Throwback 4 : (Acknowledgements During and After) 46 Years in Sinai

The first throwback post of The Accidental Video Maker  reveals the recording devices used to create my videos.  The second throwback post shows my passion and interest for video making while the third throwback post chronicles my YouTube channels' output and direction.  The third throwback post ,also, details how almost all my videos turned out to be musicals - a genre which I use to include Entertainment and Music YouTube video categories.

This sentimental post is about the people, entities and life events that contributed to my video creation activities.  It is not an autobiography but an expounded acknowledgement list.  Primarily, the post forms part of  a video making blog composed of throwback  and non-throwback posts. For this blog, the throwback posts narrate how I became an accidental video maker while the remaining or non-throwback posts provide video making insights.

If you had read my previous non-throwback posts written after "Throwback 3 : Road to Konsyerto Pinoy Channel" post and prior to the "Right Spot" post, and thought these posts included "seeming dramatic" details and should have been part of the throwback posts, then I must clarify to you that these details only provide a scenario to an issue. The video making issue which these posts tackle is the video creator's initiative to request for a "Point, Shoot(Record) and Post(Upload) Approval".

I wanted to emphasize the need for video authorization from event organizers and from venue/mall officers and representatives.  The organizers and venue personnel are KEY people in the video making process since a video maker does not need to go directly to (and bother) the performing artist(s) and their handlers for video-op. These people can coordinate with the artist and the handlers about video opportunities or lack thereof prior to the show.  They can even tell you the extent of an upload which could be a part of or the entire show/concert.

As a suggestion, it might also help video enthusiasts if the event organizers could indicate a "free video-op" status in a concert/show poster or ad that would signal creators that no authorization is required to record and upload the show.  Otherwise if not indicated, video-op authorization  has to be secured.  

In this case, event organizers and venue establishments will also benefit since they need not hide important events in their social media sites from  video creators who they feel uncomfortable to deal with.  If such creators request for video-op, the least they could do is ignore or ,politely, turn down the request.

Now, we return to this throwback post. For some, it is difficult to believe that a video maker who is interested in classical music, ballet and folk dance could also like pop, jazz, rock and alternative music, street dance, hip hop and "rock" bands.  Often, personal YouTube channels focus on artists performing a certain or related genre/category of music.  Well, my channels are not the typical ones.  Based on my personal interest, Konsyerto Pinoy and Singles and Covers have not yet completed the full circle - from rap to tap, from experimental to sacred music, etc.

Of course, personal interest or ,simply, likes were acquired over a period of time. Often, these likes resulted from a memorable event or a pleasant incident which maybe caused by another person. From most Filipinos, it is not unusual to hear the term "utang na loob"  which means a deep and lasting personal recognition of kindness or favor accorded to oneself by others.  When I worked for a computer company in the mid-1980's, an office friend and I would literally translate for fun "utang na loob" to internal debt.

Aside from the BIG G up there, my undying gratitude goes to my mother Ester who raised me up and introduced music in my life.  Though she likes classical music and Filipino classics, I value the musical information  which I got from her. She loves the vocal versatility of Ms. Sylvia La Torre  who is the "Filipino Classic Diva and Vocal Queen" during the pre-martial law era.  I got to see my mother and her older brother (Uncle) Jose enthusiastically watched Aawitan Kita which was a weekly musical program highlighting Filipino classical music such as Kundiman.

San Fernando de Dilao (Paco Catholic) Church

Prior to my teenage years, my mother exposed me to classical concerts and shows which were presented by the Cultural Center of the Philippines.  The shows which I attended to featured American pianist Van Cliburn, Spanish soprano Montserrat Caballe and Russian dance group Bolshoi Ballet.  Also, my mother enrolled me at the Philippine Women's University (PWU) College of Music and Fine Arts to study classical piano.  This activity paved the way for me to play the organ and keyboard instruments.  The most  cherished keyboard playing experience for me was to play the pipe organ of the Paco Catholic Church.  My last update was that the pipe organ retired more than a decade ago.

Well, if I thanked my mother then I must equally be grateful to my father Rodolfo who worked for the Manila City Office of Cultural Affairs which was then headed  by a well-known screen actor Mr. Jaime de la Rosa. My parents' love story was a musical set-up where my father's piano playing accompanied my mother's singing.  My father was a good keyboard instrument and guitar player. Aside from the guitar, piano and organ, he can also play the accordion.  Though I did not have his good looks, I got his creative passion and temper.

Paco Catholic School (PCS) and my former parish priest and school director Father Francis Libeer CICM are tops on my acknowledgement list.  My elementary and high school Alma Mater introduced me to several musical genres which are not commonly appreciated and popular in the Philippines then.  These genres (with no specific criteria such as period, era, region, etc.) include Western Classical, Broadway, Filipino Ethnic and Filipino Classics.  This was made possible by being a member of the PCS Boys Choir in the early 1970s.  I do not have a good voice but I remember that I can carry a melody in "tiple" (Spanish term meaning soprano voice of a boy).  I still remember Father Francis would check on us if we were practicing in the choir.  Once, we chose to play hide and seek with Father Francis to avoid the regular choral practice.

Our choirmaster Ms. Virginia Pabalan was very patient and tolerant with me since I just wanted to sing the melody of the song.  During choir practices, I frequently questioned myself why do I have to sing portions of a musical piece in a "directed" manner or other than the melodic line.  That is when I learned the concept of harmony.  Well, melody, harmony, etc. are musical tech terms which are still to be clearly defined to me. The important thing was that I understood the purpose of a "choir".  Imagine several people singing in different melodic progressions producing a harmonized and recognizable blend of vocal lines.  Whew!  I cannot clearly explain that but it might help if you watch the videos above and below.

Looking back, being a choir member was an honor and a great experience for me.  I got to perform at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Main Theater stage in a choral competition for boys in the 1970s.  I could not recall the outcome of the contest but that was roughly the start time when I became a Las Pinas Boys Choir fan.  Coming from PCS Boys Choir which was also formed by the same Belgian missionary order CICM as the Las Pinas Boys Choir, it was easy for me to admire the superb and meritorious performances of the latter choir.

                     

 

Overlapping with my intermediate and high school education, I took up my classical piano course at PWU under Mrs. Felipa Francia.  She patiently introduced me to the world of Mozart, Bach, Chopin and Bartok. Like a linguist who must be proficient in a language, a classical pianist ,at the very least, must have the tolerance and discipline to play every classical sonata.  Unfortunately, my heart and mind could only learn and perform the musical pieces which interested me. Thus, I had to let go of my piano course.

