ALL ABOUT THAT BrASS: A Flashback to Andre Abacan’s Babble Batallion Days
Out of the usual heat that surrounds the grounds of the Ateneo, a young man named Andre Abacan walks his way to the tryouts in the Blue Eagle Gym as he gives in to his burning desire to be a part of the Blue Babble Battalion.
Andre did not play any instrument aside from the flute — which is not exactly an instrument that is part of the Blue Babble. “I remember being quite nervous at first because I am playing the flute, which is not brass,” he said.
The Blue Babble Battalion was founded in 1924 and is the first-ever cheering squad in the Philippines. It consists of talented men and women who are dubbed to be as the invisible “Sixth Man” in Team Ateneo Sports. As how they express such significance, they say that they “live for the rush, die for the school and are the force behind One Big Fight.”
Andre always had it in his heart to be part of that intense support system. “I wanted to express my school spirit and support for the teams that is why I joined Babble,” he said delightfully.
He did not initially know how to play any brass instrument but as he was accepted to the team after his audition, he soon learned how to play the saxophone and the trumpet. It made him really happy because as how he describe it, “it was fairly similar to my original instrument — the flute.”
Being part of the brass section of the Babble, this did not hinder Andre into continuously improving his skills in playing the flute. He even enrolled himself to the College of Music at the University of the Philippines.
Although the challenge of learning a new instrument is inevitable, there are other more challenges that Andre encountered during his journey as a Battalion member. “During my second year in college, I was designated to be the capatain of the brass. The major challenge in that is coordination and scheduling of the people who are able to attend the games,” he said.
The usual training schedule is during Thursdays from 4:30 p.m until 9 o’clock p.m. However, when there is an upcoming halftime or other event performance, the training is at 4:30 p.m daily. When asked what time does this daily training end Andre laughed and said, “up to the time we are all satisfied.”
What helped him through these tiring times are the friends he gained from the team. When asked what was his most memorable moment as a Babble member, Andre says, “it would be during the Blue Roast performance, when we sang the alma mater.” It was the moment that he shared with close friends, people who matter that made all the intense emotional impact to him.
Andre graduated from the Ateneo de Manila University in 2012 majoring in AB Interdisciplinary Studies (Psychology and Communication tracks) with a minor in Music Literature. Although he did not end up pursuing a career in music, he attest to the role of the Blue Babble Battalion in his life and to the person he is today when he said, “I have always perceived music as a form of relaxation and although no musically inclined opportunities were given to me, being captain was able to hone my skills with people management and leadership, which I think is a big factor in applying for a job.”
Currently, Andre is completing his required flying hours to successfully qualify being a commercial pilot . He is happy to say that his job did not hinder him from maintaining his love for music . No high and low latitudes will ever change his perception on music as his way of relaxation may it be in a form of listening or playing his trumpet or saxophone during his leisure time.
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