A gift of music for Antonio and Andres Maigue

By Giselle P. Kasilag

IN 2014, FLUTIST Antonio Maigue received a life-changing gift: his son, Andres. And just like every other milestone in Mr. Maigue’s life, Andres’ arrival was marked with music. The child’s godfather, French pianist and composer Michel Rabaud, wrote Pour Andres Maigue to celebrate the occasion.

Making up the piece are “Aubade,” “Berceuse,” and “Serenade-valse” – three types of lullabies for morning, afternoon, and evening written for flute and piano. It was the result of eight years of trading notes, editing, and tweaking, all done through e-mail and messaging apps. In between were a pandemic and life-threatening illnesses for both men.

Finally satisfied with their efforts, they decided that the piece deserved to be performed before a proper audience rather than simply being posted on social media. Thus, the family packed their bags and flew to France.

On June 18, Pour Andres Maigue finally debuted at a salon in Paris. It was a full-circle moment witnessed by family, friends, and some of France’s up and coming musicians hoping to catch the same break that he did as a student learning flute from the masters at Conservatoire National Rueil-Malmaison.

An intimate concert with an audience of 50 was the appropriate venue to premiere a very personal composition.

“Even if only three-fourths of what we rehearsed was achieved, I would have been happy already. But we did better than that!” said Mr. Maigue, visibly still on cloud-nine after a successful performance. “Ang challenging were iyung mga parts na emotional. Naiiyak kasi ako! Like nung nage-ensayo kami, I had to stop and ask for a minute naiiyak kasi ako! May isang part na mabagal, na-incorporate iyung ‘Sa Ugoy ng Duyan.’ Kasama siya sa melody pero naka French harmony siya so hindi masyadong halata pero alam mong yuun iyun. Iba lang ang time signature (What was challenging were the parts that were emotional. I’d get tearful! Like when we were rehearsing, I had to stop and ask for a minute because I was tearing up! There’s one part that’s slow which incorporated [Filipino lullaby] ‘Sa Ugoy ng Duyan.’ It’s part of the melody but in French harmony so it’s subtle but you know it’s there. It’s in a different time signature).”

The emotions came from a mix of beautiful memories with his family and the threat to his life when he contracted COVID during the early part of the pandemic. It weighed heavily in his heart that Andres had yet to hear the music dedicated to him performed. The concert, in a way, was a fulfillment of this promise to his eldest child.

“Si Andres, tinawag ko pa nung performance. Pinatayo ko sa harap at sabi ko heto si Andres. Para sa kanya itong piyesang ‘to (I called for Andres during the performance. I made him stand in front and told everyone this is Andres. This composition is for him),” Mr. Maigue shared.

Clearly, fatherhood has affected Mr. Maigue’s musicianship so deeply that he is now drawing from a whole new set of experiences and infusing them into his artistry.

“I guess being a father also made me more mature,” he admitted. “Noon kasi, as a musician, wala kang pasensiya kasi sa sarili mo, ganon ka. Ang nangyari sa akin, parang mas lalo kong naintindihan iyung pagkabata. Naiintindihan ko iyung psychology nung bata, kung bakit siya ganun. Iyung mas gusto mong curious siya or magulo siya kaysa tahimik lang siya. You learn by listening, not by talking. I’ve embraced that idea (Before, as a musician, I didn’t have patience because that was how I was with myself. But what happened to me was, I’ve come to understand what it means to be a child. I understood the psychology of children, why they’re like that. You want them curious or rowdy rather than just being quiet. You learn by listening, not by talking. I’ve embraced that idea).”

Unsurprisingly, both the Maigue children have inherited the musicality of their parents. Mr. Maigue’s wife, Mai Gensolin-Maigue, is an accomplished pianist and has performed with her husband in the past. Andres, the proud father enthused, has been writing his own songs. Luna, artist friends noticed, has an ear for the beat. They are both taking piano lessons along with taekwondo for Andres and ballet for Luna.

Family and music continue to be his source of strength. They helped him fight COVID when it was threatening his life. They inspired him when recovery was difficult. At some point, he was unsure if he could still play the flute but giving up was out of the question. He pushed himself till he could play again.

When he survived his first public performance at the University of the Philippines, it gave him the confidence to keep going. And now, back to his full strength, he is even able to play the alto flute which requires more strength to achieve a full sound.

The alto flute is at the center of another composition, this time dedicated to Luna, which he hopes to premiere in the Philippines when he returns to the country.

But for now, he is still basking in the afterglow of a successful performance and enjoying the precious gifts of family and music.