Although I took up a college course which was not my choice, I was fortunate to finish my college studies at De La Salle University DLSU with an objective of just obtaining a diploma.  Before getting my Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Mathematics, I was so enthusiastic to complete and defend my undergraduate thesis with my thesis partner Ms. Leila Verceles.  The thesis was "Mathematical Methods of Scheduling Television Network Programs" which incidentally uses Game Theory in coming up with programming strategies for two competing television channels 2 (not yet ABS-CBN) and 7.  The thesis ,by the way, was made prior to the death of the late martyr Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino.

The above 1982 thesis was finished with the help of Mr. J. Roy of Channel 7 (now GMA 7).  Just for this experience, my deepest gratitude to De La Salle University (which subsidized my college studies) and GMA 7 via Mr. Roy's participation in our thesis.   It was also my time at DLSU when I became glued to American Top 40 (AT 40) of Casey Kasem in the radio.  The weekly Billboard Top 40 rankings fascinated me and my classmates more than how the rankings were derived at and statistical data were gathered considering Statistics was part of my undergraduate course. I remembered entering college at the height of Donna Summer's popularity (the "Bad Girls" album year) and finishing my undergraduate studies during the height of VIVA Films top grossing movies and melodic themes ("Sinasamba Kita" translated I Adore You, and other songs).  

In large part, my videos and choices are indirectly influenced by my personal experiences. I was very lucky to witness the first major Philippine Popular Music festival Metropop with exceptional songwriters Ryan Cayabyab (Mr. C), Freddie Aguilar, Jose Mari Chan, et. al.  Together with Mr. C, Hajji Alejandro who is the featured artist in the video below won the initial Metropop contest.

Until now, the songwriters featured in the pioneering Philippine popular music festival continue to make an impact in every Filipinos' musical digestion.  As an example, Mr. Ryan Cayabyab who composed the monumental/epic song "Kay Ganda ng Ating Musika" continues to deliver compositions that any Filipino could be proud of.

Mr. C's compositions include Smokey Mountain's hit "Paraiso" to Voices for Visayas' "Just Believe" which is a collaboration with Mr. Jose Javier Reyes.  The latter song was the finale for the Benefit Concert for the victims of typhoon Yolanda.

It is not unusual for most Filipinos to like foreign music. In my case, I encountered the Spanish song "Eres Tu" in college and immediately liked it.  I even remember our Spanish class instructor led the class for a vocal exercise of this song.   Prior to college, I also encountered a French song on Television (probably  a movie shown on TV)  "Un Homme et Une Femme (A Man and a Woman)" and liked it as well.

The initial Metropop and weekly AT40 with Casey Kasem were key events which provided the balance in my musical choices.  Some people hate to be considered old.  For me, I am quite lucky to hear the various sounds of different generations.  I might be partial to the sounds of a certain era but I can "dig" and appreciate the latest compositions.

Aside from music, I am thankful for the visual events which I have attended to.  Specifically for the Philippines, there was a time that a moviegoer can repeatedly watch for free a movie from the theater's opening to the last full show.  There were festivals dedicated to showing of films - from the Metro Manila Film festival to the Manila International Film Festival.

Even if I do not have a photographic memory, I must admit that each local or foreign film and video which I have seen before may indirectly affect my video creation.  The content, pacing, lighting, shots, angles, etc. of my video rely heavily on personal preference rather than on documented and accepted technical standards. Although experimentation is encouraged by this field,  I still adhere to certain technical and content limits. There are things which we cannot and/or must not do in a video.  Our imagination can be endless but reality dictates that there are dreams which will remain forever as such.

The above reminds me to especially thank the various artists, performers and subjects who shared their talents, time and effort in my videos.  These people enabled me to realize my dream of creating videos. Next to these video subjects, I am indebted to the personnel of various concert/show venues like malls, to organizers of covered events, and to the handlers of these performers that include recording companies, television networks and management companies.

Aside from the people above, I also need to make special mention of two communities where I resided and gave me video opportunities and ideas. The first is the city which I consider my hometown.  In the literal sense, this city was originally a town.  When I was born and during the first decade of my life, Makati City was just a town of Rizal.  I still remember having indicated "Makati, Rizal" as my home address then.

Definitely, I did not intend to have a very unfortunate incident for my initial Makati City video.  Although the fire was a news item, the video was intended to get a special message across - our proximity to an issue determine our mindset. If we are not directly affected by an issue or we are far from it, we live somewhere with an uneasy tranquility.   The closer we are or involve more ourselves to an issue, we hear a lot of noise and sadly some noise, news or talks, are disturbances or false.  However, if we are in ground zero then we would know the truth.  The video above was shot in three different locations which the viewer can associate with what I have mentioned regarding proximity to an issue and mindset.

This year 2014, I was relieved to come up with a video which shows another side of my hometown-city. I see hope and triumph with the performers of this video.  These students are the future of my hometown-city.  If they get their acts together and aim for a common objective such as working for the advancement of the community's welfare (like what they have accomplished during the street dance competition), Makati can become one of the most desirable cities to live in the world.

The other place is Manila where I got my education and I lived the longest (as of this writing).  My earliest videos were mostly recorded in Manila.  I got to show the street which is the heart of Paco district in Manila.  Calle Paz or Paz street could very well represent the country today.  It is old but still a work in progress -  meaning Hope Floats and NOT Lost.

Aside from history, Manila has a certain character that many Filipinos can get used to.  In fact, a song clearly described such getting used to and longing for Manila.  Aside from local artists, foreign acts have their covers of the song titled "Manila".

(Click MANILA (Konsyerto Pinoy Mix Version)  to watch the video.)

Aside from films, movies and videos,  live concerts are visual events which I attended to.  After college specifically from the mid-1980s to the 1990s, this video maker was fortunate enough to witness musical icons of previous generations perform.  I will never forget Whitney Houston's impressive vocal performance at Frankfurt Festhalle in 1988.  She has yet to record songs from the Bodyguard movie at that time and "One Moment in Time" has just entered the top of the charts.

