MARC Hamlet Mercado has an adorable anecdote on how his love for music, specifically the violin, started.
When he was a kid, the formal suits worn by violinists during a TV show caught his attention.
He was also fascinated with how their bodies and the bow of their instrument moved together.
“Mao na akong ganahan. Diha ko na amaze ana nga aspects,” the 41-year old musician told Cebu Daily News in an interview.
The violin, however, was not the first instrument he learned to play. He started piano and guitar lessons during grade school then took up the violin in high school.
At present, he not only has his own violin and suits, he also has a violin studio.
“For me it is a dream come true. I never thought maka gunit ko’g violin,” he said.
Making his marc
Born to musically inclined parents (both can sing and play the guitar), Marc has made his mark in the local music scene. Currently, he is the president, concertmaster and lead violinist of Cebu Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO). The kid who was once awestruck watching violinists play on TV has come a long way.
Years back, he was invited to join the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra for an Orchestra Festival held at the Tokyo Opera City Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
Just like other performers earning their keep, he also performs during corporate events, weddings, birthday parties, fashion shows, beauty pageants, praise and worship, and even funerals.
He considers all kinds of performances and events equally important.
“People who organize these events spend a lot of time, money, and effort. It is really the size of the heart that you put into (the performance) that matters,” he told CDN.
Starting ‘em young
Aside from performing, Mercado—who lives in barangay Gun-ob, Lapu Lapu City—has been running the Violin Discovery Music Studio in Lapu-Lapu City for eight years now.
His wife Joy helps him manage the studio, including their performing group called String Edition.
Mercado said anyone can learn to play any musical instrument. It really depends on how a person wants to achieve his or her goal.
“I’ve taught a 64-year-old. After a few weeks, she played ‘Minuets’ by Bach,” he said.
But the best age to study a musical instrument is from four years old to 10 years old.
“If you want to be a really good musician, start at an early age. Learning a musical instrument is like learning a new language. The earlier you study, the better,” he said.
Having a good instructor is also a plus factor. Not to mention, the daily practice.
For him, a good musician should possess the following: good tone, tempo, technique, high level of musicality, correct practice of his or her genre, and the ability to communicate to the audience.
A good musician should also be able to perform with an ensemble or a bigger group, he added.
