A N N O U N C E M E N T ! ! !
The editor of Tia Belau, Mr. Kambes Kesolei, informed me on Sunday, April 21, 2013, that "Music And Me" columm will not be published anymore at Tia Belau due to limited space now of Tia Belau (only 12 pages).
My "Chessmate" by Roberto Hernandez will still continue because it's very important and I've been contributing there for 10 years and 4 months.
I am still welcome to submit/contribute some articles on different things.
ALTHOUGH IT IS NOT PUBLISH IN TIA BELAU ANYMORE,
I WILL CONTINUE TO POST IT HERE JUST THE SAME, THIS TIME IT'S EXCLUSIVE!
The source now will be "Chess And Music -- Perfect Combination
(The Beginning of Chess In Palau)
TO BE MADE AS A BOOK IN THE FUTURE.
ANOTHER JAPANESE COUPLE THAT I FORGOT TO ASK THEIR NAMES
I promise this Japanese couple that this picture will be published in Tia Belau. I'm sorry that it will not happen but it will be featured in this post.
(Photo by Roberto Hernandez)
I AM SEMI-RETIRED
On March 26, 2013, our General Manager Mr. Masayuki Kawaguchi talked to me about renewing my contract for another 2 years but my salary and hours will be cut into half. That means, I will be getting $275.00 from my previous $550.00 basic pay and also half of service charge (average of $300.00 or less), about $150.00.
I will not work at Purchasing Department starting June 01, 2013 and will play piano at Waves Restaurant from
7:00-9:00 pm and 9-11pm at Breeze Bar.
I said to him that I have to talk to my wife about this. That night, I can't play with expression. My mood is off. After every song, I'm writing a draft of a letter to be presented to GM.
THIS IS WHAT I'VE WRITTEN BEFORE SLEEPING AT 3:00 am:
March 28, 2013
Dear Mr. Masayuki Kawaguchi,
Before I decide to accept your offer, please take note of the following:
1. When I worked in Bahrain from Jan. 1987-April 1989, my time schedule with my Cypriot partner (bouzuki player) was 9pm-1am with 15 minutes break every hour. We extend up to 3:00 am during Thursday. My salary is 190 Bahraini Dinar/month.
2. In Kagoshima City, Japan from April 04-Sept. 28, 1982, our band (First Quarter Band) schedule is 12:00 noon-12:30; 1pm-1:30; 7pm-7:30pm; 8pm-8:30pm and 9pm-9:30pm. My salary is US$500.00/month.
3. In Palau, our Tropical Depression Band performed every night from 9pm-12mn in Feb. 04-July 26, 1992. My salary is $8.00/hour.
4. Still in Palau, from July 27, 1992-April 2005, my schedule at Image Restaurant is 7-9pm piano, 9-11pm operates karaoke. Even if I extend up to 3:00am without pay, it’s okay to me. My salary is $500.00/month.
I stayed that long (13 years) at Image Restaurant because the owner-manager (Margarita Borja Dalton) treated me, my wife and my daughter like members of her family.
5. Rose Garden Resort (Palau) – June 15, 2005-May 2006 6pm-11pm. My salary is $450.00 with free transportation to Airai View Annex.
6. Dragon Tei, Teppan Dragon, Donburi Dragon (Palau) -11am-1pm; 6pm-7pm (Donburi Dragon), 7pm-9pm (Teppan Dragon). My salary is $600.00.
7. In Philippines, 1980-1982 at The Plaza Restaurant (Branding Iron –Steak House)-11am-2pm (30 minutes break); 7pm-10pm (30 min. break). I’m using a Yamaha Grand Piano. My salary is 39.00 pesos/day.
8. The Plaza Café, 1982-1984 – 6pm-10pm; Aling Asiang Specialty Restaurant –6pm-9pm. My salary to both is 60.00 pesos/day.
9. Philippine Village Hotel (Par Avion Members Club) – 1985—7pm-10pm – with different lady singer every night. 30 minutes dinner at Saranggola Restaurant of the hotel. My salary is 80.00 pesos/night.
10. Sinugba Restaurant-1985-1987—11am-2pm (30 minutes-lunch); 7pm-10pm (30 minutes-dinner). My salary is 130.00 pesos/day (everyday salary).
11. Beverly Hills Deli (Greenbelt, Makati) -1990-1992- 7pm-10pm (30 minutes dinner, free 2 beers every night and cashew nuts). My salary is 160.00 pesos/night.
HAVE YOU NOTICED THE PATTERN, SIR?
Musicians don’t need to work 8 hours to receive their due pay.
PLEASE CUT MY HOURS BUT NOT MY SALARY.
