Raimund Marasigan takes young bands to rock school September 2009 There are few musicians who have achieved as much acclaim in Pinoy Rock as Raimund Marasigan. As the front man of Sandwich, drummer of Cambio, keyboardist of Pedicab, one-man techno machine in Squid 9, and co-conspirator in numerous musical projects—oh yes, and as the drummer of the Eraserheads—he has gained acclaim as a versatile multi-instrumentalist, prolific composer, and successful hit-maker. A key figure in the massive band explosion of the 90’s, Raimund says with confidence that the current band scene is on a similarly huge upswing. “Ang daming banda ngayon, madaming magagaling, and the amazing thing is, many of these kids have gotten really good at a very young age,” he enthuses. But he can see one key difference that the current rock generation has compared to the 90’s scene: rapid advancements in technology. “In the past, bands needed to have a record deal before they could have a lot people hear their work,” Raimund says. “Nowadays, with the advent of cheap audio software, YouTube, and mp3, virtually anyone with a decent desktop computer can put together songs that people will hear.” The one downside to the great access to information that the Internet provides is that it becomes harder and harder for young bands to break out and get noticed. Raimund says, “Marami silang kasabay sa scene, at madami pang bagong banda na lumalabas. You have to be really good, and you have to have great songs.” Raimund says he wants to share his knowledge and experience so that talented young bands can further hone their skills, and hopefully get that big break that everyone is going for. “I’ve been working as a judge and mentor in the Philips Bandwidth Virtual Battle of the Bands, and the advice I’ve given the kids is the same as what I’ve advised to young bands before: play tight, have great dynamics, entertain the crowd, polish your lyrics, prioritize substance over flash, and wear great clothes!” he says with a smile. Most definitely, kids who are just starting out with their bands can find comfort in the fact that guys like Raimund are here to show them the path to rock n’ roll greatness. Raimund relishes in sharing his knowledge, and gives this advice to young Pinoys who are justing starting to pick up a musical instrument: “Go out and form a band!” .