One TYIOF Issue 3 On falling in love with myself by Miguel Louie B. de Guzman, p. 4 After three by Amber Tan, p.8 The new sincere by Jam Pascual, p. 10 An entity by Jilianne Lucido, p. 15
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few days ago, NASA surprised everyone with the news that there are seven new habitable planets. With the divisive hate that the world is being riddled now, it seems like that’s the only solution for world peace. One continent or global power can take a planet each, and get it over with. But even then, we’d be living in the same space, the same universe. There’s still a unifying element that makes us one. Every day is a new opportunity for a world leader to make hate comments, an internet troll to spread fake news, or a frenemy to irk you with unexpected remarks. We can only do so much to keep positive, and find the goodness in people. Let this issue be a reminder that no matter our differences, there are still things that can unite us, like art, music, and passion. We may not know the stories of the people behind it, but we get a glimpse of what makes them human.
Cover art by Micah Domingo 2
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On falling in love with myself by Miguel Louie B. De Guzman Art by Bem Zenit
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hen I was a child, my parents didn’t really let me play with other kids. I wasn’t allowed to go outside the comfort and protection of our home to explore and experience what it felt like to play with random kids in our neighborhood. It was perhaps because my mother didn’t like those kids because they were too noisy and dirty and ill-mannered. Sometimes, I would just hear my mother shouting at the kids from our front yard because they left their trash, but I think it was really their toys that they left in front of our house. My mother just thought they were trash because they were made from boxes, cans, sticks, leaves, and all sort of stuff that you wouldn’t mistakenly take as a toy. And so, you could just imagine my joy when my cousins would come over to our house, even for a brief period of time, because in those short but well-spent moments I can say that I was able to experience what adults would often refer to as mababaw ngunit tunay na kaligayahan. But of course those moments were never meant to last forever or even for a day. I didn’t complain about this to anyone, although at times I tried to sneak out to let my neighbors know that I existed and, if fortunate, I’d get to play a few rounds of habul-habulan or langit-
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lupa with them. However, playing with those kids made me feel like a constant stranger. I had to introduce myself every time I wanted to play with them. Sometimes they wouldn’t let me play with them because they knew that my mom would be angry at them or that I didn’t belong. As a kid, those words didn’t really mean anything to me, but of course I cried. I guess those tears were there because they didn’t let me play with them not because I was hurt by the insults they threw at me. But I remember
“But I remember how voiceless I was in those moments. I remember how my tears were the only playmates that I had.“ how voiceless I was in those moments. I remember how my tears were the only playmates that I had. I would rather sit all day in front of our television set watching the never ending tale of a cat chasing a mouse or three girls made with sugar, spice and everything nice. Growing up, all I ever truly had was myself. I loved myself dearly, promised that I wouldn’t let anyone too near that
they’d be able to see right through me and hurt me. But I guess no relationship, whatever kind it may be, will not experience the wrath of love even if it’s the one you’ve always dreamed of. I became the most patient and dedicated lover of myself yet I also became the most dishonest and violent companion I ever had. I remember how when I was young, almost everyday I would go straight to my room when I got home, I would bury myself in the embrace of my bed and let the tears fall out from my eyes asking God what I did wrong but He never answered me, and then I slowly faded into the silence of my own crying that seemed like the breathing of an infant against all the noise inside my head. Time passed and I no longer recognize the kids playing in our street.
Apparently, they were replaced by a new set of kids who would challenge my mother’s patience, my mother’s vocal range. It was then that I realized, I was robbed of my childhood. I strongly believe that a person’s childhood is the foundation of all his dreams, ambitions, and fantasies. It is what makes a person want to be who they are, whatever it may be. It is the light that guides a person in the uncertain and winding path towards the future. If that’s the case, my parents are robbers. They stole my childhood, forfeiting my right to know and have my identity. Unknowingly, they also stole a future that could have been for all of us. I was left to fend for myself and learn to love myself even more, in spite of all the things in me that others wouldn’t dare touch. 5
Yellow by AJ Nuevas
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After three by Amber Tan Art by Nikka Cardinal
One. Two. Three. They yelled right before blowing candles and making birthday wishes, jumping off cliffs into oceans, smiling in front of a camera with sparkles in their eyes, letting go of balloons into a bright, blue sky, dancing in the moonlight while counting the steps, putting down the phone before saying goodbye They whispered One. Two. Three.
