FEU Bamboo Band holds "Ascend" concert on April 26

As temperature's rise this summer, the Far Eastern University Bamboo Band (FBB) invites everyone to soar higher with their upcoming concert ASCEND: Reaching New Heights in Music happening on April 26, 2025, 6:00 PM at the FEU Auditorium.

The FEU Bamboo Band, headed by Norberto Cads, Jr., is one of the performing groups under the Far Eastern University Center for the Arts (FCA). Using a variety of instruments made out of bamboo, the group performs various genres of music which will be on full display at the upcoming concert that will also feature special performances by other FCA groups namely the FEU Chorale and the FEU Drum and Bugle Corps (DBC), and guest artists like saxophonist Mr. Marlexis Del Mundo, flutist John Erin Gonzaga and bugle player Mr. Jhon Mark Isla.

FEU Bamboo Band

ASCEND is open to the public and admission is for free.

Reprinted below is the press release for ASCEND.

The Far Eastern University Center for the Arts (FCA) presents the Far Eastern University Bamboo Band (FBB) in “ASCEND: Reaching New Heights in Music”, a special concert on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at 6:00 PM in the historic FEU Auditorium.

This year’s performance helps celebrate FEU’s 97th founding anniversary and the 76th year of

the FEU Auditorium — a dual celebration of legacy and artistic excellence.

In honor of these milestones, the FEU Bamboo Band returns to the historic stage with ASCEND, a concert that highlights the limitless potential of bamboo music through a captivating blend of sound, culture, and creativity.

Following the emotional depth of last year’s kundiman-themed concert Ang Tangi Kong Ikaw, the FBB now invites audiences on an expansive musical journey.

ASCEND features a richly curated repertoire combining cherished Filipino classics with powerful international pieces — demonstrating how bamboo instruments and Filipino musicality can transcend genres and cultures.

Leading this project is Mr. Norberto Cads, Jr., an accomplished bamboo musician, key member of Banda Kawayan Pilipinas and artistic director of the FBB. Under his guidance, the FBB continues to blend tradition and modernity.

The FEU Bamboo Band is composed of dedicated student artists from across a wide range of

disciplines including Nursing, Medical Technology, Psychology, HRM, Tourism, Architecture, Marketing, Business, and Accountancy.

Despite not being music majors, these students devote over 12 hours each week to practice, fueled by passion and a shared love for music.

The evening will also feature special performances by the FEU Chorale, the FEU Drum and Bugle Corps (DBC), and guest artists: Mr. Marlexis Del Mundo on the Saxophone and Mr. John Erin Gonzaga on the flute, both former FBB members; and Mr. Jhon Mark Isla on trumpet – a proud FEU alumnus from the Institute of Arts & Sciences Class of 2018, former member of the FEU DBC, and the current Section Head at the FEU Center for the Arts.

Each artist brings a distinctive voice to the stage, promising a night of rich musical tapestry.

The concert is free and open to the public.

For more information, visit the Far Eastern University Bamboo Band or Far Eastern University Center for the Arts on Facebook.

You may also drop by the FCA office from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Monday to Friday, or call (02)8849-4145 ext. 310.

Come and ASCEND —a celebration of music without borders.

FEU Bamboo Band to perform Broadway musical tunes in concert

BREAKING:

As the 6:00 PM performance has sold out, there will now also be an earlier run at 3:00 PM on May 4, 2019.

Free admission but tickets required from www.Ticket2Me.net

Beat the summer heat with tunes from Broadway musicals performed by unique bamboo instruments as the Far Eastern University President's Committee on Culture presents the FEU Bamboo Band in A Toast of Broadway this May 4, 2019, 6:00 PM at the historic FEU Auditorium.

A Toast to Broadway celebrates a couple of milestones namely the 10th anniversary of FEU Bamboo Band's artistic director Norberto Cads and the 70th anniversary of the FEU Auditorium, once considered as the cultural center of the Philippines.

Popular tunes from Phantom of the Opera, Mamma Mia!, Wicked, and Les Misérables, to name a few, will be performed by the FEU Bamboo Band whose members are made up of students from different institutes of the Far Eastern University.

FEU Bamboo Band

Joining the band are two award winning artists, Raymond Gorospe and Banaue Miclat-Jansen.

Raymond is a host, commercial model, and a multi-awarded vocalist. Banaue, on the other hand, recently won an Aliw Award for her performance in the latest prdocution Ginugunita Kita that was also held at the FEU Auditorium.

A sneak peek of the concert was presented during a recent press conference. And it was an opportunity to get acquainted with the bamboo instruments used in the band.

The main instrument is the marimba, which is just like the traditional one but with tiles made out of narra and resonators made out of bamboo. They provide the melodies and also the counterpoints.

Looking like tubular bells, the kalagong provides the bass line for the ensemble. Sound is produced by striking the top of the bamboo tubes with mallets made out from rubber slippers. This instrument was named after its inventor Siegfredo Calabig combining kala with gong.

Raymond Gorospe, Banaue Miclat-Jansen, Norberto Cads, and Martin Lopez
with the FEU Bamboo Band

Accompanying chords are produced by the bumbong, large pipes that are blown to produce a long sustained note. With bumbong players grouped in threes, each play a different note together forming a three note chord. A drum set (like the one used in rock bands) acts as the rhythm section of the band.

The ensemble that performed at the press conference is just a fraction of the entire band and it will be interesting to see if there are other bamboo instruments aside from the three that were seen.

Admission to A Toast to Broadway is for free. One is still required to get tickets via www.Ticket2Me.net, a convenient ticketing app available online and in mobile devices.

Prior to the concert on the same day, Significance in the Details: Identifying Values in Heritage Sites and Structures, a heritage conservation talk organized by the Heritage Conservation Society, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and the Far Eastern University starts at 1:30 PMthe PCC Center Studio at the FEU campus. This event covers heritage law, digital scanning and documentation, and a walkabout inside the FEU campus (a 91 year old heritage structure with Art Deco details). Admission to the talk costs P400, inclusive of light snacks. Limited seats available.

With an educational and entertaining line up of activities happening on May 4, 2019 at the FEU, one can spend a worthwhile Saturday this summer without spending much and traveling too far.