I quite admire four (4) foreign vocal pop artists - Donna Summer, Michael Jackson, Christopher Cross and ,of course, Whitney Houston.  Creating the "Queen of the Night" video by the Philippine Madrigal Singers Madz during Pasinaya 2014 was very familiar because of my interest in both Donna Summer and Whitney Houston. What has Summer got to do with this?

Prior to the above video, I was unaware of other Madz "Queen of the Night" cover videos which I just recently watched.  When the Madz began performing their final song during Pasinaya 2014 Golden Voices, I immediately noticed a very different arrangement of the announced song. Yes, the arrangement is an exact fit for the Madz but how could this song turn out to be what was announced at the beginning of the show?

Then I remember the structure of Donna Summer's "Last Dance" song which starts with a slow and soulful ballad-like prelude and progresses to the remaining upbeat portion.  In a similar manner, I associated the Aria prelude prior to the upbeat portion and the actual melody of Whitney Houston' original version.

For the above experience, I must not forget the influence of the Cultural Center of the Philippines CCP in my musical life and definitely CCP's help in my video making endeavor. It was also a supervising usher from CCP who suggested that I attend shows of Paco Park Presents to cover vocal performances.  In doing so, not only my video making activity benefited but my understanding of Culture and the Arts have been broadened by CCP and the National Parks Development Committee of the Philippines NPDC that handles Paco Park Presents.

Before I started creating musical videos, I did not know the relevance of certain events in my life like becoming a choir boy, learning to play the piano or watching classical concerts and musical TV shows.  Even with a limited vocal and instrument-playing talent, I did not aspire to become a musician or a singer.  I just took the ride which served to be a familiarization tour and preparation for a recent hobby which became very dear to me.  These events happened by accident and with a purpose.

Together with my musical and film interests during and after college, these life events would have made video making a hobby by choice.  Partly true but the trigger point is somewhat by fate and a real accident.  Some people do not always have the means (time, financial means or simply budget, and freedom from social or familial obligations) to direct their efforts in finding their vocation or ,less passionately. career path.

When I worked for a European computer firm, I met people who are certain of what they want in life.  Due to their chosen career path - Information Technology, they are simply content with their work.  With dedication, they became successful in their field.  In my case, these encounters with such colleagues inspired me to continue searching for the task that will bring out my life's essence.

The accidental discovery of such task will be discussed in my last and fifth throwback post.  Together with the people and entities mentioned in this post, I would thank in advance my supportive relatives, Nokia, LimeWire, YouTube and a special education school that provided a series of accidental events which triggered  my video making activity.

For some people, they discover early in life what they are good at and what they enjoy doing.  For others like me, a long journey is needed to discover a task or hobby that will complete our being. Like the ancient Jews who had a long journey in the Sinai desert before they reached the promised land Canaan, I did not forget my goal and searched for the task that will make me happy.  Video creation was a deliverance from a state of restlessness in my career life.  No matter how I dedicate and focus myself in my previous jobs and activities, I was still unsatisfied with whatever outcome.  Today, it only takes a good video to bring the utmost joy in my heart.

Sometimes, such discovery takes nearly a life time and ,in my case, nearly half a century.  For what this discovery is worth, I consider myself very fortunate to realize my passion and ,probably, a vocation. At this point, I also have learned and accepted the fact that video making - a task which is dear to me - may not be forever done.  I just hope that it would be easy on my part to bid video making goodbye if I have to.

Throwback 3 : Road to Konsyerto Pinoy Channel - Parada ng Musika (Music Parade)

In an earlier post,  I wrote that my first musical video was Rizal Park's dancing fountain show. Right after the 2011 People Power Revolution/EDSA 1 anniversary, I was recording scenes for Hearts 2011 What's Love? video.  Having just finished my video shots of the unveiled statues of EDSA 1 heroes near Manila Hotel, I passed by the central section of Rizal Park (previously known and referred to as Luneta) on my way home. I noticed lots of people in the area watching some water fountain action synchronized with the background music.  Amazed by what I saw and attracted to the music being played by the public audio system, I stayed to record the dancing fountain show.

After reviewing the show footage, I chose to feature Journey's song Don't Stop Believin' which was interpreted by the Glee cast. Although there exists a Youtube search page category "Rizal Park Dancing Fountain" where you can see all the videos about the park's dancing fountain, I did not know of such page at that time.  Instead, I thought of a video concept which will attract the viewers.

The concept was a trilogy of songs - similar to a good, better and  best concept. In this case, it was a teaser, excerpt and entire featured songs concept.  Aside from Journey's song, I selected two more songs from the recorded footage. After completing the featured songs list, I used two downloaded songs (which were not part of the show) for the opening and closing credits. Opening credits song was Rico J. Puno's version of The Way We Were with the famous phrase "Namamasyal pa sa Luneta ng walang pera." translated "Strolling in Luneta even without money" and closing credits song was an instrumental version of O Sole Mio played by an orchestra. Within the day after uploading, Youtube informed me that the video cannot be played anywhere due to the copyrighted songs.

At that time, copyrighted songs were not specified so I just took out the opening and closing credit songs. After uploading the revised version, Youtube again informed me of a "Matching Third Party Content" message and my video was blocked in Germany.  Being ignorant about Copyrights, I disputed the claim since my belief ,at that time, was that a copyrighted song when used with permission will not be blocked anywhere. For sure, I said to myself, Rizal Park administration (National Parks Development Committee NPDC Philippines) will not use any music without paying royalties to the copyright owner,  Thus, my video should not be blocked anywhere. Of course, the dispute was rejected and ,from then on, I learned more importantly that the Owner has always the prerogative on the use of a copyrighted song.

With a failed initial upload and a Germany-blocked second upload of Rizal Park Dancing Fountain, I felt frustrated and took awhile to create another musical video.  However, true to my inner core, I incorporated "fair share" music in my videos.  From Youtube, I learned that an uploader is allowed to use "tiny bits/portions" of  a song without negative impact on a video (like blocking viewership or muting of audio).

It was December 2011 when my cousin Caloy took part in a trade fair at the car park of Boom na Boom which is a known theme park in Pasay City. One weekend while visiting Kuya Caloy's stall, I learned that there was a dance contest during the trade fair period.  That night, five dance groups competed for a slot in the contest finals.  I was able to watch and record ,excerpts of, the semi-final round of the contest.

Together with my nephew's wife Sheila, we coached three kids - my youngest nephew Kenneth and my grandchildren Frances and Quino to sit on the judges' table after the show. This cute scene was my subtle way of reminding people that the most objective judges are the innocent ones - the  kids who are expected to know No politics and to have No hidden agenda.