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listen to her original songs, you’ll find an unwavering sense of honesty and earnestness, which is all anyone can ask for. Perhaps we can owe that to how Precious places importance on the virtue of authenticity. Listen to your heart, then allow the heart to be listened to. Each person’s creative growth and trajectory is different, but perhaps the attempt to stay true to the self is where all of us begin. It seems that’s where Precious began, in which case, time will only tell what heights she’ll reach. Young STAR caught up with the emerging songwriter and asked her about where she’s at, what her inspirations are, and how the future’s gonna pan out.
The new sincere Precious Capistrano knows how to keep it real by Jam Pascual
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here are many dimensions behind any musician’s musical growth: joy, fear, the kind of sadness that turns into the best sad songs, excitement. In this case, mostly excitement. Precious Capistrano gives the impression of a musician newly enthralled by the possibilities set before her. Having started making her own songs in 2nd year high school, this 20-year-old songwriter is steadily making her way through the city’s gig circuit, conveying a world of experience often with the simply setup of just her voice and guitar. The effect is
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an intimate performance, the kind that can make someone feel immediately less alone in a crowd of strangers. If you visit her Soundcloud, you’ll find a good mix of original tracks and tasteful covers of top Billboard songs, the kind you find hard to escape no matter where you are. Many creatives fall into the trap of caring about branding more than the material they put out, it’s refreshing to see a musician like Precious who genuinely appreciates acts like Fetty Wap and The Chainsmokers, putting out consistently good work. But if you
When did you start writing music? I was writing music and, yes, it was a lot of fun but the songs I came up with didn’t exactly sound like what I wanted them to sound like. As time went by, I’d still write some songs and still feel lukewarm about them. The passion was there but I felt like the sound wasn’t. That’s when I heard Halsey’s Ghost and I was immediately and intensely draw to it. For me, it was so real and genuine and realized that it’s not about sounding good right away. It’s about being true to yourself and this authenticity is what will make a song great. Soon you’ll find your sound. You’ll get there. Where do you get inspiration from? I like to draw inspiration from experiences. They can be mine or someone else’s too. I guess I like to collect my thoughts throughout the day, writing down song ideas or lyrics on a notebook. Whenever I feel like writing a song, I sit down and look through the many lines
that have popped up in my head and pick which one speaks to me the most on that day. We’re quite fortunate to get platforms like Soundcloud, and YouTube to share our creative output. What do you think kids like you can do to maximize it? I think it’s about choosing which of your stuff you want to show to other people. I’d always ask myself if I would listen to my own song if I posted it because I believe that if I enjoy my song and I believe in it, it would naturally connect to other people as well. This is also to say because platforms such as Soundcloud and Bandcamp have limits to how much you can post and I think it’s about being smart about what you put out there. The things you put out there directly reflects on who you are as a person and people see this as well. There are a lot of singer/songwriters online now. What’s the best way to stand out from the noise online? If I’d say “be yourself,” I’m pretty sure everyone would boo me right now but I think it’s really just that. It’s about keepin’ it real, homie. I strive for that authenticity as well and yes it’s easy to get caught up in what people might like or be so particular about how your image is to other people but in my opinion, keeping it real is just the best way to go. People will see that it’s just you being you and you’re bound to connect people who can relate to you and see the heart in your art.
Check out more of her stuff at: soundcloud.com/papistrano
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Photo by Rae Ann Varona
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An entity by Jilianne Lucido Art by Micah Domingo
They spoke a language I could not speak I was willing to learn but they would not teach They said it was something that could not be taught We coexist in the world but our wavelengths do not
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Art by Bianca Aguilar
Contributors Micah Domingo Bem Zenit Miguel Louie B. De Guzman AJ Nuevas Amber Tan Nikka Cardinal Rae Ann Varona Jilianne Lucido Bianca Aguilar
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