(1472) MUSIC AND ME (Nov. 09, 2017) SAMANTHA TSAO--WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO? -Guitar, Piano, Chess, Vocalizing and now Ukulele

USING UKULELE AS VIOLIN
     I've been teaching Samantha Tsao guitar, piano, chess, vocalizing and now ukulele since 2015. This photo was taken in March 11, 2016 where she pretends to play a violin using a ukulele and my pointing stick. I never thought that ukulele will be added to the list of musical instruments that I can play and teach. IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO LEARN NEW THINGS...


                   SAMANTHA TSAO --
              WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO?
          Guitar, Piano, Chess, Vocalizing,
                      and now Ukulele

In December 2016, I was about to write Noel Tsao, the mother of my guitar, piano, chess and now ukulele student Samantha Tsao, this...
    "Dear Noel, Sam never ceases to amaze me every time I teach her. Although she is not focus most of the time, the talent in her is oozing in every category.
     My latest discovery of her talent is about harmonizing with Christmas songs. It will take time for ordinary kid or even adults to sing the 2nd voice of a song or harmonize for short.
    When we are singing a Christmas song, I sang the 2nd voice and she sang the main or first voice. Then I try to push her if she can sing 2nd voice. AND SHE DID!
    Very few kids/adults can do voicing or harmonizing up to 3rd voice. I can sing 3rd voice if I can hear the 1st and 2nd voice of a song. This time, because Sam can sing the 2nd voice, I was able to sing the 3rd voice of that Christmas song. 
    I was amazed by the talent in Sam. What else can she do? 
    IF I AM LUCKY TO HAVE SHANE ABELLERA AS MY BEST GUITAR STUDENT, I AM MORE LUCKY TO HAVE SAM AS MY MOST MULTI-TALENTED STUDENT!"

http://palau-chess.blogspot.com/2016/12/1311-music-and-me-sept-08-2016-lucky-to.html

     Unfortunately, I was not able to write this letter and still I continue to discover more talents in Sam.
     She is the only music student of mine that I can teach songs that I never thought would be learned by a young student like Sam. She can play "Hopelessly Devoted To You, Open Arms, La Isla Bonita, Joy To The World by Three Dog Night, Hawaiian Medly of Baby Blue, Pearly Shells, Blue Hawaii and Tiny Bubbles; Swing Medley of Around The World, All of Me, More, Paper Roses and Hello Dolly.
    Lately this month, Black is Black, Hotel California in Bm (in guitar, I'm teaching her in Am for easier strumming), 

When I started to teach Cole Abellera chess, I always have Sam as his training partner. Sam has talent also in chess! I used to test their skills by solving chess puzzles (mate in 3 moves). They are equal with solving chess puzzles. Sometimes Cole is better, the next time it's Sam. I tried to convince them to try joining the regular chess tournaments of Palau Chess Federation whether in Standard, Rapid or Blitz time control but they are still shy and don't like to explore/play with other players (young and old, men or women or juniors) with varying chess skills. 

I started to teach Arthur Surangel ukulele in Jan. 13, 2018. He's got a new ukulele with a manual that indicates that tune of the 4 strings of it -- G C E A and the chords C, C7, F, G, A, Am, A7, etc.

Actually, I don't know how to play ukulele yet at the first time that I'm teaching Arthur. Thanks to the manual. It's not hard to learn like guitar or piano.

It became one of the extra source of income to me now. I suggested to Mommy Keiko, Sam's grandma, that I will teach Sam 45 minutes piano and 15 minutes ukulele.

I borrowed Sam's ukulele and it's the one I am using when teaching Arthur, Ngederong and their girl relative when I taught them last Friday, Jan. 12 from 3:45 pm.


Sources: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez
               Tia Belau Newspaper
               December 29, 2002 -- January 22, 2018

               Chess and Music (Perfect Combination)
               The Beginning of Chess in Palau
               By Roberto Hernandez
               Soon to be published as a book

               Music and Me by Roberto Hernandez
               Tia Belau Newspaper
               March 15, 2012 -- April 18, 2013
               http://palau-chess.blogspot.com
               April 25, 2013 -- January 22, 2018

               The History of Chess in Palau 
               By Roberto Hernandez
               June 09, 2002-- January 22, 2018

(973) MUSIC AND ME (June 04, 2015) D' VOICE PALAU (One of the Judges in the Blind Audition)

LONG TIME IN PALAU, TOO
     Ariel Vingcoy has been to Palau a few years more than Roberto Hernandez. The two was selected by the TFCP elected officials to adjudge the Blind Audition of their fund raising program on Nov. 16, 2014 at Sunset Park. Before the start of the Blind Audition, they performed some dancing numbers to pump up the waiting crowd. There are some dancing even to the tune of Palauan song "TNT" sung by Roberto.

                    D' VOICE PALAU
   (One of the Judges in the Blind Audition)

For being one of the elected Board Members of The Filipino Community in Palau (TFCP), one way of sharing my talent in music is agreeing to be one of the judges in the Blind Audition of the first D’ Voice Palau to be held on Opening day of 2014 Palau National Chess Championship on Nov. 16, 2014.