Still avoiding the setbacks of my first musical video, I incorporated the Fair's location, area and main feature (the stalls) in the video and made the contest performance as the video climax. Also, I included "Boom" songs which have the word Boom in their titles since the recorded place was Boom na Boom. For the initial song, I mixed Black Eyed Peas' Boom Boom Pow with the instrumental portion of Donna Summer's Bad Girls. For the closing credits, I included Blondie's hit song Call Me. After I finished the video, I uploaded Boom na Boom Night Market Park and Sell Special in the "Travel and Events" category rather than "Entertainment".

Once uploaded, I immediately checked any copyright notice and was very nervous since Boom na Boom video might be a "Deja Vu" of the Rizal Park Dancing Fountain video. The first couple of nights after the upload were exciting and very encouraging since ,for the first time, I witnessed that my video was being watched by a dozen people by the hour. As a new uploader (nearly a year), I felt the satisfaction that no monetary reward can give. The hourly increase in views was the best Christmas 2011 gift I received. Until now, I feel happy when there's a continuous rise in the view count of my videos immediately after an upload. On the contrary, when I have uploaded a noteworthy video and no view is incurred, I still get disappointed.

Encouraged by the decent view count of my first dance video and by the spirit of the Christmas 2011 season, I got the confidence to record another musical video - my very first mall and instrumental video.  In fact, I proudly consider this video's musical artists  who are three (3) instrumentalists as my first video talents. When I asked the trio's lovely and gifted pianist/leader Ms. Zarah Bertulfo for their name, Zarah called her group Heart AND Soul which included herself, impressive musicians Mr. Ray Ama and Mr. Vic San Juan.

The mall where I recorded this video is Robinsons Place Manila RPM which I refer to as "Entertainment Centerstage". Though Glorietta Mall had more often been my refuge, there was another mall which gave me sanctuary in the latter part of my residence in Manila.  Prior to 2012, it is true that I looked forward to the weekends we spent in Makati City but ,when I was in Manila during weekdays, I felt relieved when I made visits to RPM. When the RPM Midtown Atrium was completed, I just sat down in the lobby seat to relax when I was stressed out. By the turn of the millennium, my mother's health condition deteriorated and ,every time my mother's hospital check-up was finished, we would go to RPM for lunch. This has been the place where my Mother and I could temporarily forget her illness and eat in the selected restaurant or fast food chain of her choice.

Preparing for our 2011 Christmas vacation in Makati City, I made my last minute shopping  at Robinsons Supermarket in RPM on December 23, 2011. On my way out of the mall, I heard jazz arrangements of Christmas and popular songs at the Atrium Lobby. Curiosity dictated me to watch the performance and ,again "for the love of Youtube",  I approached Zarah. and company for permission to record and upload their performance.  I even asked them if they had any formal contract with the mall since the existence of one may require authorization from RPM itself.  Luckily, Zarah and company had  none at that time and agreed to be recorded by yours truly.

Since the crowd numbered a couple of dozen at most,  and the musical session was casual and not a formal concert, I was very comfortable in recording the trio. I experimented with the shots for a couple of songs by revolving around the trio from left to right. In addition, I had to be at the group's front when the Christmas song ended.   Finally, I requested the trio for a separate photo-op which will be used for the video's intro and closing credits.

That generosity which I have received from total strangers will be remembered for a lifetime.  Then, I realized that creation of musical videos was primarily driven by the willingness and generosity of gifted people to share their talents and entertain viewers.  I could now understand the reason why people specially fans admire and put these artists on a pedestal.  Some might call this fanaticism but I would just refer to such as voluntary and selfless payback for the joy brought by these artists/performers. Indeed, the kindness I received from Zarah and her group was a signal to give creating musical videos another try.


The year 2012 came and it established the fundamentals of my musical video creation.  During 2012, I met people, groups, companies and organizations that provided content, materials, recording opportunities, even indirect training and critical support to my video making activities.  Aside from the various artists and performers that included sportspeople who shared their time and talents, and the malls and group of companies which provided the venues, events and video-ops,  I got very valuable support from ,nonetheless, several government agencies/offices  and their personnel like the Cultural Center of the Philippines CCP, National Parks and Development Committee NPDC Philippines, People's Television PTV4 and Paco Park Presents.

Prior to 2012, I did not interact with the entities mentioned above. For now, I mentioned them to make a fast forward narrative on the being of the Konsyerto Pinoy channel.  In a future throwback, I will provide a detailed account of how these entities influenced and provided direction to The Accidental Video Maker. In the meantime,  I will continue to narrate the path to Konyserto Pinoy's being.

With the uploading of dance and instrumental musical videos in 2011, I was eager to create a vocal musical video. Aliwan Fiesta 2012 Pasakalye Concert enabled me to create not only a vocal but a song and dance or musical variety video. Still, the copyright issues previously encountered lingered  and I remained cautious in the video inclusion of an entire song.  To be on the safe side, I adapted some elements of Boom na Boom Night Market video creation process.

Like Boom na Boom Night Market video, I did refrain from including an entire song and dance number.  The video started with information regarding the location, event and the performance area.  These info were shown to satisfy the "Events" category since Aliwan Fiesta 2012 Pasakalye was also listed under the "Travel and Events" category. During this time, I intended to create a musical video with the guise of an events video as if by using/specifying a half valid proxy category for a "music/entertainment" category will spare viewership blocking resulting from a copyrighted song.  Thus, like Boom na Boom video with the hanging dance contest outcome "and the winner is ...", Aliwan Fiesta 2012 Pasakalye have the hanging "Who will win?" questions and an invitation ,as well, to attend the event.

At this time, I had made musical videos for CCP events like Filipiniana Sunsets and Pasinaya Open House Festival. Also, I wanted my first channel (Jakeslanza/JSL then, Jake Lanuza now) to include videos which will highlight the West Manila Bay Entertainment  and Leisure Stretch (from Quirino Grandstand, CCP, Star City, Boom Na Boom up to the SM Mall of Asia Grounds).  Because of these, I started the Aliwan Fiesta 2012 video with the shot of the CCP going to the Aliwan Fiesta grounds or the Star City Complex, to show the continuation of festivals from CCP Pasinaya to Aliwan Fiesta 2012.

