An interview with Kabataang Gitarista

THE Kabataang Gitarista (KG), a program of the Artist Training Division under the Arts Education Department of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, celebrates its 10th anniversary with a recital on September 10, at 2:30 p.m., at the CCP’s Tanghalang Huseng Batute.

KG members and alumni from various batches will perform a variety of musical pieces. The KG Bicol members, whose group marks its 5th anniversary will also perform during the recital.

Culture Carousel interviewed two outstanding members of KG, namely Edel Mark Bitao and Kyle Adam Lorenzana.

For this week’s column, let’s meet Edel Mark Bitao who joined KG in 2014 and is still an active member of the group. In August 2016, Edel was part of the KG that represented the Philippines in the Asian Gems in the Arts Concert of the George Town Festival in Penang, Malaysia.

As an individual artist, he won 3rd place in the Saigon International Guitar Festival and Competition, Junior Category, on November 8, 2019. In the same month, he won First prize in Junior Guitar Category of the Namcya.

He is an incoming 3rd year music student at St. Scholastica’s College in Manila, under professor Ramoncito Corpio.

Here is our interview with Edel Mark Bitao.

You have won in quite a number of guitar competitions here and abroad. What are the benefits of joining such competitions?

Joining competitions has greatly benefited me in terms of my selfdiscipline and has helped me improve in the mastery of my craft. Through the years, I can say that the experience and exposure brought about by the competitions I have competed in have been a big help to improve my skill and technique.

Alongside this, I do have other responsibilities and my personal life, so juggling everything to fit into my schedule definitely can be quite difficult at times. But honestly, I see these challenges as a test of my character. When joining a competition, I am fully aware that things won’t be easy, but that doesn’t deter me from stepping out of my comfort zone and focusing on my growth as a musician.

What is the most important role of classical music (or classical guitar in particular) amid the fast-changing times?

Musicians have lately been using the classical guitar not only for classical music, but also for pop, jazz, indie and folk music. Like these musicians, classical guitar plays an important role in my life when it comes to my self expression. I also view myself as a medium to express not only my thoughts and feelings, but what I imagine the composers of these pieces have felt through their own music. Because of classical music and classical guitar, it is possible for us to explore and playback pieces of history.

What have you learned from joining KG aside from performing wonderful guitar music?

KG is not just a group of young adults who play guitar and perform. KG has become my family since it is among them where I have found a sense of belongingness. I have been able to receive love, care, and words of encouragement from my KG family. I have grown up in KG and have learned to dream because of them. They have honed me to the best of their abilities, and have shaped my frame of mind and responsibility. I would like to give them credit for my achievements in academics and in my career.

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Next week, we will meet another KG member, Kyle Adam Lorenzana.

For more information of CCP’s Kabataang Gitarista, email artist. training@culturalcenter.gov.ph.