Catching Up with Laura Cabochan
Laura Cabochan is one of the three pioneers of Blue Sound. She along with Joshua Pangiligan and Sherri Lee Chua began the magazine that continues to be published by Music Lit minors and students who possess an inclination toward placing a spotlight on the Ateneo music scene. When asked why she chose to pursue a degree in Music Literature, she says, “I minored in music literature because I've been hungry for something music related in the university. Also, for more pragmatic reasons, it was a good complement to my theatre arts studies.”
Cabochan graduated with a BFA in Theatre Arts and as Summa Cum Laude of her batch. She was also awarded a Loyola Schools Award for the Arts for performance. Theatre wasn’t something she left behind upon finishing her studies in the Ateneo. After graduating she reprised her role as Julia in Walang Sugat,originally by Severino Reyes. Cabochan summarizes the performance as “a sarswela about two lovers, Julia and Tenyong. The revolution against the Spaniards tears them apart, but their stubbornness and tenacity unites them in the end.” Beyond Walang Sugat, she continued to “pursue theatre alongside voice acting and a brief stint as a vocal group in Star Magic.”
She recently received a Fulbright Scholarship and is now completing a Master’s degree in Applied Theatre in New York City. When asked to provide a brief summary of what she did upon graduating she says, She also continued to “pursue theatre alongside voice acting and a brief stint as a vocal group in Star Magic.” I worked in Japan briefly as an English teacher.”
A handful of Ateneo’s current graduating batch will remember Laura Cabochan as the effervescent EnLit teacher who made 7:30 am classes worthwhile. When she was my professor for Lit13 and 14, I never felt begrudged to wake up early. She brought fiction, poetry, and drama to life without any pretention. She welcomed varied interpretations during class discussions and brought levity to learning about literature. She provided my classmates and I with a wide variety of literary works and stimulated lively discussions that made every class hour pass by swiftly. Several times Cabochan would incorporate her theatre background and knowledge to make the lessons livelier. One time, she taught the class acting exercises. She was also a very amiable professor, agreeing to sing for the class when we asked her to. Upon hearing the first lines of what she sang, my classmates and I were in awe. While teaching in Ateneo, she still pursued musical theatre. She says “the highlight so far being part of the original cast of Sa Wakas (a rock musical that appropriated the songs of OPM band Sugarfree) ,which was a hit musical.”
Cabochan started singing when she was seven years old and began musical theatre at eight years old. She relays “It was never just a hobby for me.” For Cabochan, music is essential to her being. She says “[Music] is like breathing to me. I get quite depressed when I’m away from it.” Aside from pursuing degree that requires being musical. She is also part of the acapella group Vocal Soulstice. When she has time, she likes to cover songs When asked which songs she loves to perform live? She says “Musical theatre. She enjoys the narrative aspect of it.” Cabochan states that she connects to musical theatre more than the most types of music; however, she also says, “any song with a strong narrative or really smart lyrics moves me.” She mentions John Mayer as an example. Her SoundCloud is a collection of covers that range from songs from “Wicked” to songs by Taylor Swift. Aside from the lyrical aspect of music, she says “There are some non-English/Filipino speaking bands whose singer's voice just moves me even if I only have a basic grasp of the lyrics (i.e. Galileo Galilei)" When asked about her biggest musical influences, Cabochan answers "Probably my voice teacher, Lionel Guico. Sound/interpretation-wise, maybe Sutton Foster or Kelli O'Hara. I listen to a lot and it’s hard to pin one down.”
Has living in a different country affected Cabochan’s relationship with music? She responds by saying “It's made me more cognizant of how vital [music] is in my life and how I don't need to make a career out of it to prove how special it is to me. I'm quite confident about my voice even if no one's listened to me lately.” I was curious to find out whether she thought it was easer to pursue music and performance as professions abroad than it is in the Philippines. In response to my inquiry, she says “I'd say there are a lot more opportunities abroad, sure, but the sensibilities are different so, to me, the artistic satisfaction isn't quite the same.”
Cabochan is an exemplar being dedication to one’s craft—the more it means to you, the more you work hard to perfect it. Given her impressive resumé, intelligence, and undeniable talent prove that she has a bright future ahead of her. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that she is on her way to becoming a recognized figure in musical theatre. So watch out!
Photos from:
http://ateneo.edu/ls/soh/events/ateneo-school-humanities-holds-4th-ateneo-artswork-cebu
http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/106217/arman-ferrer-rising-musical-star