The mother of Philippine cultural festivals Aliwan Fiesta had been celebrated for a decade.  As expected, the opening night concert Pasakalye was filled with musical artists.  I had a smooth time recording this event. This particular event, though, had a significant effect on my creation of musical videos.  Since I was using a mobile phone camera, I needed a way to execute a periodic close-up of the performing artist(s).  From the Aliwan Fiesta 2012 Pasakalye Concert, I met a reliable video recording friend - the Video Wall.  Though the output quality will partly depend on the video wall's cameraman, coordination of shots with the video wall is quite important in mobile video recording especially when the recorder is far from the performer. Without the video wall, a number of my musical videos would not have survived the technical superiority of various recording devices released that year.

Although this video contained a copyrighted song I'm Sexy and I know It, Aliwan Fiesta 2012 Pasakalye Concert video was not restricted or blocked in a country where my first channel enjoyed significant number of total views -at least 50 views  across all videos for the country at that time. I learned to accept the fact that potential views can be blocked with the presence of a copyrighted song. Until today, I always hope that the area or country where views will be blocked would only provide non-existent or ,at most, negligible view count. As long as the video can be viewed anywhere, and its audio is not muted, I do not consider the copyright notice a problem.

Even if I have gained confidence in creating musical videos some time after Aliwan Fiesta 2012 Pasakalye Concert, there was no plan whatsoever, to set up a concert channel until I had created and uploaded one of my significant 2012 video Kindred Voices @ The Glorietta Makati.  In my opinion, this video was the front runner of the Konyerto Pinoy channel aside from being a milestone in my video making activity and in my first channel.

Kindred Voices @ The Glorietta Makati was not a planned video. I did not have a Facebook FB account last year 2012 to monitor mall events. I learned about Kindred Voices three (3) days before the event from an unlikely source - Events Post in the least visited area of Ayala Triangle Gardens in Makati City. Moreover, it was an accidental discovery due to an unexpected itinerary.

After doing administrative tasks for a cousin's real estate lessor company in Manila,  I returned to Makati City to purchase medicines for my mother at a Drug Store in Glorietta. For some vague reason, the air-conditioned bus I rode from Manila to Ayala Avenue in Makati City did not traverse its usual route.  As a result, I had to prematurely get-off from the bus near Ayala Triangle Gardens and pass by the area.  While walking at the Ayala Triangle Gardens area, I noticed a poster in the Events Post and stopped by to read the poster. The poster advertised  a Lea Salonga concert at the Greenbelt Mall titled Kindred Voices. Since there was no ticket requirement specified, I decided to watch the show of an internationally acclaimed artist.

Performance night came and I proceeded to Greenbelt Mall. In another unexpected turn of events, the Kindred Voices Concert with Lea Salonga was moved to Glorietta that night. Good thing Glorietta is just a minute's walk away from Greenbelt.  With the new venue, more people were able to watch the concert aside from the guests/audience in the reserved seats area.  For one thing, I was not familiar with the mall mechanics of securing tickets for such concert at that time. I just asked some ladies from the event organizers' desk if I can record the show.   They answered on the affirmative and I just recorded the concert as soon as Maestro Gerard and ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra hit the notes.

After the concert, I was able to immediately upload the "Encore" portion.  Then, I edited and organized the concert proper footage, and uploaded the created video.  I did not immediately publish the main concert video since there was another Kindred Voices (with Nikki Gil and Blake) performance still to be finished that week. After the last Glorietta performance night, I published the concert video. With encouraging view count and feedback, I was just looking forward to record one or two more shows until the end of 2012.

Establishing another Youtube channel was not in my radar system at that time,  I was content in reading the feedback and in monitoring the view counts of the uploaded main concert and encore videos. Then, the new channel idea just popped out. The trigger point was a comment made by a viewer "nice x-mas concert..luv it...". The idea of  a 'Pinoy Concert Channel' crossed my mind for a second.  Then, I shot it down since I still wanted to create videos of diverse genre.  However, at the back of my mind, several questions were raised. Do I need another channel? Can I maintain two channels?  Will a second channel be viable? For what purpose is the second channel?

De La Salle University Chorale
(Sights and Sounds of Christmas @
 Robinsons Place Manila)

In just four weeks, these questions were answered.  Within that period, I recorded at least three musical videos with little search effort.  My first channel Jake Lanuza had become a predominantly musical channel which I did not envision.  I wanted the channel to reflect my various interests and to maintain some balance as far as video genre is concerned.  In order not to overload the channel with musical videos, ignoring some concerts will be the worst thing I could do (and I would never do!). It was not the number of musicals that I was worried. With more than a dozen musicals previously uploaded for this channel, I just wanted the next one to be unique in style, execution or material/content.

IMAGO
(Paskong Pinoy 2012
"A Joyous Rock in the Park")     

Philippine All Stars
(World Bazaar Festival 2012)

With several musical videos created in 2012, I started organizing these videos by creating four  playlists - major/full length concert, vocals, dance and instrumentals playlists.  My first channel had already a handful of playlists and  adding new playlists will saturate the channel page.  I wanted a simple way to organize these musical videos aside from the non-musical ones.  The playlist solution was messy for me and the only option I can think of was the new channel creation.

A specialized channel is inevitable since I would want to feature upcoming musical artists aside from topnotch performers. Finally, I wanted to be flexible in uploading musical videos and need not justify the videos' length - full concert (extended/long length), album launch/mall show (medium length), and single song/artist feature or song cover (short length).

During 2012 Christmas Season, I was bombarded with concert video-ops. There was a proliferation of concerts and shows.  Even if it will be difficult for me to maintain two Youtube channels, I had to create the  Konsyerto Pinoy Channel. Aside from the above reasons and circumstamces, the last straw was brought by the One World, One Makati Concert.

To experience what is like to be away from home or "work" during New Year's Eve, I attended the street party and countdown concert at the corner of Makati Avenue and Ayala Avenue.  Titled One World, One Makati (2013 New Year Countdown) Concert, various musical talents participated in the event.  Such talents included iconic bands  Hotdog and The Dawn.

The Dawn performed songs belonging to music genres which the band has mastered and been associated with. In creating The Dawn's video, a straight forward assembly of songs performed was made. The number of songs included was trimmed down to create a mini-concert or  a mall album launch video length ( 3-5 songs).