I have played already my first round game against co-employee Paquito 'Pax' Suringa, Jr. 3 days prior to the opening day so that I can assist to the many needs of players (more than 40 of them).

At past 3pm, Palau erstwhile top player for 5 years Menandro Manuel asked me if we can play our game since he is leaving Palau after a 2-month job stint (Oct.-Dec. 2014).

Although I might be late for the Blind Audition, we played our 2nd round game on that day. I won in 32 moves and immediately proceed to Palau Royal Resort to have dinner and proceed to Sunset Park for the 1st round of the Blind Audition of D' Voice Palau.

I met a colleague there, Ariel Vingcoy, and we performed on the stage with him using the place's keyboard. We only have one mike and we alternately sing some upbeat songs, mostly reggae.

When I notice that there are some Palauans in the crowd, I sang "TNT", the Palauan version of the Hawaiian song "Baby Blue" in reggae beat.

Like any other first time occasion, the blind audition didn't go smoothly at first. Some contestants didn't have a CD of their song to be performed. One guy has a guitar, one even have the guts to ask us to accompany him with a keyboard while he is singing. Maybe, not knowing that we are judges of the event.

Mike Aunor, left, had played with Roberto Hernandez, right, in the 2010 New Year's Eve Countdown at Palau Royal Resort. Aunor is also one of the judges in the final day of D' Voice Palau.
                                                        (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)

 

(866) MUSIC AND ME (Dec. 11, 2014) MOSES ULUDONG CELEBRATES 65TH BIRTHDAY AT PRR -- Nov. 25, 2014

HAPPY 65TH BIRTHDAY MR. MOSES ULUDONG - TIA BELAU PUBLISHER
    This article and photo should have been published on Nov. 27 (Thanksgiving Day) on Tia Belau but due to lack of space, it was called off. SO, HERE IT IS!
                                            (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)


     MOSES ULUDONG CELEBRATES HIS
           65TH BIRTHDAY AT PRR
                     Nov. 25, 2014 
 

On Nov. 25, 2014, Moses and Lilian Uludong are having dinner at Palau Royal Resort’s Waves Restaurant where Roberto Hernandez is playing piano every night except on Friday (his day off).

Ms. Lilian informed Roberto that its Moses birthday and she will give him a signal to play Happy Birthday. Roberto is very sure that Moses is 65^th years old today because Moses told him that he’s 64 years old last year.

Moses requested 4 songs to Roberto –Baby Blue, Nobody’s Child, Honolulu City Lights, (all Hawaiian songs) and Under Sayang (Palauan song).

After finishing the first 2 songs, almost all the staff on duty sang “Happy Birthday” to Moses with a small cake with candle. The other Japanese guests that are dining were surprised with the way it was handled and took photos also of the couple.

Roberto approached them and shook the hand of Moses and said, “Happy 65^th Birthday, Sir. I know you’re 65 now because you told me last year that you’re 64.” Then this photo was taken:

Ms. Lilian asked Roberto to play Palauan songs. He said he will finish first the other 2 songs that Moses had requested earlier.

In the middle of the 4^th song, more than 100 Chinese/Taiwanese guests arrived and the place became noisy. The couple left before 9pm.

While Roberto is playing keyboard at Breeze Bar, Rmeriang Tmetchul came with a lady friend. She requested to play “Help Me Make It through the Night” for the couple sitting at the poolside.

She asked, “Why didn’t you sing it?” He said that couple is very far to hear me singing without mike. Roberto asked, “Are they Taiwanese, Filipinos?” She said they are Lilian, my cousin and Moses!

Roberto was surprised because the place where they are sitting is dark. When he played the “Unchained Melody”, Joy, the cashier/waitress, gave Roberto $5.00 and said it’s from those guests.

Later, Moses and Lilian joined Rmeriang and company. They are closer now and Roberto started singing their requests and some Palauan songs. There is also a table with 4 guests (3 guys and a lady) which Roberto is not sure if they are Japanese, Koreans or Taiwanese.

He is singing “I Can’t Stop Loving You” when it rains and the group transfer to a table just 5 feet to the keyboard. The other group didn’t transfer and while paying their bill, one of the guys gave Roberto $5.00 tip. Roberto rotates the position of the keyboard to face the group of Moses, Lilian, Rmeriang and the lady which is Asian. Rmeriang is talking to her in English.

              All their requested songs were sung by Roberto without looking at the song book—Can’t Be With You Tonight, Always On My Mind, Dil Dil Lomais, Baby Blue (TNT-Palau version), Let It Be, and 500 Miles.

            When Moses requested “Wind Beneath My Wings”, that’s the only time that Roberto looked at the songbook. They enjoyed the night especially Moses, who added $10.00 tip to Roberto but asked for the lyrics of Baby Blue both in English and Palauan (TNT), Nobody’s Child, Honolulu City Lights and Can’t Be With You Tonight.                  HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND HAPPY THANKSGIVING, TOO!!!

Source: Chess and Music (Perfect Combination)

             The Beginning of Chess in Palau

             By Roberto Hernandez

             November 2014

             To be published as a book in the future