During my almost 6 years at PRR, an average of 400 guests per year has been satisfied with my music and they gave me tips. More than 400 guests didn’t give any tips but they praise my music.
I averaged more than $1,000.00 a year on tips mostly from Japanese, Taiwanese, Americans, Palauans, Filipinos, Russians, Chamorro, French, Italians and other nationalities.
I’m sure that I’m the only employee of PRR or any other hotel around the world that entertained/satisfied 48,000 more or less guests in 6 years.
I care about PRR. Every night, I’m the one that turned off the TV, lights, air cons at Dormitory 1 where nobody cares to turn off especially the aircon. Usually I sleep at 3:00 am and before sleeping, I make sure that the air cons, lights and TV are closed, and the entrance door is closed.
I always pick the cigarette butts in the rest room. Those are non-biodegradable and the biggest cause of clogging. THOSE SMALL THINGS, IF ACCUMULATED FOR A LONG TIME, CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
Attached with this letter is “Pianist Guidelines” that was prepared by former GM Fujita and Executive Chef Masaki Horie. I know that you’re not aware that this guideline exists.
Attached also is my article about this entitled “Music Control” in my Music and Me column at Tia Belau. Upon reading it, you might notice that this guideline is childish. Imagine, “DON’T PLAY GUESTS REQUESTS BECAUSE THEY’RE GONNA SING WITH IT”. He is afraid that guests might sing if they request but not afraid that he is denying the guests an extra entertainment/satisfaction of hearing their request.
AND ALSO THE PART, “YOU WILL BE GIVEN CORRESPONDING PUNISHMENT IF YOU WILL NOT FOLLOW THIS.”I will be punished for doing my job?
Please disregard these guidelines and let me play whatever music I like to play. I’m at my best when I can play whatever music I like to play.
Also included in this letter is another article “Composer of Palauan Song “Ngesuas” where Chef Horie ordered me to stop playing Palauan songs. He doesn’t want me to play Japanese, Taiwanese and Palauan songs. Our guests are mostly Japanese, Taiwanese and we are in Palau and he doesn’t want me to play these songs?
A Japanese lady talked to me in September 2012 about “Music Control”. She said music is art and it must not be controlled by anybody.
As I said to you the other day, I’ve got one merit only (1 point) when a Taiwanese guest emailed PRR about him and his wife having a good time at PRR because of my music.
I can only have merit when a guest emailed PRR? When I’ve got $200.00 tip in 2008, Edgar Cayanan, F & B Manager, saw it. He didn’t make a good job review so that I can have merit. Is it because GM Takahashi is my immediate supervisor and not him? But he’s not around most of the time.
Even the tip is only $1.00, I still pray to God to give back tenfold to the giver. I GUESS GOD IS THE ONLY ONE WHO WILL GIVE ME MERIT.
One final say—I’ve experienced in my whole life that whoever did me injustice materially, God always punish that person/s. Let’s say my salary was cut into half, PRR will lose ten times of that half in some other way.
HE CAN'T PLAY PIANO WITHOUT MUSIC SCORE
The Japanese guy in this photo is impressed with the way Roberto Hernandez is playing piano without sight of music notes or score. He can only play when there's a music score in front of him. Hernandez uses scores only when he don't know the melody of a song. (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)
MUSIC CONTROL
ON JULY 24, 2012, a lot of firsts have happened to my music career:
While playing piano at Waves Restaurant of Palau Royal Resort, a Taiwanese guy with his teen-age son asked me if I can let his son play ONE song for the newly-wed Taiwanese couple next to their table.
I let him play ONE song and the newly-wed couple came near the piano with the guy taking video of the boy. After ONE song, they requested him to play another one, this time it’s a classical piece. He’s good and plays with expression already at his young age.
In the middle of the 2nd song, Chef Masaki Horie came very close to me and firmly said, “Enough!”
After the 2nd song, back to ‘normal’ again but before playing my 3rd song, Chef Horie ordered me to sign a newly printed “PIANIST GUIDELINES” that said—DON’T PLAY TAIWANESE AND JAPANESE MUSIC-- DON’T SING WITH THE SONG YOU PLAY---DON’T PLAY GUESTS REQUEST BECAUSE THEY’RE GOING TO SING ALONG WITH IT---DON’T LET GUESTS PLAY THE PIANO.
FAILURE TO FOLLOW YOU WILL BE GIVEN CORRESPONDING PUNISHMENT.
PREPARED BY: CHEF HORIE MASAKI (Signed) 7.24.12
ACKNOWLEDGE BY: ROBERT HERNANDEZ
When I signed it, I asked him if I can have a copy so that I can show to guests who are requesting that GUIDELINES. Five minutes later, I’ve got a copy with his 2ndsignature and date 7.24.12 that says “get signature from Robert”.