On the other hand, Hotdog  had a repertoire which included their original hits and adapted songs of other local and foreign artists. Since the band was already an icon several decades ago, a "journey into the past" concept would be appropriate for Hotdog's video.  Thus, the video was titled Hotdog Takes One World, One Makati to a Musical Journey (a sentimental trip into the 1970s via Original Pilipino Music OPM hits). With this concept, two Hotdog medley's were excluded from the Jake Lanuza channel uploads and became the initial uploads of the Konsyerto Pinoy Channel.

Konsyerto Pinoy Channel
Initial/First Logo

To emphasize the new channel's purpose and vision, a video snapshot from Paskong Pinoy 2012 "A Joyous Rock in the Park" was used for the channel logo and later for the channel art.  With the brand essential in place, the two Hotdog medleys were uploaded.


Konsyerto Pinoy Upload 1

The first Konsyerto Pinoy video uploaded was Hotdog's medley of songs by Journey Don't Stop Believin'  and by Guns N' Roses Sweet Child O' Mine. This medley was also performed during the same set as that of the songs in "Hotdog Takes One Word, One Makati to a Musical Journey" video.


Konsyerto Pinoy Upload 2

Aside from the medley above, Hotdog performed another medley of songs by Queen We Will Rock You and by The Beatles Come Together. This medley became the second upload for Konsyerto Pinoy Channel.

Now, it will just be a waste of time to enumerate the forty (40) musical videos created for the Konsyerto Pinoy Channel so far.  As far as I am concerned, justification for the creation of Konsyerto Pinoy Channel can only be validated by the new channel's performance.  For the Konsyerto Pinoy Channel, the validation for its being came early with this video.

The video was recorded on Valentine's day of 2013 and featured the Philippines' most popular total performer Ms. Sarah Geronimo.  True to Konsyerto Pinoy Channel's purpose, this young artist can sing, dance, and perform quite well and thus, the channel salutes her talent and proudly presents her to the world. In this light, the channel hopes to highlight more Filipino artists and show the nation's musical versatility.

Though "Sarah Geronimo in Heart Songs @ The Glorietta Mall Makati 2013" justified the being of the new channel, the driving force of such validation must be  pointed out now.  Even with the huge talent of "Popstar Princess" Sarah,  the viewers choice (to watch the video in part or completely) defined the validation process. A viewer has always the option to ignore a video even with a high-density HD quality.  The power ultimately rests on the viewer who passes judgement on a channel.  Without the viewers, Sarah's video could not attain more than ten thousand views and hundred likes. Due to the viewers, Konsyerto Pinoy Channel has surpassed the highest number of views twice over than any video of my first channel.  Indirectly, the viewers enabled the channel to deliver 40 musical videos to date.

Again, I had to inject another assumption - viewers chose to watch the video because of some meritorious content.  Ms. Geronimo's performance in the video is quite entertaining specially with the invited kid from the audience.  The video captured the spontaneity in Sarah during her interaction with the audience about being in love, out of love and who cares about love.  More importantly, the "teacher" in Sarah was shown when she professed that ,in difficult times such as storm, love will keep people together.

Even if the video creator is good, even if the performer is excellent and brilliant, the being of a channel depends ,in the long run, on the viewers who keep the videos afloat, and of course on Youtube support.

To all the musical artists' admirers, friends and viewers who shared their valuable time to watch videos of Konsyerto Pinoy Channel, my sincerest gratitude.  Recounting the Road to Konsyerto Pinoy Channel reminded  me of the movie Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade.   Remembering the search for the Holy Grail, the path to Konsyerto Pinoy Channel is like that of the Grail. The path has always been there and was just waiting to be traversed.  To reach the final destiny, I just had to close my eyes and BELIEVE!

Throwback 2: A Serious Hobby - Should Have "Been Careful With My Heart"

It was New Year's eve (December 31, 2011)  when a friend of my nephew Kim asked the most relevant question in my life today - "So now, you are serious with video making?".  Since the occasion was festive - fireworks,  great food and tasting the first commercial Youtube upload (Boom Na Boom Night Market Special video which was vaguely listed by me in the events category rather than entertainment),  I confidently replied "YES!".

At this point in time, I still do not regret that answer and ,maybe, I WILL NEVER , EVER!  However, there should have been a follow-up query "How serious would you be?".  Well, I hope the following would show the intensity of my passion for the accidental hobby of mine.

The Year 2012 coincided with the Chinese Year of the Dragon.  I recorded two events - the Fireworks Display at Quirino Grandstand in Manila and the Dragon and Lion Dance Exhibition at Cash and Carry Mall. For some, they will just connect these events and upload the resulting video.  For me, something was lacking and I wanted to highlight that it was a Dragon Year. There was already a dragon dance and a dragon fruit photo was easy to obtain.  Also, I did not want to animate the video too much by using Goku who was a popular character of the Japanese manga series Dragon Ball Z.  I was into Dim Sum  and not into Sushi for this video so I just adapted the "Dragon-Ball" linked words for a familiar sound and to mean celebration.

A dragon fruit or dance will not suffice to have an impressive video start.  So I thought of things associated with Dragon and ,at that time, I frequented at least once monthly Manila's bay walk area since my Mother goes  to a hospital (Ospital ng Maynila) fronting Manila bay for her diabetic consultation.  In that area for so many years, I witness dragon boat practices and events.  The idea was already settled that dragon boat paddlers will be featured like that of the popular series Hawaii Five-O at the start and will cheer in unison "Happy New Year" in Chinese at the end.  Next, my biggest problem was which group should I approach to appear in my video since I do not know any paddler.

Enter the Dragon-Ball 2012 was meant to be done due to the generous sportspeople that I have met last year.  As a reserved person, I do not approach anybody with ease and so much so to ask them for favor. To psyche myself, I would just say "for the love of Youtube, I will do this".  One weekend, I saw the Manila Wave Paddlers practice and luckily asked their team officers Ms. Nancy Avelino and Ms. Angel Miranda  if their team can make a short appearance on my video (with the team greeting the viewers Happy New Year in Chinese and paddling their boat in action). They agreed without hesitation and informed me about their practice schedule since their routine that Saturday was over.

