Princess Angel Lucañas GE6- O
GUGMA: VSC Winners Through the Years
After listening to all the Valentine’s Song Writing Competition (VSC) winning songs, the
first thing that came into my mind was the word “Love”. The “love” that every single one of us
wished to feel and dreamed to find. In the video, there were 18 songs that were presented and
sung throughout the video and I can’t deny, every single song is well-arranged, well-organized,
and well-interpreted. Every single song played has unique melody and the lyrics were well-
versed. But if I were to describe the content of the VSC winning songs in general, it would be
“Love” or it talks about “Love”, love that comes from different forms, it could be family love,
friendship love, love in a relationship, and things that we love or even love from our
imaginations. Although they all talk about love, what makes each of the song unique from one
another is the story behind that love the have found and how they integrate that story in their
lyrics. Like for instance, both “When I’m With You” by Chelsea Dawn Burreros (VSC 2017) and
the “Huling Y akap by Melchizedek Lozarita II (VSC 2021) talks about “Love” but the story
behind that “love” they have is different from each other. “When I’m With You” talks about a
real campus love story wherein she integrated all the memories they have made and shared with
the love of her life in the lyrics which is basically makes it a happy love song. “Huling Yakap” on
the other hand, talks about losing someone you love which is basically a heartbreaking song
inspired by the real-life experience of Melchizedek when his father passed away.
When it comes to the style of the music, most of the songs’ lyrics were usually about the
joys and problems of love and relationships. They have good rhythms, catchy lyrics and melody,
easy to remember and sing along to which are the characteristics of a pop music. These songs
are “Samaran” by Bamwaw Dau Nyoi (VSC 2009), “Umibig na Ako” by Kathleen Aldecoa (VSC
1994), “I Will Never Forget You” by Sheila Magdamo (VSC 2014), “My Love” by Philip Domen
(VSC 1992), “Two Different Worlds” by Suzanne Antoniette Lu-Bascara (VSC 1991), “Sa
Pagdilat” by Riana Inez Baldado and Jordan Rosales (VSC 2016), “Wish You Were Mine Again”
by Danielle Elise Zamar-Alcantara (VSC 2006), “Make Believe” by Kevin Oliver R. Diana (VSC
2011), “Backwards” by Samuel Akinbode (VSC 2019), “When I’m With You” by Chelsea Dawn
Burreros (VSC 2017), “Pagya” by Renemar Sedilles (VSC 2018), “Two Hearts Unspoken” by
Marc Raymond Antonio (VSC 2002), “Here Without You” by Cris Guiller Aguilar (VSC 2020)
and “Huling Y akap” by Melchizedek Lozarita II (VSC 2021). These songs listed has common
feature when it comes to the lyrics because all of them usually have chorus that's repeated
several times, they have two or more verses and two to five minutes duration which most pop
music has. On the other hand, music like “Mata sa Mata” by Hope Tinambacan (VSC 2005) is
describe as jazz music because of the “ragtime” style of piano playing with syncopation or
displacement of the regular metrical accent while “The Way You Cross My Mind” by Andrew
Alvarez (VSC 2014) as blues style of music because it gives an impression of swing rhythms
as we listen to it and it started slow but got faster as the stye develops. Almost all of the songs
were homophonic in texture with only one melodic voice accompanied by different
instruments. There are two songs that were polyphonic in texture for me and these songs were
“Two Different Worlds” and “Two Hearts Unspoken” which were both interpreted by Vien Alen
King and Jasmin Salvo wherein they sang in different melodic voices occurring simultaneously
accompanied with different instruments as well.
Honestly, eversince my mother died, I always indulged myself in listening to different
kinds of songs and music, maybe because that is what my mother loved to do when she was still
alive or maybe because of the feeling that the song gives me and by listening to these songs,
maybe I can somewhat bring back the memories of my mother and become closer to her. In fact,
these songs from the VSC are no difference at all. They have greatly touched and impacted me
emotionally. They have taught me to feel what it’s like to be happy and what it’s like to be sad.
They have this unexplainable strong connection to the audience in delivering the message of the
song that even if you have not experience it at all, you will still be affected by it. Their songs hav e
this potential to change the mood of a person, to shift an atmosphere and to encourage a
different behavior and look at the bright side of life. And that is how the composers of these
songs influence their listeners.