Another 5 minutes later, a young American lady showed me a list of her requested songs“Pick 2, your choice” –“Sound of Silence” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by Simon and Garfunkel; “Unchained Melody”by Righteous Brothers; “Everything I Do (I Do It For You)” by Bryan Adams and“With Or Without You” by U2.
Chef Horie is looking at us when I showed her the Guidelines. It’s the first test that I’m following it.
She said, “DON’T PLAY TAIWANESE AND JAPANESE SONGS –but my requests are American songs.”
I said, “I know all of your requests, not only 2 of my choice. I will play all of it but please don’t sing along with it.” I was able to play all her requests without Chef Horie’s knowledge.
After playing the 5th one, I followed it up with another Simon and Garfunkel song “Scarborough Fair/Canticle” and she comes again to me and said,“I like also the one you’re playing now. Can I give you tip?”
She thought giving tip to me is also prohibited. I said it is okay and she gave me $5.00 in new single dollar bills. And I played some more songs of Simon and Garfunkel.
Then our VIP and regular guests, Mr. Uehara and his family came a few minutes later. The last time that they’ve been at PRR was in March 22-25, 2012 where they gave me $10.00 on 3 occasions –March 22, 24 and 25. It’s my day off on the 23rd.
Chef Horie leads them to their table but he is not around when they requested Disney movies songs, Carpenters and Beatles songs. Mr. Uehara gave me $20.00 each this time on 3 consecutive nights.
He said they will be back again in Palau in January 2013. He asked me also what date I’m going to Istanbul for the 2012 World Chess Olympiad.
I mentioned to him in March 25, 2012 to please come again to Palau before August 27-September 10, 2012 because I’m not at PRR on that date till September 14, 2012.
The boy’s father approached me again before 9 pm. He wants his son to play another ONE. I said to him, “You said before, only ONE song. Because of that extra song, this GUIDELINE is issued just now.” And when he read the part “DON’T LET GUESTS PLAY THE PIANO”, he didn’t insist anymore.
When Tonet Medilo read the guidelines, she asked me some questions that either me can’t answer—Why is he trying to control your music? Is he jealous that you are making money from tips? But you’re not forcing them to give you tips. It’s from their heart because they enjoy your music. Isn’t he happy that guests are enjoying your music? Is he jealous also of your popularity? Do you ever get complaint because of playing so-so music?
Even with a small problem like this, I usually ask for God’s help to clear the minds of people who are giving me hard time because I’m doing my job. Maybe it’s HIS way so that I can adapt some popular Japanese and Taiwanese songs into gospel songs to praise HIM!PRAISE THE LORD!GLORY TO GOD!
Source: Music and Me by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
Pages 8-9
Volume 21
Issue 52
August 02, 2012
This is the Taiwanse boy that plays ONE song for the newly wed Taiwanese couple (behind him). Chef Horie, with chef hat, is leaving the place. He comes back later when the boy played another one. With a firm voice, he said to Roberto, "ENOUGH!"
Mr. Uehara, right, came with his family the night that Chef Horie is trying to take control of the kind of music he wants me to play. JEALOUSY? Maybe.
THEY'VE BEEN TO PALAU 7 TIMES
Mr. Katsutoshi Nakada, right, and his wife Michiko Nakamura has been to Palau 7 times already. In April 2012, they are back again and have this picture taken again and sent it through Facebook to Roberto, who thanked them for chocolates/pastries/donuts from Morozoff that they have given to him. ARIGATOU GOZAIMASU!
(Photo by Roberto Hernandez)
COMPOSER OF PALAUAN SONG "NGESUAS"
On June 30, 2011 as I’m about to play piano music at Waves Restaurant of Palau Royal Resort, a group of Palauan family are having dinner at a table in front of the piano. There’s also a BBQ for Japanese guests outside.
When I sit down to start playing, the Palauan father of the family asked me, “Is that a song book?” I said yes, and lend it to him and said, “Would you like to take a look?”I gave him the dark blue notebook in which the cover is a photo of me and Palau President Johnson Toribiong taken on August 09, 2009.
I started to play Palauan songs and he knows almost all the Palauan songs that I’ve played. Sometimes he sings softly when he knows the lyrics.
When I played “Ngesuas”, he pointed at a teen-age girl and said to me that the composer of that song is her father. I lend her my green book where there are Palauan songs at the last few pages and she chooses a song.
The father told me personally that it’s his wife’s birthday today and asked me to play “Happy Birthday” right now. I suggested to him that to make a more dramatic approach, he should ask for a birthday candle, get 4 pieces of cake from buffet and ask some of the staff to sing for her.