The paddlers' practice starts quite early as in before dawn. They are already in the water when sunlight begins to cover the horizon. Well, I just sacrificed a day or two to wake up early.  Since I was using a mobile phone camera, I had to be on the takeoff board/paddlers launch pad which was floating in the water and had to take the shot with the boat departing towards  the bay waters.  I wish I had the palmcorder before. The needed shots were taken but ,unfortunately, the video was already late for the occasion. The 2012 Chinese New Year euphoria has already died down.  Thinking about the generosity of the paddlers, I did not even think to shelve the resulting video.  Again, I just wish the Manila Wave Paddlers and their individual members the best in all their endeavors. Maraming Salamat Po!

When making a video, I also have to deal with the recording location and position available to me.  Aliwan Fiesta 2012 Pasakalye had a big video wall, However, Aliwan Fiesta 2013 Pasakalye "Idol Eyeball" had a smaller video wall.  During the performance of the duo JaMich, I have to stand on a steel bar beside the stage of the central events camera since it was forbidden to be onstage with the cameraman. The whole camera stage might collapse if all mobile video recorders will be allowed to be in that same area. After 10 minutes, I decided to go down and find a way near the performance/main stage,  In this situation, a palmcorder will not be advisable to use with a crowded audience (highly dense audience distribution). The monitor might be broken by a sudden crowd movement.

This recording position/location difficulty was also encountered in The Little Singers of Monaco video where it was very risky to shoot from the Greenbelt Makati The Gallery balcony which is above the performing artists.  A couple of times, I had to tighten my hold on the mobile phone so that it will not be dropped and may possibly hit a cute little choir boy from Monaco.  I was also very conscious when recording this video since my recording activity might have a curious and irritating effect on some balcony audience.

Aside from the recording difficulties, I challenged myself by recording an event which I have never attended to in my life or I did not have the patience to watch on TV (my apologies LifeStyle channels).  Again, Glorietta provided me the unique experience to create a video for such a show - Style Origin 2013 "Gala". It was quite different when you watch well dressed men and women acting/performing on screen (films and TV) from walking the runway.  I should have taken a very strong cup of coffee when I made the video since I had lapses when recording the first celebrity walker - Janella Salvador.  I always got off guard every time she entered since I was not familiar with the whole fashion walk routine and cues. Although, I got to learn after her walk.  To Ms. Salvador's admirers, my apologies for the lapse in my recording reflexes.

The above video is the Final Walk Medley version of Style Origin 2013 "Gala" since the original version was not playable in the USA due to the song completely used by the show's organizers during the final runway walk.  I had to create a medley of  "vogue" songs to replace and overwrite the copyrighted song..  I was quite serious this time to provide for an audience who spend their time to watch my videos.  As any creator should be, I am much grateful to the viewers who define our existence in the Youtube community.

At this very moment, I have just recorded my second Shangri-la Plaza video and my third video with ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra (first was Kindred Voices with Ms. Lea Salonga and British quartet Blake, and the second was with Piano Charmer/Virtuoso Ms. Cecil Licad).  Now, I realize that I need to draw the line/to set the limit of my "seriousness" in making videos. Being extremely serious in making Some Enchanted Evening video has drained me emotionally and ultimately made me unhappy after the upload due to some turn of events.  I did not expect this to happen to a non-performing artist like me but it did.  Maybe I can explain how this emotional crisis happened.

For me, video creation is a visual art form.  Though initially I created videos for fun, my interest led me to develop a serious attitude toward the video creation process.  IMMERSION is the word that describes my video creation attitude.  Prior to this video, I am quite aware not to totally immerse myself in the creation process - set up a certain distance and remain objective in the video's development. There are leading circumstances why I totally focused and immersed myself for this video.

Two weeks prior to this video, I recorded my first Shangri-la Plaza mall video which was the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra PPO @ The Shang's Orchestra Series.  The video was posted in the official fan page of the mall and I got invited to watch the upcoming concert of ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra. The invite did not specify "to watch only" and so I assumed that I can also record. Although they both belong to the "Orchestra" category, I have two (2) Youtube channels which can separately accommodate them to avoid comparison.  

PPO video was a straight forward concert type.  Orchestra size was skeletal for the PPO @ The Shang since I nearly recorded a PPO video during Cultural Center of the Philippines' Open House festival (Pasinaya 2013) last February but did not pursue the recording since my mobile camera cannot clearly capture (in a single frame) the whole orchestra due to its size.  The PPO video was very technical and camera movements were CONTROLLED and tempered even.  The video was quite appropriate for the Konsyerto Pinoy channel.

Since my option was to place ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra (ABSPO)'s  video on the Jake Lanuza Channel, the video style and presentation must be quite different from the PPO.  At the time the ABSPO concert began, I did not have any idea how to create a video with an entirely different style from the previous Shang orchestra video.  I was at a level above the orchestra then and noticed the difference in the performance area.  The area included the audience area during PPO's stint and could fit a full-size orchestra. The resulting front and back audience area which are the actual hallways will not allow my camera to capture the full orchestra in a frame if I record at the same level.  If I remain in the floor level I'm in, only Maestro Gerard will be seen .  

To capture the full orchestra, combination of shots must be done to show the "wholeness" of the orchestra. For ABSPO, the arrangement was very distinct - the string instruments side and the wind instruments side.  I do not have any knowledge of such orchestral arrangements. But if the instruments grouping was made similar to the PPO (with string instruments on the first couple of rows and the wind instruments on the succeeding rows) with this new performance area, it will be visually unattractive and maybe impossible to focus and/or highlight the instruments played. With a very narrow front audience/viewer area, showing the "wholeness" of the orchestra can be made by focusing on the string side, then the wind side and culminating with a shot of the conductor or Maestro with some orchestra members.

So I must come down and be at the same level with the ABSPO.  Again, I am being pulled outside  my comfort zone.  Damn, I am being exposed again!  I don't want people to notice my recording activity but eventually I accepted the fact that if I want better shots then I must record in front of the orchestra and walk within the area.  When should I do the movements and how?  I don't think anybody can give a clear technical reply to such query.  So I stopped using my head, instead I went with my emotion - GO WITH THE FLOW!! (Internalize the music.)

The choice of music was congruent with my system that night. When I heard the initial notes of the signature Bond theme, I rushed down to the orchestra's floor level.  The music gave rise to a "search/query" feeling and so I pointed the camera downwards to avoid directly recording people's faces and demonstrate the camera's searching action.  By now, I adopted an attitude - camera must move similar to what emotion the song ignites in me. By the time the Star Wars and Superman medley was performed, I did feel some sort of adventure and flight - literally my camera was flying over the entire orchestra.  I forgot that I was on earth at that time. It was like carrying the entire scene on air.

