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Dadalhin ng Artistic Director and Conductor of the UP Concert Chorus ang kanyang expertise sa "StarStruck V."
Jai Sabas-Aracama may not be a showbiz name, pero she is definitely a perfect choice para sa role niya as singing mentor sa "StarStruck V." Handang-handa na siyang kilalanin at kilatisin ang bagong batch ng showbiz hopefuls. Text by Jason John S. Lim. Photos by Mitch S. Mauricio. Sa mga hindi nakakaalam, Jai Sabas-Aracama ang the Artistic Director, and Conductor, of the University of the Philippines Concert Chorus. She has competed in international competitions, leading the UP Concert Chorus to victories in Germany, Italy, Spain and more. Hindi basta-basta si Miss Jai sa larangan ng musika kaya hindi rin basta-basta ang pagdaraanan ng bagong batch of StarStruck contenders when they train with her. What makes a good singer? "What do we look for in good singers? I think they should have the basic elements, or knowledge, of music," he tells iGMA in an interview. Anu-ano nga ba ang mga basic elements nito? "Rhythm, intonation, good phrasing, and most of all, good technique," she tells us. "It's not just all talent." Of course, Miss Jai is not discounting talent when it comes to singing. "We build up on that foundation," she begins. Pero, for someone with singing talent to become a good singer, "we need to enhance their diction, their knowledge of how to pace their voice.” She continues na kailangan rin daw na mahusay ang contestants sa pag-interpret ng song—“how they fuse together technique, their understanding from personal experience, as well as the the maturity level of how they will approach the emotion na bagay doon sa song." Hindi naman mahirap ang hinihingi ni Miss Jai, 'di ba? Talent integration, technique, and interpretation through emotion. All good singers must be able to do this. Dagdag pa niya, the contestants should be able to translate a song that can enablem them to move their listeners. Pero the singing mentor is planning to take it a notch higher—by enhancing the contestants' posture. "In singing, it's not only sound," Miss Jai tells us. "We need to see how they look, relate and communicate visually to the audience." A mentor’s plan When StarStruck V starts, she knows she’ll have her work cut out for her kaya naman ngayon pa lang, planado na niya ang gagawin niya. "I will need to check their basic elements of music; how they are dealing with intonation, phrasing, diction, breathing--those techniques that will check what level they are in," Miss Jai notes, adding that improving their basic knowledge is what StarStruck is for. "I know they're not all singers." She even goes on to say that some contestants might have an advantage over others, dahil siguradong some of them would already have experience sa pagkanta. "It's quite a challenge to mentor them" [dahil iba't-iba ang levels nila as singers] but I will see how they will react to the exercises that I will be giving them. Then, I can probably see where I can take them." Miss Jai plans on checking the contestants individually, and then as a group. She tells us na gusto niyang makita how the contestants will relate to each other harmoniously, and observe their ear-training on how they can relate with other melodic patterns together. "It's also going to be a surprise for me, what I will be discovering," dagdag pa niya. "Then, what I discover, I will enhance even more. Take them as they are and, slowly, make them shine." Miss Jai promises that these contestants will bloom, and then, "[we shall] see kung sino 'yung lalabas talaga that will be perfect as a star." May bagong stars na bang sisikat sa showbiz? Find out on StarStruck V. StarStruck V replaces Celebrity Duets every Saturday beginning November 21, and airs Sundays after Kap's Amazing Stories. Or get up to date with what's happening with the new batch of hopefuls through the daily StarStruck Update beginning November 16. Pag-usapan ang mga StarStruck mentors sa pinagandang iGMA Forum! Not yet a member? Register here!