Why EI Chose Mr. Andrew Ty

The pioneers of Everyday Idealists are all Communications Technology majors, and one of the professors of the Communications Department that inspired them to learn more about different aspects in life is Mr. Andrew Ty. Known not only for his passion in teching, but also for his creativity and flexibility in different disciplines of arts and sciences, Sir Andrew Ty shares his story on why he loves his field and what keeps him going.

Syncretistic

There are so many things to talk about with Mr. Adrew Ty. Due to his versatility and various fields of interest, it might seem difficult to pinpoint what exactly our Everyday Idealist strives for. However, Mr. Andrew Ty introduced a term, which according to him, describes him and his life in general..

For Sir Andrew, syncretistic means to synthesize and put things together and see the interesting things that happen in that instance. Sir Andrew thinks that this describes him so well, as he is the kind of person who is attracted to putting ideas from different things together. He finds interest in being able to find common ground in sync-ing the things he loves, such as popular culture, philosophy, art, and technology, to name a few.

“There are so many things out there in the world—so many things that seem to be incompatible but which can for a certain moment be made compatible. They can be placed together, they can be placed with each other and this can yield to something interesting perhaps something that is new not because the ingredients are new but because they’re coming together as new.” He explains.

Why Communication

Sir Andrew shares the story on how during college, he moved from being a philosophy major to being a communications major. He admitted that since high school, he was already set that he would take philosophy as a degree. However, because he found the course offering of communication arts to be giving more options for him, it led him towards the said path.

He had no regrets as this served to make him satisfied. In the said program, he was able to take marketing, advetising, film, and even rhetoric classes altogether. “I’ve always felt that that kind of mix as strange. It may seem to have a single school year for instance where you watch movies and then write articles in the various genres of journalism and then talk about Aristotle and how Aristotle can help you deliver a good powerpoint presentation. A lot of those things I think colored my own approach to things.” Sir Andrew shares.

He also chose communication as a career for the same reasons. Primarily, he admits that he found home in the communications department, for the credo it lives up to—treating and training their faculty with a certain degree of freedom.

“To an extent my classes constantly require shifting of gears, I can talk about Martin Heidegger one moment, Batman the next and it would make sense within the context of what I’m trying to do. So my interests in putting things together I think belong to a department like this one which respects the different ways that things could be put together.”

Limitless

When asked about his greatest conviction, Sir Andrew answers by saying that one of his greatest guiding principles is the idea that life possesses a certain kind of dynamism. He believes in the free expression, free learning, and free sharing of ideas in everything one does. “I believe in a constant strive, constant journey, a constant movement, and a constant dynamism. I never stop except occasionally to enjoy the scenery as it were, but always keep moving.” He shares.

And he admits that this is also the same thing that keeps him going. Until now that he is already a professor, he still regards himself not just as a teacher, but also a learner. According to him, learning is a risk, and it’s a risk he’s always been happy to take. He even uses the metaphor of an extreme sport to explain the process of learning in life. Life is a continuous process. Learning doesn’t stop.

Also, Sir Andrew is very concerned about forming his self in the different things he learns. For him, identity is not simply national or cultural identy, but that which aims for a richer and more complicated kind of life. “For instance as a family man I do feel a need to make sure that I am someone my wife and my son can look up to. Parang I can look at myself at the mirror and tell myself that parang my wife and my son are in the right hands.”

Mr. Andrew Ty is an example of how people are not simply confined to specific things. Sir Andrew is a testament of being able to incorporate different disciplines to form something richer. And this ability to inspire is what Mr. Ty, as a teacher, can impart to his students and to everyone. “There’s so much more out there it would be a waste of time and a waste of life to just to give up and settle myself into just somewhere.”

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Why EI chose Nikki Jurado 

In the midst of the hype of foreign acts and celebrities, Everyday idealists was glad to have met Nikki Jurado, a passionate supporter of OPM (Original Pinoy Music). Nikki is an AB Communications senior at the Ateneo de Manila University. Currently, she works as part of the COA Executive Board as the Chief of Staff. With her love for music, she is also part of aMp (Ateneo Musician’s Pool), and volunteers for Musmos and Yabang Pinoy. Nikki Jurado exudes Filipino pride and believes in promoting this through music.

Music lover by heart and by blood

Our Everyday Idealist begins the interview by saying this with conviction: “I fight for Original Pinoy Music.”

Nikki grew up in a family of lawyers and musicians. At an early age, she was taught how to play musical instruments, particularly the piano at age 4. “Parang minsan nga iniisip ko, mas nauna pa ako nagbasa ng musical scores than actual letters”, Nikki admits. She was trained to be an orchestra pianist, but as she grew up, she realized greater interest in playing the drums and guitar. Because of this, it served as her motivation for forming and performing in bands.

“That’s why I got into a band, formed a band, pero nadisband, ganiyan…” After the disbandment, Nikki moved on to discovering new opportunities, but still in the field of music. She tried music photography. However, it was this experience that made her realize something; which later on became the turning point of her OPM life. “Nainlove ako with music photography and that’s when I realized, nauubos na yung mga kinukuha kong mga bands like Sugarfree, Rivermaya, Bamboo. And there’s a possibility of OPM dying or yun nga, and ayoko ‘yun mangyari.”

Save OPM

Nikki is the pioneer of the Twitter account “@saveOPM”, a campaign for OPM bloggers and bands to keep the Pinoy music industry alive. The account serves as an avenue where these musicians can share and promote their videos, gigs, and albums, among others.

Only on its 7th month, Nikki accepts that building the fanbase of the account still has a long way to go. However, with the support of famous Pinoy musicians, the campaign foresees a bright future ahead. Performers such as Ebe Dancel of Sugarfee, Apo Hiking Society, Sarah Geronimo and Yeng Constantino, to name a few, have been following the account and promoting it as well. To date, @saveOPM has secured more than 700 followers.

Nikki doesn’t stop in the online world. Aside from this, she also organizes free gigs for OPM artists every two months. No profit is gained from the shows, and thus, it serves as a free avenue for both up and coming and established music artists to promote their craft. They tie up with designers like Team Manila and other big names, to bring in followers. “Ang hirap, super hirap, kasi ayun nga ang targeted ng audience e, pero kaya pa, keri pa.”

No hate, just love 

If you think @saveOPM is all about rejecting foreign music and hiding inside the OPM nutshell, then Nikki says you are wrong. She, herself, listens to foreign acts as well. However, what Nikki wants to impart is that OPM, Pinoy Music, is part of our identity. For her, losing the Pinoy music industry is like losing our identity and reduces us to merely foreign listeners. “Di naman niya sinasabi na yun nga, huwag kang makinig sa iba, sinasabi lang niya na wag mong walain ang sariling sa iyo.”

Nikki belives in the huge potential that OPM artists have to offer to the music industry, and that we should not just let this pass. “Parang love lang yan, huwag mo ngang bitawan na sa’yo na nga e.”