By: Cristine Republica
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| Tum Tum as he confidently made a stimulating sound on his drum |
Filipino child prodigy marimbist, Tristan “TUM TUM” Mendoza, proudly with autism, gave his second recital at Abelardo Hall, University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman, Quezon City, last August 06, 2010.
The red curtain opened at exactly 7:30pm with a classical piece on the marimba. Our ears were treated to this first solo number, which flowed effortlessly, as if to serenade his audience.
Among the special guests and supporters of Tum-Tum, music connoisseurs Dang Koe (ASP Chair Emeritus), Evelyn Go (Treasurer), Ranil Sorongon (Executive Director), Aileen Valera (Treasurer, ASP Diliman Chapter), his college professors and friends.
Inquisitive about the origin of his name, “TUM TUM,” I made a little research. Interestingly, Tum-Tum sounds so much like tom-tom, which comes from the British term for a child's toy drum. Tom-tom comes from Native American or Asian cultures and is used as a traditional means of communication. The tom-tom drum was added to the drum kit in the early part of the 20th century.
Tum-Tum’s music poured out with power and emotion, as he played solo the Timpani, which produced an obvious fundamental pitch that harmonized with other music. In between ensemble, Tum-Tum’s family also offered a sumptuous thanksgiving merienda to the participants. Finally, in the last two numbers, Tum-Tum jammed with his friends from the College of Music, on the conga, cymbals, bongos and drums. We swayed and grooved to the upbeat and lively music.
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| Tum-Tum (right) jamming on stage with friends form UP College of Music |
At the end of the concert, Tum-Tum acknowledged his creator for the gift of music and for his loving family for believing and supporting him in this endeavor. Tum-Tum will be graduating soon from the UP College of Music. He majors in percussion.
Acknowledgments: Regalado Family and UP College of Music
ASP continues to believe that persons with autism can be trained and excel in their talents -with perseverance, patience, faith, unconditional love and the support of family and friends. Be an Angel for autism. Donate to ASP program and services. Visit our
community site, e-mail us at autismphils@gmail.com or call 7-903-5496
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