff and even ‘70s folk.
“We chose the name Koi because it symbolizes positivity and re-birth. Our music is best described as a fusion of rock and pop.”
Koi’s music is available on Spotify and, before the pandemic, they were delighted to be invited to perform at an annual music event in Manila.
Mike says: “It was great to be able to share our music with so many people and, though it’s a shame that subsequent events have been called off due to Covid-19, we hope to be invited back in future.”
The Covid-19 pandemic hasn’t stopped Mike producing plenty of new music though, both with Koi and with his fellow Himig Manila members.
Mike says: “It’s encouraging to know that we can still continue to collaborate by having meetings online, even when we’ve not been able to see each other face-to-face.
“The group is as much about community as anything else and one year we even ran a summer workshop for peoples’ children which culminated in a performance so the parents could see what they’d learnt.
“It’s great that, through the music interest group, we’re able to get together with a shared interest, collaborate and make music that helps inspire people.”
