Key Points
- Voice coach Tina Bangel aims to create opportunities for Filipino Australian talents.
- The Sydney concert 'Motown Magic' highlights some of the most popular and soulful music worldwide.
- Music has been beneficial to younger generations in expressing their emotions and dealing with stress.
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST
Filipino_12042024_Motown Magic_Tina Bangel.mp3
31:24
Creating opportunities
Sydney vocal teacher Tina Bangel is convinced and has been creating opportunities for her young music students.
"We cannot rely on huge Australian shows like The Idol or The Voice because there are some amazingly talented people going into those shows."
"It is something that I want to instil in the minds [of my students] that ‘if you want something you have to create it yourself," says the western Sydney singer.
"When I was their age, I was 19 when I first started the gigs and would wait. [I would ask] myself what’s gonna happen next, who’s going to me that opportunity."
Over the years, Tina Bangel learnt that "you can’t wait on anyone to offer you opportunities, you have to create them yourself. You have to make it happen."
Vocal teacher Tina Bangel admits that as a young person growing up in Australia, "[S]inging has helped me let my voice out and not be afraid to speak out. Singing has helped me a lot in assimilating into the Australian culture." Credit: SBS Filipino
'Motown Magic'
This year, the seasoned Sydney singer and vocal coach has produced the show "Motown Magic" to showcase the talents of her young students.
"Motown is a genre of music that a lot of the kids sing like Soul and R&B, and it’s a way the kids are introduced to the vocal leaks and that soulfulness," says Bangel.
Motown is an American record label founded in the 60's. Motown music is a blend of popular (pop) and soul music, soulful uplifting and relatable to the people of its time, popularised by artists like Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett, to the group The Supremes.
"It’s the kind of music I grew up with and I even visited the actual Motown House where they recorded all those great hits – the likes of Stevie Wonder, and Michael Jackson," shares Tina Bangel.
Young singers/musicians, Joy Laquian, Bridget Bosworth, Kaitryel Pelaez, Matthew Dino, Jared Lesaca, Joshua Lui, and Ezekiel Yunon perform some of the greatest Motown hits at the Motown Magic concert in Sydney on April 20, 2024.
'Motown Magic' concert features Tina Bangel's students who have been doing music since they were little kids. Credit: Tina Bangel (Facebook)
Journey to music
Some of Tina Bangel's students have been singing since the age of five or six. Now that some of them are teenagers they recognise the benefits that music has given them in particular in some of the most difficult times of their lives.
Matthew Dino
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Matthew Dino composed and sang a special song dedicated to Australia's frontliners.
"It was a very scary time then for me as my parents are both nurses, they had to do what they had to do."
"I was very anxious because I didn’t know what was going to happen with my parents especially my dad as he was working in the Intensive Care Unit."
'I thought I couldn’t sing any more and I was just going to give up, and thankfully I didn't.' Credit: SBS Filipino
"[Music] has allowed me to express my feelings about what was going on and it has kind of helped me get through those tough times," he continues.
Dino also went through some challenging times where he thought he would quit music.
"Being a teenager my voice was changing and I thought I couldn’t sing any more and I was just going to give up, and I'm thankful that I did not."
Jared Lesaca
University student Jared Lesaca is pursuing his Physiotherapy degree, but there's no way he is giving up music.
“Music was a crutch for me, it was not only a way for me to cure my boredom but, as cliché as it may sound, music was an escape from reality."
'Through music, I was able to make a lot of friends collaborating with them." Credit: SBS Filipino
“One of my parents, my dad, is a nurse and my mum also has to work during the pandemic and as an only child, I spend most of my time alone at home.”
"Music has allowed me to be more open in terms of my emotions but also it has given me opportunities to make friends, and continue to connect with my family overseas. I was able to sing for them as well as for my friends.
Joshua Lui
Western Sydney teenager Joshua Lui considers himself a late starter in singing and music as he was initially into karate.
"I remember when I was still in senior high school, it was when I started to become more active with music."
From martial arts to music, Joshua Lui has not gotten away from his family's love for music. Credit: SBS Filipino
“Going through Year 11 and 12, the amount of stress from doing school, homework, the pressure of getting good marks, was huge."
"Music is that one thing where I will be like ‘I’m stressed, it’s time to do music’. If I was too stressed or if I can’t do something, I always go back to music," he reveals.
Ezekiel Yunon
The then shy lad Ezekiel Yunon was inspired by the people he has been watching and engaging with from the Filipino video-sharing app and e-commerce social networking service 'Kumu'.
"Through music, I also got to meet and hear a lot of stories from people, and they inspire me to be more confident and keep going."
Music has give Ezekiel Yunon more self-confidence as he engage with other artists and share his talent. Credit: SBS Filipino
“Kumu has that really connective environment. Live streaming on this App, you know that you’re alone but you have people watching you."
He admits that through music his self-confidence was boosted and now he has been very active in doing live streaming.
"When you’re feeling too stressed, overloaded or being impacted by a lot of things, singing your heart out is the biggest resolution. If you sing your heart out, you are drawn to a lot of opportunities despite the challenges.
One Voice School of Singing owner Tina Bangel hopes to continue providing the young generations of Filipino Australians the opportunities to showcase their talents through music.
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