I help in arranging that situation and when the all-lady employees sing the‘Happy Birthday Song’, it has a big impact even to the other guests.
Executive Chef Horie is very busy with the Japanese BBQ and when he goes inside, sometimes he hears the father or me singing softly. He ordered Chris (supervisor) to tell me something: “Stop playing Palauan songs”.
When Chris told me that, I’m almost finish with the Palauan song I’m playing, and then the girl mentioned her requested song. After playing it, she gave me $5.00 tip. I still continue to play Palauan songs. Why should I stop when guests are enjoying it? It’s not only the Palauans that are enjoying it but also Taiwanese.
I think the father notice what Chris told me and while paying their bill, he wrote something on a piece of paper. Before leaving, he approached me and said,“You know a lot of Palauan songs. I know most of those. I own the SLC Club.” I gave him my business card also. Some of them ordered ala carte and some have buffet dinner.
After they left, Chris told me what the father had written on a piece of paper – THAT THE SERVICE IS BAD. THE FOOD ARRIVED LONG TIME BUT THE MUSIC IS VERY NICE!
On my 2nd day of working as musician at PRR (June 02, 2007), I’m playing the Japanese song “Sakeyo” with expression. I thought Chef Horie will“feel” it but I’m shocked with what he said—“Don’t play that kind of song here at PRR. It’s not suitable in this kind of place.”
I think what he means is that “Sakeyo” is an “Enka” song which means Japanese song where the theme is about the breaking up of lovers or their quarrels/disagreements.
A few months later, he asked for my Japanese songbook while having a drink at Breeze Bar. He made a list of more than half of my repertoire of Japanese songs and ordered me not to play those songs—AIJIN, AMENO BOJO, Chako no kaigan monogatari, COMO ESTA AKASAKA, DANSHING All NIGHT (Dancing All Night-correction), FUTARI DE OSAKEO, ITOSHI NO ERI (Itoshino Elly –correction), KANPAI, KAWA NO NAGARENO NI MIO MAKASE (he combined “Kawa No Nagareno Yo Ni” and “Tokino Nagareno Mio Makase”), KITA SAKABA, NAGISA NO BALCONY, ROPPONGI RARABAI, SAIGO NO IIWAKE, SAKE TO NAMIDA TO OTOKO TO ONNA, SAKEYO, SUKIYAKI, TUGUNAI (TSUGUNAI–correction), WAKATTE KUDASAI, WAKARENO ASA, WAKARETEMO SUKINAHITO.
When I complain why “Itoshino Elly” is included? It’s the most popular Japanese song. He said, “It’s an order!” I wonder who order it. I know it’s not GM Isao Takahashi’s order.
It’s like a cat and mouse game since then. When he’s around, I will not play those 20 songs. It’s good he’s not around when I played “Kawa No Nagareno Yo Ni” to a lone old Japanese guy in March 27, 2008. I made that guy cried because of my expressive playing and he gave me $100.00 tip twice!
Still in March 2008, Chef Horie asked me again of a list of all Enka songs I know. I asked him, “Then, I will not play it at Waves Restaurant?” He said, “No, our guests are asking for it for you to play on their function.”
Now he realize that it’s not what HE don’t like that I should not play but what the guests like to hear.
SINCE THEN, I can play whatever songs I’d like to play …. UNTIL… there is a change of General Manager.Mr. Takahashi was assigned in Shanghai, China and was replaced by Mr. Masahiro Fujita, the former Rooms Director of PRR for 2 years. HE ORDERED CHEF HORIE, WHO ORDERED FOOD AND BEVERAGE MANAGER EDWIN ACUYAN TO FORBID ME TO PLAY JAPANESE SONGS!!!
Two weeks ago, I arrived at 6:00 pm to play piano. Japanese couple came in at the same time with me. They sit farther away near window. I played Japanese songs for 30 minutes and the lady comes to me and gave me $10.00 tip and said,“Subarashi”, which I think means excellent or very good.
The next day, GM and Chef Horie is telling Edwin to make a letter on a piece of paper saying that I will not play Japanese songs again. And I have to sign it!Edwin says, “It’s childish. How about Japanese songs derived from American songs?” When I checked my repertoire of Japanese songs, 13 of them are American songs that were adapted into Japanese.
I DIDN’T PLAY ANY JAPANESE SONGS WITHIN THIS WEEK. When I finish in making American lyrics to the other Japanese songs that I know, then I can play all of those songs and if they hear me playing those songs, I can say that it’s American adaptation of that song.
I AM AT MY BEST WHEN I CAN PLAY ANY MUSIC I WANT TO PLAY!
Source:
Music and Me by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
Pages 10-11
Volume 21
Issue 26
May 03, 2012
WITHOUT MR. UEHARA