After the concert ended, I reviewed the footage and the emotions which I felt when each song/medley was played. I was also reminded that the orchestra represents ABS-CBN , a major TV network with acclaimed drama and telenovela series. Thus, I asked "was there a story in/during/about the concert?".  A story would help in prolonging the viewer's video engagement which means that viewers are enticed to finish the video. Next was to check out if there was a story which can be developed from the emotions that I felt during the concert.  The answer was a resounding YES!

By now, I was totally focused on the development of a story instead of connecting the recorded footage. The video shows a narrative and the music serves to highlight the narrative.  I admit that I lost the right perspective - I was suppose to be an events recorder not a story writer. With my obsession to come up with a different video for ABSPO, I forgot that I only need to show what happened and not to create something which was not there.  Well, I was still carrying the emotions which got me during the concert so I proceeded with the storytelling.

The story is about an orchestra conductor understudy/trainee (Maestro-in-the making) who was searching for romance. With the help of a "superfriend" Kal-El, the trainee was referred to Maestro Gerard who represents the "life" teacher of the understudy. After learning from his teacher, the understudy found his romance.

The inclusion of Star Wars, Kal-El and Gangnam Style in the story may not be necessary at first glance. Do not worry that I will use the shallow reason that the associated musical pieces were used even if it is a valid one.  When we are looking for someone, we just don't buy a magazine with a lovely cover girl or a dashing cover boy.  Some of us involve ourselves in various activities.  For some people, they travel to find someone or join several organizations to hunt down their prince/princess charming.  If it is possible to search the whole world or the universe to find our soul mate, some of us would do it.

In  our search for romance, we sometime request our friends to help us and ,for the religious, we even implore the aid of God (familiar with the line - Lord, please give me a lover!). Kal-El would become insignificant next to God.

Finally, why Gwiyomi and Gangnam?  When we search for our Mr./Ms. Right, we always put our best foot forward.  We even resort to cosmetic enhancements and surgery to improve our looks.  In similar terms, we have to be "lavishly cute" to attract a lifetime partner.

The bottom line is the story emphasizes that in order to find a long and lasting relationship, we must learn to "listen with the heart" or to focus totally on the other individual. The story might be quite simple without the twists and turns of a melodramatic one.  However, the symbolism used is deep (exaggerated for the unconvinced).

The video was then uploaded and I was expecting copyright claims to be made.  It will never be a problem for me to acknowledge a valid copyright claim.  What made me real unhappy was the form of censorship the original video version encountered.  If Youtube only has a list of songs which can be performed live but cannot be uploaded, I will abide by the list and will not consider the songs in the list.  It just so happened that I do not have a list and I really, really like the musical themes.  I think I am justified to be unhappy with the turn of events when the audio of my video was muted.  In the end, I respect the owners' decision to claim the song(s) but I am still hopeful that the owners would reconsider.

What I am feeling right now is my own doing so next time I have to check my involvement(passion) in the video creation process.  Like the title of a very popular ABS-CBN drama series,  I must "Be Careful With My Heart" next time for a hobby should not hurt me. IT SHOULD ALWAYS BE FUN!!!

Throwback 1: The Turning Point Video

Currently, I record my videos using a palmcorder which was given to me by a supportive relative Kuya Ardy. Thanks to my niece Jean Carl JC for bringing the equipment from Maryland to Makati City. Probably, Kuya Ardy got tired of the image quality of my earlier videos. LOL. However, these videos established my video making interest.  

Without batting an eye, I can say that the lowly pre-android mobile camera which I used to record over a hundred Youtube videos has served its purpose better than any smart mobile and SLR camera.  Just to appease the high-end users, I will agree that image quality is far from the state-of-the-art equipment. However, in the final run, the creator drives the quality of the video not the gadget.  Otherwise, I will just look for an R2D2 and hand him an SLR to shoot any event.

Anyway, the most important thing for me is to please my viewers and I am aware of the limitation of my first video recorder - a Nokia N70 mobile phone camera.  I wanted my viewers to see clearly what they want to see.  There are times when I cannot be very close to the performer or the lighting is too much and the shots suffer. Well, Kuya Ardy spared me from looking for an alternative gadget and ,most importantly, budget. He sent me the palmcorder last July 2013.

It was the third week of July 2013 and I was looking for an appropriate event to use my equipment. An NPDC (National Parks Development Committee) Philippines weekend video was my plan. The NPDC weekend video should have been "Paco Park Presents - Friday, Labs Kita Sabado - Saturday, Concert at the Park - Sunday". (For your info, NPDC administers historical Philippine Parks such as Rizal Park and Paco Park.)

I am looking for continuity and consistency (or harmony)  in the planned video. Since I could not find such item, I decided to use it for July 20, 2013 - Labs Kita Sabado.  The featured performers belong to a group called The Turning Point Dancers.  What a coincidence since the video I shot was a "turning point" of sorts. It was a turning point for my video making activity - from mobile video recording to a video camera recording.  The video is my first "Labs Kita Sabado" feature in the midst of my numerous "artful" Paco Park Presents videos. Also, it was a homecoming for me to Rizal Park where I shot my first musical video - the park's Dancing Fountain.

The Turning Point Dancers are also members of the Sanglahi Dance Troupe of Villamor High School.  They remind me of my first "commercial" dance video "Boom na Boom Night Market Special". I get inspired if I see young people immerse themselves in worthwhile activities - singing, dancing, arts, music, sports, cooking, etc. aside from studying.

This turning point video starts with the dancing fountain (as in my first musical) with "Taralets" by Imago which is one of the alternative/rock/pop band I like.  The Labs Kita Sabado is a show which happens right next to the dancing fountain of Rizal Park.  Also, I used the song "Sabado" which was sung by an admired singer Ms. Celeste Legaspi. The "Sabado" song was a "naughty?" theme song of infidels but the intention was to highlight the day "Saturday".  From the fountain to the Labs Kita Sabado introduction, I used the mobile phone camera.  The rest of the video with the turning point dancers was recorded via the palmcorder.

Although I am quite satisfied with the video output of the palmcorder, this will not stop me from improving the technical aspect of my video making activity. In other words, I will have an open mind to any equipment which will best satisfy the requirements of the different video making situations which I will encounter. Moreover, this does not mean my cherished N70 will retire.