Post from my other blog (that will be deleted ironically enough, as this was the first entry. Haha.):

I was trying to think of an adequate first post for this blog (because evidently the first of anything sets the pace for everything that follows) and in the end, I decided to start with the latest project I was involved in - Fete de la Musique.

The lovely photo above is of the two ladies who organized the entire Fete 2011 alongside the French embassy. My production, Rogue Prod, was lucky enough to be tapped to assist in the coordination for the entire event as well as to head the Jazz stage alongside Koolkat Prod (hello, Elea and Boy!). 

I decided to start with the ladies of Alternative Assets, namely Giselle and Anna, because I think Fete can be considered a template for all kinds of events; it ain’t rainbows and candy all the time. In fact, part of the time in making events goes to planning how the preparations will go and then trying to piece it all together again because, for some reason, the plan keeps getting off course or somebody has a certain problem with something else. On occasion, there are ego issues, too. Or, the ever popular problem in music events - budget. No money to go around for everyone to get some! Bumagyo pa. 

But it is what it is, and that’s just putting the nightmare in events lightly. Being there to experience the problems first hand is just half the fun. Imagine being the one trying to solve it, right? 

I would like to jumpstart this blog with Anna and Giselle because, curious readers, they were the backbone of the entire event. Aside from the obvious duties of keeping everyone informed and scheduling meetings, so on and so forth, they were also the ones who made the entire experience one helluva a good time for all of who were under them (that’s over 9 productions and 100 or so bands). They made us laugh with or without the onslaught of problems before and during the event, they brushed off what needed to be brushed off and made them into jokes to keep the whole process going and to keep everyone happy and excited, and they listened to us intently when we needed to confide with them about anything. 

On the other hand, since they were the backbone of the entire event, they were also the ones to receive the worst blows out of all of us, and through the whole ordeal had to put a smile on their faces. The show must go on, after all. 

And this is precisely why I chose them to be my first blog entry for the music events blog. Because they are, without a doubt, the clear cut example of the two faces of music events production. It is probably the closest I have ever been to taking a peek at what it looks like to be at the very top of the entire events hierarchy (per project, I mean) and to be looking down at all that work. It’s tough but it’s fulfilling, and you have to learn to grit your own teeth many times in a day to get through it because, like it or not, being the backbone means that you are the only one standing between making this music event happen or not. And this is what Anna and Giselle did for all of us that were under them. 

And so, my first entry for the blog is about them, and coincidentally it is also my silent thanks to them for being the solid, divine backbone of Fete. Because without them, Fete at that scale would not have happened, and without them, more people would’ve lost their teeth by now due to grinding them so often.

So, for saving us from spending on dental and for being the amazing tag team that they are, thanks.