They are behind every song’s success. It was the time for composers to shine.

The Songwriting Workshop with the Maestro was held at the Finster Auditorium, September 13 with renowned Filipino musician Ryan Cayabyab.

According to the artist, writing songs could be for different reasons. Most of these were for self-expression, educational purpose, social change and inspiration.

Executive Director Cayabyab presented the basics in songwriting from ‘starting with a motif or a melodic fragment’ to ‘having a story concept.’

To give the audience tips from those new in the industry, some rising composers sang their featured works. These include Jungee Marcelo’s ‘Pansamantagal’, Ganny Brown’s ‘Askal’, Adrienne Buenaventura’s ‘Sometimes That Happens’, and Raffy Calicdan’s ‘Space’.

The songwriters added that aside from getting inspiration from personal experiences, it is important for composers to keep their eyes open, to be sensitive to their environment, and to learn from the way they write their songs.

They were all part of this year’s PhilPop Music Fest Top 12 from 3, 383 entries.

“With the Maestro being a genius with his excellent work and extraordinary talent, the most significant part for me was when he said that it doesn’t matter how lame your song is. You just have to keep on writing ‘til you’re good enough,” shared 3rd year student Angel Cago.

On how to do the best song, Cayabyab emphasized that every songwriter just needs to be sincere and original.

The workshop was part of the national tour of the Philippine Pop (PhilPop) Musical Festival.

The Philippine Popular Music Festival Foundation Inc. is an advocate of original Filipino music that seeks to enrich and educate future generations on its uniqueness and importance.