NESCAFÉ Soundskool opens up opportunities for contest finalist

For an erstwhile neophyte band like Ernville, the NESCAFÉ Soundskool hastened their development as musical performers.

This four-member band from the University of Asia and the Pacific virtually had no experience in performing when they joined the competition last year.

"You can say that we were hilaw (unripe) back then," says Jim Bacarro, the band's vocalist.

But the opportunity to play at such a big, prestigious competition was too tempting to pass for any musician. "We had this belief in ourselves as a band, and we wanted to know if people who hear us also will," says Jim.

The NESCAFÉ Soundskool is an annual nationwide competition in search for the best college bands. Ernville was among the finalists of the 2007 competition. The crown eventually went to Lazy Susan of the Asian Development Foundation College in Tacloban.

Despite not winning the contest, many people saw the group’s potential including Soupstar Entertainment which eventually signed them up. Soupstar Entertainment is the management company of big-name bands such as Sandwich, Imago, and Callalily.

Memorable experiences
The story of Ernville’s musical breakthrough started at the Soundskool eliminations held at Market! Market!

“It (the elims) was the first time that we displayed our talents in front of so many people. Thankfully, we felt comfortable onstage. It was a great feeling to play there.”

Another one of the band's most memorable experience of Soundskool was during their music workshop with fellow competitors at Boracay. Each of the bands had their own mentor band. The Pedicab band was the one mentoring them back then.

"I always saw the band as musical icons that we look up to--ones who were hard to reach. But we ended the workshop being good friends with them,” Jim says.

Ernville also cherishes their experience with fellow Soundskool bands. “We also enjoyed the company of other bands. The workshop was a lot of fun," he reminisces.

"During the workshop, we learned more about ourselves as performers." That knowledge gave them more confidence come finals time.

Lessons learned
Ernville did not win the competition, but just the experience of joining Soundskool was very valuable to the band.

According to Jim, "being able to reach the finals affirmed our belief that we can do something good with our talents. Even as we lost, we told ourselves that we are so young and yet we've reached this far. We just needed more experience to be better and more successful musicians."

Ernville's Soundskool experience not only honed them, but also made them eager students at school.

With band members nearing their graduation, Ernville can now start to focus more on their musical career. Since signing with Soupstar, they have been doing regular gigs at some of the finest bars in and around the metro, along with the most popular bands of the local music scene. Including their idol, Pedicab.

Half a year since they performed with the country's best college bands, Ernville looks back at NESCAFÉ Soundskool with grateful appreciation. "It was Soundskool that really started our growth as musicians," Jim acknowledges.

To learn more about NESCAFÉ Soundskool, visit http://www.nescafe3in1.com.ph. Application on-going.

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