The Music School of Ryan Cayabyab

Today, Ralph is starting his music lessons under the 14K program of The Music School of Ryan Cayabyab in Robinson's Galleria. We decided to not enroll him in summer taekwondo classes for the meantime since there's a conflict in schedule. He can resume his taekwondo classes in June anyway.

I have always planned on sending Ralph to Ryan Cayabyab's since we first moved back to Manila from Laguna. When he was six, there was not a summer program available for kids his age. I ended up signing him up to Trumpet's Playshop instead. I was advised to wait for him to be 8 years old before I can finally enroll him. This year is THE year!

The 14K Program is a music curriculum designed by none other than Mr. C himself. It is a class for kids aged 8 to 12 years old that combines ensemble singing and dancing. It also includes basic music theory and instrumental ensemble. The program is divided into two classes. One is for the eight to ten year age bracket while the other is for the remaining pupils with ages eleven to twelve. Both classes meet for an hour from Monday to Friday. Ralph's class is scheduled at 1 to 2 pm.

Aside from the 14K Program, Ryan Cayabyab's Music School also offers Musiktheatre for teens (13-17 years old). Teens here learn not only singing and dancing but also how to act on stage. The class meets for 2 hours daily.

The two programs are classes and not individually instructed. Individual lessons on voice, piano, violin, and guitar are available the whole year round.

If you are interested in enrolling your child here, please contact The Music School of Ryan Cayabyab through telephone numbers 637-9840 or 914-5055. Their studio can be found at Park Avenue Robinson's Galleria. They also have a studio at Sunvar Plaza, Pasay Road, Makati (just behind Makati Cinema Square). Ralph's 14K Program fee only cost us Php 7,000.

Keeping The Flame Alive

My husband and I have already been married for nine years. We passed the 7th Year itch without even noticing it. I don't even think that there's a truth to the notion that the 7th year is the hardest. I am not saying that my married life is blissful everyday but I treat each day as a learning experience.

It's already public knowledge that I met my husband through the internet because I have blogged about this a couple of times already. I still thank God everyday that he blessed me with a best friend.

So you want to know how, after nine years and an 8-year old boy, we keep the flame in our marriage alive? It's friendship. We talk about everything and anything under the sun. Along with the talks are the silly jokes we laugh about together. Sometimes, even our son doesn't know when we are serious or not. And probably because we met each other in the net, we send our "confidential bordering on the naughty side" over chat and email. Lately, we bond through Facebook!

How do you keep the flame in your marriage alive? Share it and win a Pond's Age Miracle Microdermabrasion Kit (worth at least P1,200) by blogging about it in 250 words or less or posting a comment at Animetric's World. Contest runs from April 1-14, 2009.



Special thanks Jen Tan for the heads up! The same contest was posted earlier by Imom but I wasn't able to join because of my busy schedule. Glad I had another chance to do so!

The Consequences of Being an Achiever

Yesterday was Ralph's Recognition Day. This year, he achieved not only his ultimate dream of bagging the Gold Medal for General Academic Excellence in his grade level but also obtaining 2 golds and 2 silvers for the extra-curricular activities he joined this school year. I was the proudest mommy in the world as always and I know he was happy with himself, too.

The school's chaplain shared a meaningful message in his homily during the para-liturgical mass before the awarding ceremonies. He spoke about the danger of achieving awards. One of them is being over-confident. Another is being used to success that failure becomes the end of the world. I was bothered with his message because I already see these symptoms in my son. I guess they become even more magnified because he is an only child. He is used to have our full attention especially when he excels in something.

He sets goals for himself which I think is not bad at all. However, I feel the need to be involved in his goal setting just to be sure that they are reachable. Like in any planning session, there should be a leveling of expectations. It is best to dream about something that is feasible so as to avoid disappointments in the end.

Ralph can be overly confident at times that he doesn't mingle with other children but gets along with adults. If ever he makes friends with children his age, he makes it a point to be with the smart and more matured ones. I guess this is one reason why bullies pick on him frequently. Come to think of it, he became the bully's enemy because he is a snob. I remember in one school activity when he campaigned for environmental awareness, even his supposed bullies cheered for him. When he returned to his seart in the theater, he shook the hands of his classmate except his bully who looked pitiful with his hand stretched out in open air. I already spoke to him about this and he is still in the process of conditioning himself that he can transform his bullies to friends. In my previous posts, I have written about bullies being victims too because they really are. They just need friends and I hope my son also develops the same feeling towards these children.

The priest spoke about how more important spiritual achievement is than receiving fame and recognition. In the end, we are still answerable to our Creator. My son is still young and he still has lots of time learning about these things. With proper guidance from us, his parents, he will develop into an achieving but well-grounded individual in the future.