Our Team-Up: Working Out Our Differences

For those who were able to follow my music endeavor article series, you’ve known already that I teamed up with a guy from a far city. In this post, let’s talk about how different we are in some things, and how we patched up these differences to reinforce this tandem we have.

Here are 3 major factors that make us so different from each other:

1. He’s experienced, I’m a newbie

When Gifter decided for us to unite as a music tandem, my initial reservation was that he’s a pro… and I’m a newbie. Though he doesn’t consider himself to be truly excellent in music already, It can’t be denied that he has a lot of years already under his belt as he plays his guitar, as well as playing other instruments.

Gifter is a multi-instrumentalist, he’s a very skillful guitarist, a trumpeter, and can play any typical band instrument you could think of. This is a trait of his that most of us would definitely say, “sana all.”

He told me he started during his high-school days as an “Ely Buendia wannabe.” During his college years, he began writing songs while playing with his band in the underground music scene in Davao, partly to support his studies.

Coming from a very poor family, Gifter, as well as his siblings, honed their God-given music talents so they could obtain a scholarship in college. It’s the reason why he pushed himself to the limits of his music abilities so he could finish that college degree that would eventually help him as a digital-age musician.

He once served as a music club moderator in a school where he once worked. In other bands, he also plays as a drummer and vocalist. He also served as an occasional music tutor whenever the need arises. The guy has been through the highs and lows of music performing already, to sum it all up.

As for me, well, I just started playing the keyboard 3 years ago. This makes me a newbie… a newbie that he wishes to take with him on his journey toward professional musicianship!

2. He’s expressive, I’m taciturn

Him being expressive is actually an understatement. Because he loves to talk endlessly about how plenty of things in the world should be managed and how illogical thinking must be purged, there are times when I really wanna tell him, “Shut the hell up, bro!”

But when I begin to weigh down all of the beneficial aspects that he wants to emphasize, I began to accept that the guy has some crucial life-changing points. There was a time when I joked he should be a senator one day, or the president of this republic of ours since he’s philosophically firm with his ideologies.

I rarely speak up about my ideas not because I think they are inferior to his, but because I just like being this way, being apprehensive about what I feel and think. As days go by though, I’m starting to adapt to his styles. In some ways, I can say I feel so much better when I did!

With the friendship he gave me, I can say that gone are the days when I have to keep things to myself. I’m now starting to believe that the more open and expressive you are, the happier you’d eventually be. It’s one of the most important life lessons I learned from him.

3. He’s very arrogant, I’m extremely humble (sort of)

There are plenty of times when Gifter irritates me a lot due to his incessant bragging. Though he doesn’t think he’s very smart (though I really think he is!), I think I can tolerate it if he brags about it since he really has a huge brain that he can be very proud of.

What irritates me at times is that he makes it sound like he’s one of the most handsome guys in the neighborhood – when he gives his litany about those “dozens of girls” who were crazy about him years ago.

But the funny thing is, he also speaks arrogantly every time about how we will become the biggest alternative-acoustic duo someday! Whenever he does that, I feel like I’m a big star, because he speaks so highly of my newbie skills, as if I’m so skillful already!

What I like about being with him is he doesn’t make me feel like a newbie at all. He never fails to express how fast I’m learning, and how I’ve allegedly improved since the first music sessions that we had.

In spite of his being too boastful with himself, I do find it exhilarating that he is now boasting to his friends and family about this girl from Bukidnon – a newbie, yet he chose the girl to be the sidekick that can help fulfill his ambitions!

In the next article, I will tell you the similarities we have, and this includes the 2 of us celebrating our birthdays next month!

Thanks for reading.

Keep safe everyone!