Retired music instructor shares talent to children

(From left) Miguel Valdez, Hannah Ambrocio and Rocky Rico with their mobile entertainment showcase. (Lei Adriano)

By Leilanie G. Adriano

Staff Reporter

Paoay, Ilocos Norte—His set of musical instruments may be older than 74-year old retired musician Miguel Valdez but these are still working and he wants to share it with children in the barrios who could not afford to enter the music school or buy any musical instrument so they could learn to play them.

In front of the picturesque St. Augustine church of Paoay where local and foreign tourists converge, Valdez and several children who are on holiday break this Christmas season play Christmas carols and other musical pieces for them for free, using a kurong-kurong (motorbike with a side car) where a set of drums, piano and amplifier operating on rechargeable batteries are in place. 

Playing his guitar at the open grounds of the church with the children makes his retirement years more fun.

“I train them and help them discover their hidden talents. It is for free. It’s my gift for them this Christmas,” said Valdez after training recently at least 20 children in his hometown Paoay.

Coming from a family of musicians, Valdez taught music lessons in various schools in the province of Ilocos Norte. After his retirement at the former Mariano Marcos State University’s Institute of Arts and Design, he made sure his legacy lives on by sharing his talent to children in the villages.

“I hope that they will apply whatever they learned which may become their additional source of income in the future by playing music during special occasions like baptismal, wedding, coronation nights and many others,” said Valdez adding: “it is my joy to see them perform and make their parents happy that at young age, they can already help earn money through music.”

He said it also heart-warming to note that some tourists who hear them play offer them merienda while playing in front of the church.

For Rocky Rico, a 10-year old nephew of Valdez, he said enjoys playing drums with his uncle playing the guitar.

“Hearing the duo play their instruments on a Sunday morning at the century-old Paoay church makes our visit more fun in the Paoay,” said a group of local tourists who were mesmerized by their performance while visiting the church.